Apr 8, 04: Slate vs. soapstone countertops

Many thanks to Buglady_DE for saving and forwarding this thread!

Slate vs. soapstone countertops

Posted by Buglady_DE (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 8:48
Looks like I still haven't decided on my countertop for sure. I thought about soapstone before and then came back to laminate. But now that I am seeing so many posts on soapstone, the issue has come up for me once again. And I really never thought about slate, and now I see several posts on this material, as well.
Could someone run down the pros and cons of slate and soapstone? Would love to hear from those of you who have either one, and whether you considered the other, how you decided, and so forth.
Both materials look very beautiful. I am definitely concerned about how much clatter there is when you set plates down since I tend to be sensitive to that.
Also wondering about chipping. Scratches that rub out or oil out are no biggie, but really noticeable chipping would be a concern for me.
Thanks for your help!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: greenguy2 (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 10:35
Buglady we are in the same boat- we rcvd samples for soapstone from a local stone company that had a slab they aquired for another customer who had changed their mind- i think i know why. It was way too soft for my taste. Although beautiful, anything i can scratch with my fingernail just wont cut it (pun intended).
So my wife ordered samples of slate from one of the companies mentioned in various posts here- camara (see link below) we recvd a black sample that has been sitting on our kitchen counter for over a month. We have scratched it, left it overnight with lemon, tomato sauce, milk, vinegar, oil, soap, etc. We have used it as a trivet for hot pots and pans,,,,,,,,,,and it still looks great. The vinegar did have a small effect on it- but more of a patina like the sopastone would have- just not as noticable to me, Of course all of this aside we still havent made up our minds 100%,,,,,,,,,,hope this help- and my advice get samples and abuse them!!!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: kecs (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 12:50
Bug,
I'll link below to a Canadian supplier of soapstone, which has a good FAQ.(If the link doesn't work for you, try www.dauterstone.com)
I haven't been able to locate a Slate FAQ.
Regarding Slate and Soapstone (and I've decided on the latter mostly for reasons of cost), you have similar surfaces--both have that high-end matte finish beloved by many. Slate gives you a wider range of colors. It is also harder than the softest soapstone. Some soapstones, however, do fall at 3-4 on the famous Moh scale of mineral hardness (diamond is 10, most Slate is at 4); you can see the Mohs for Finnish soapstone on the Tulikivi corporate site (follow the menu prompts to Architectural Stones).
As for durability, let's face it, these countertops, slate and soapstone, last for generations. My sense is that although soapstone may be more susceptible to dents, slate is prone to chipping because of its laminated structure.
If you're prone to vapors at the sign of wear, get granite, with its various upsides and downsides--more porous, more colors and patterns, more maintenance. With slate and soapstone, it looks like you can choose your poison: dents and scratches with one, manageable with sanding and oiling, and chipping with the other.
Regarding chipping, a good slate supplier should be able to minimize this risk.
Soapstone has a silky feel underhand (softer steatites, or soapstones, are actually ground to produce baby powder, or talc!); it has excellent soundproofing qualities, and so may minimize clatter. Perhaps another poster can speak to the sound qualities of slate.
Slate is "resistant to" acids and alkalis. Soapstone goes Slate one better, and falls in the "nonreactive" class, which is why it is used as a laboratory countertop material. It requires no sealing except for cosmetic purposes. WIth a little maintenance, or the proper sealing, however, Slate will be virtually nonreactive.
From what I've seen, Slate is costlier than Soapstone--quotes vary, with Soapstone falling in the $30-$60 range (some s.f. prices, I grant you, are in the stratosphere, but only because some distributors have a regional lock on the market and can pretty much set the price); Slate is at $50 and up.
If you like these gorgeous matte surfaces, and you can afford a pricy countertop, please check out basaltina, a lesser-known and much finer-grained igneous relative of granite (see www.stonesource.com, where it is listed under alternative stones). As the name indicates, it comes in one color, dark charcoal gray. I have seen it used as flooring and can't tell you how beautiful it is. And yes it is recommended for countertop applications.
Here's a link that may be useful, click on "FAQ"
<>Dauter Stone, Inc.


RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: rthornto (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 14:58
Wow, kecs....nice informative (and accurate) post! I have heard so many people...including people at Expo and The Great Indoors say soapstone is too porous for a kitchen. Completely false...that is why chemistry tables have been made of soapstone! non porous and non reactive. I love the stuff and am sold. Some soapstone is softer than others. One sample from Walker Zanger can be scratched with my fingernail, another from Vermont Soapstone can't...but I certainly can scratch it with a screwdriver. To me the scratches add to the character PLUS they buff out in a jiffy with normal sandpaper! I was more worried about staining than the scratching. And yes, slate will chip so it has a similar issue. If you want pristine, neither is for you. If you are like me and think this can be part of the counters beauty, go for it. I am sold on the Vermont soapstone.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: kecs (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 15:41
Yeah, I'm sold on the stuff too, and the Vermont Soapstone people are super. Keep us all posted as your counters go in!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: elsieCat (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 15:54
rthornto, Vermont soapstone often comes from South America...I'd also recommend researching exactly where the Vermont soapstone comes from...and look up "cobra" soapstone as well as the Tulikivi soapstone.
We would get soapstone if we could afford a whole slab, or possibly slate...There was one significant difference I can't remember...but we can't afford a slab now that we've upgraded the cabinets, and I don't want tiles, so it's out :(. Both you'd be very happy with. I do think that slate takes less upkeep than soapstone, if you want to oil the soapstone. The *right* slate, Vermont slate from Vermont, doesn't need sealing, even.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 21:49
Wow kecs! Thanks for all the info! Do I remember correctly that soapstone is usually a 1 on the Mohs scale (same as talc)?
As I said, I would not mind the scratches on soapstone since they can be sanded out or disappear after oiling it. Chipping would definitely bother me though.
Hmmm...seems like I might prefer the soapstone to the slate afterall.
I could definitely see where soapstone would have been used in oldtime laboratories, but modern labs do not use this material. The labs I've worked in used laminate or resin countertops. It would be interesting to go back to my old middle school science lab--that one might have been soapstone.
For those of you who have decided on soapstone, are you getting a soapstone sink too?

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: rardnek (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 22:32
Buglady,
We have soapstone and went with a stainless steel undermount sink. I think the soapstone sinks look nice, but wasn't the look i was going for. Here's a link to my soapstone & sink:
Here is a link that might be useful: ss sink in soapstone

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: hilltophome (My Page) on Thu, Apr 8, 04 at 23:49
Hi Buglady, What if you did a backsplash of slate so you could have the look of the material without the cost or noise? I've seen it as a backsplash and it's stunning. Apparently it comes in colors or has natural variation or something, so with squares it gives a really nice effect.
My smokey topaz counters are in and they are just GORGEOUS. They're absolutely delicious, with this terrific amount of depth. The smokey has a subtle amount of blue, though now I wish I had gone with my original, secret desire of the more blue choice. (but I've been sweating bullets over all the colors in the house and how they'll come together, so pay no attention to me) In any case, it's gorgeous, very beautiful.
My premier cabs came... They're... well they smell (formaldehyde, bad bad), are oak (ugh, not even an attractive shade!) and at least one cab has doors that don't look right. When we install them we'll have to figure out whether they're defective or just needing to be adjusted or something. Right now though, it looks like a couple of the drawer fronts aren't cut straight and are more rhombus in shape... Guess I'll be finding out about that hopefully terrific customer service...
So what cabinet company did you finally decide on? I haven't been around for several days because my computer was sick with a virus, so if you told I missed it!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 7:08
rardnek--I love your house! I couldn't help it, I had to look through all of your photos!! Your kitchen and FR are fabulous. I just love the layout. The bar counter, in particular, intriqued me. At one point, I was thinking about doing something similar (I have a sunken FR also), but I couldn't picture how it would look. Well, now I know, lol!! Hope you don't mind my asking, but it looks like the whole house is getting a makeover. I thought at first that you might be getting it ready to move into, but then I decided that no, you probably have been living there awhile. Care to share the story of how your remodel came to be? Sorry, for being nosy, lol! Just curious.
Hey, hilltop! Good to hear from you! Glad to hear you love your counters. I think the Topaz series is just beautiful. Not much progress has been made with my remodel--still haven't ordered cabs. No GC bids yet! But we are meeting with one guy on Monday. I'm slowly leaning toward not getting a GC to oversee the whole remodel. I may wind up needing to hire out the job in bits and pieces. I feel like I've been stuck in the same place forever, lol! Keep in touch!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: CLNP (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 9:15
We have soapstone counters from the company "Vermont soapstone". Currently, there are no working soapstone quarries in Vermont, so the company "Vermont Soapstone" gets their soapstone from Brazil. It's easy to confuse the company name with the source. The company "Green Mountain Soapstone" has a product called "original" -- it also comes from Brazil. Vermont used to have operating quarries, and the company "Vermont Soapstone" hopes to reopen theirs. Right now, though, no company should say it's soapstone is quarried in Vermont, and if they do, ask for the location of the quarry!
When we were choosing soapstone, we got samples from everyone, and tested them all. The Cobra soapstone sample we got from the "M. Tiexiera" company was the hardest, and the "Mt. Holly" soapstone sample from the "Vermont Soapstone" company was the next hardest. But we chose it because we liked the look better, and the installation was more convenient.
I hope this is helpful.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: janedibber (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 9:48
we decided on VT slate for its durability, stain resistance and low maintenance. It also comes in a color that is much lighter than most soapstones.
web pics:
http://www.trendsarticles.com/story/index.html?story_id=204008&big=2040086
http://www.vtstoneworks.com
Here is a link that might be useful: my pics

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: soofriver (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 10:04
Janedibber.....i love your kitchen pictures. I am so torn between Soapstone & Slate. Not a lot of info about either in my area. Thanks for sharing photos.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: khallock (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 11:17
rardnek - Love your cabinets and counters! Where did you get your cabinets from?

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: kecs (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 11:32
Bug,
You're right. Talc is 1 on the Moh scale. It's a kind of soapstone but because it's so soft, applications are confined to sculpture and for reducing to powders (talcum powder)
The soapstone used for counters is called steatite, and it has a higher Moh number (quartzites, like granite, are about 7; basalt is about 6). As you well know, hardness does not always mean dense--and metamorphic slate and sedimentary steatite are both denser than igneous granite and basalt, which is what makes slate and soapstone so desirable for worry-free food-prep surfaces.
So, what is the Moh score for steatite?? It appears to depend on the stone. Tulikivi Green (steatite) is 3-4 on the Moh scale, harder than marble (calcite, at 2). Kianta Sky (a soft gray) is softer: 2-3. I think slate is at about 3-4.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: elsieCat (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 12:34
rardnek--I love your house too! What is that beautiful color you painted most of it, that soft green? What company? I can get the chip and have it matched to a PNW paint company...That is SO my kind of color, with the woods...ay ay ay I feel peaceful just seeing it. Your bathroom with the slate is inspiring as well. GREAT work there!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Fri, Apr 9, 04 at 15:46
kecs--Thanks again for the geology facts on soapstone/steatite!! You are making me feel better than ever about this material!
jane--Your kitchen is sooo beautiful!! I love your island!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: ossobuco1 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 0:02
Jane:
Thanks for sharing your time so generously w. us. Finally got to peek at your pics on DH's laptop. Slate looks interesting. Reminds me of classic Tuscan pietra serena. Is it really stain res. for substances like olive oil, wine, tomatoes, etc? May I ask how the price compares to the other materials you looked at? Your kitchen looks great--great minds think alike.... Beautiful job!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: janedibber (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 9:08
Osso- I did some testing, way back, on the slate samples (camara), and purposely left some red wine on the counter the other week. No issues. I actually used olive oil to finish my soapstone and slate samples. It had no affect on the slate...well, it made it slippery! From my minimal testing and research, what other folks say here, and what camara states, I had no concerns of staining.
Ah, price...I found, during my remodel, that base price for an item (say $55 sq/ft, which camara uses) gets you no where fast, as there are so many other factors. That said, $55 sq/ft compared to most other materials (including maple BB, would you believe that!, reclaimed chestnut, soapstone and honed black Zimbwawe granite) was the cheapest material, and happened to be our #1 choice. So it was an easy decision. All said and done, after templating, quarrying, fabricating, delivering and installing the price came to $81 sq ft (which includes a 42" custom slate farmers sink).

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: ossobuco1 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 12:39
Jane. Sorry to be such a slate doofus. Does it darken with the oil application? Did you use extra-virgin olio? Rosemary/garlic rub?
Just kidding..... it doesn't leave a mess on your clothes if you brush against, does it.... looks lovely so far..... Where are you up in the NY area? I'm in NW Ct and have to go slab hunting sometime. As well as checking out Millwork..... My gc said he got a great price online for bb giant slabs so maybe we'll do slate and maple....
42" sink? Planning on that home spa? I like Chicago faucets too.
Sorry, I am brain dead this morning. Waiting for contractors saps the marbles. Where did you get your slate from--Vermont Soapstone? Where you happy w. them and would you use them again? I should get a test sample....
Good to know slate is tough. Ushered a good sized black bear out of my attached garage last week. Not relaxing to realize there may be something lurking in the kitchen that's tougher on surfaces than DH. A little remodel humor.....

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: janedibber (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 15:26
oil darkens the slab as if you cleaned it off w/ a sponge, but it doesn't absorb it. So when you wipe it clean, it all comes off. It is nothing like soapstone. soapstone appears to absorb the oil and becomes much darker. We didn't bother to personally pick out slabs. I got unfading slate samples from Camara, Sheldon and VT Struct. They all looked the same to us, so we went w/ camara. happy w/ the slate, but had some hiccups w/ the install (company not affiliated w/ camara). If dull and flat is your bag, you should check out slate.
Here is a link that might be useful: sink doesn't look that big!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: pugs4 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 17:46
Janedibber BEAUTIFUL!!!! LOVE LOVE THE SLATE AND THE WHOLE KITCHEN.I especially love the slate sink. my slate does not seem dull so maybe after a year of use the get more reflective I can not remember mine looking dull they have always had a sheen.
buglady my slate top has a 30 year warrenty not to delaminate[flake] in over a year of use the only ding is when a soup can fell on the edge and a slight chip occured which any counter this would have happened,but with the slate all I did was take wet ss wool and buffed it out now you can not even tell.Slate might scratch but it is only surface scratch but with most soapstone the scratch can be as deep as a gouge that is why we went with slate my kd gouged my samples from vt soapstone with a pen although that would not usally happen it did nothing to the slate.Hope I helped peg
Here is a link that might be useful: pegs kitchen

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: att3 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 10, 04 at 22:54
Remember our Chemistry/Biology labs in High school? Those were soapstone counters. They lasted forever and never were scratched or damaged (and believe me, we tried everything). Its non-porous and a wonderful natural product if you like to look. If you are loking at slate, its highly porous and will flake over long enough time. Good luck choosing.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: rardnek (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 0:37
Thanks for all the kind comments on the house -- it's been a long time coming!
BugLady - I'm happy to share our remodelling story! Our house was a tiny (900 sqft) 2 bed. house in a great location. We worked with an architect for over a year w/no real timetable on when we'd build. Then we decided kids were in our future so we'd better get serious about finding a contractor. Fast forward to last fall: we broke ground Oct 30 and DD was born Nov. 23 (in a perfect world we would have been finished by then, but you know how that goes!).
Our project entailed adding new kitchen, fam. rm, office, and master bedroom suite, and also involved turning our old 8x8 kitchen into a mudroom/powder room, reconfiguring our former living room/dining room into a larger dining room and front foyer, plus gutting the existing 1940s bathroom. The old bedrooms were about the only thing that didn't get a makeover.
So, now we are in the home stretch - we spent today cleaning and trying to put stuff in the new cabinets. Very overwhelming! We didn't do a great job packing up stuff on the front-end (too much going on w/me being pregnant) and we're paying for it now. EVERYTHING we own is covered in dust and cleaning is a bear. BUT, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and am very excited to get back into our house.
So.. that is the story of our remodel (you asked... :)
About the bar countertop - it was something we went round and round on. I had a hard time explaining to the architect what we wanted but he finally got the vision. Then I had to explain to the contractor and the cabinet guy. Then we had to figure out how in the world we were going to support ~180lbs of stone. Architect had a friend fabricate the steel brackets you see in the picture and once we patch up the drywall it will look great.
khallock - Our cabs are Durasupreme - their Crestwood line. Maple wood in a ginger finish. Countertops are Green Mtn. soapstone original. I really like the simple Shaker lines.
elsieCat - the green paint we used is from the Restoration Hardware palate. It's Sycamore Green. We are very happy with it. Thanks for the compliment on the bath tile too. We spent a long time trying to figure that out. I have to give my DH kudos - he was the one with the vision for that bath, he really wanted that tile in that pattern and I have to say, it turned out great.
Anyway, sorry to hijack this thread. Thanks for asking about the house -- as you can tell, I love talking about it!
~Kendra
Here is a link that might be useful: Our Remodelling Pics

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: pugs4 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 7:54
att3 slate counters do not flake they are polished with 1000 grit just like granite.Slate counters look nothing like clefted slate wich we are all fimilar with.As to porosity vermont slate is so dense that it does not need to be sealed like most granites do,I have left blue pops and red wine over nite and no stains in one year of heavy use with 2 young kids and a husband who is not a neat freak we have no flakes and no stains.Not all slate is equal. peg

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 10:18
Kendra--Thanks for sharing the story and the details on your house! I'm sure it has not been easy to do so much remodeling all at once, but at least you'll be done with it soon and can start enjoying your "new" home.
All of the time and effort you spent planning has resulted in a beautiful space! I love your choices of materials, colors, etc. Great job and best wishes to you and your family!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: SkyMom (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 10:28
Buglady_DE, I am curious why you are not considering granite? Is it because you think it is too trendy? I am worrying about that.
I love Vermont Slate, but I believe it is more expensive than the granite I picked out. At least it was at Vermont Structural Slate. Plus, I worry about chipping too, especially with DH around. I do not like soapstone though. Mainly because I think it is too high maintenance. For me, oiling once a year or more or whatever, it's more maintenance than I want, *lol*. I like that Black Galaxy Granite and Vermont Slate need no sealing.
Here is a link that might be useful: Vermont Structural Slate

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 11:21
Hi SkyMom! I hope things are going well with your remodel! I know you were having some GC troubles. Hope that is getting straightened out.
I don't know if you caught it or not, but several weeks ago I went to look at CWP cabinets! Can you believe it? Only because a GC I met with wanted me to go. They were way too expensive for me though. Especially when I already have found cabs that I like a lot for a lot less!
Throughout my planning process (and boy has it turned out to be a lengthy process!), I never seriously considered granite. I've never seen any granite countertops that I like I guess. I do not know where the trend for granite countertops came from. Just my opinion, and obviously many, many people do not feel the same, but I don't see granite as an appropriate, logical choice for a kitchen countertop. I don't want to get into a rant or anything because to each his own and all that, but if I wanted to bring granite into my house, I would really rather bring it in as a big old boulder where I could admire it for what it is--a rock!! When I think of granite, I think of it as part of a mountain to be climbed on and hiked over in its natural state. I like it that way. I don't like looking at smooth, flat, polished granite that looks, well, processed. It is really just an inner feeling kind of thing, and I mean no disrespect at all to anyone who feels differently as I know many, many folks do.
I guess it is the same way that I would never, ever buy diamond jewelry of any kind--no diamond engagement ring for me, lol! Like that robot from the Lost in Space TV show would say, "That does not compute". (Hope I got that quote right, lol, it's been a lot of years!)
Gosh, I sure have sat here for a long time debating whether or not I want to hit Submit. I feel like I am coming out of the "closet", or something, LOL!! Kind of pathetic, huh! Well, I had to say what I really feel! So there it is.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: SkyMom (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 12:52
Hi Buglady_DE, Well it's not going so well, I am going to fire the GC this week. I am not going with CWP either. I found a great cabinet maker. He is expensive, and I think that has stopped me from pulling the trigger so far. Well, that and the horrible GC! I'm not even ready to do the kitchen yet. I am thinking more along the lines of getting separate people to do everything, and not go the GC route ever again!
So, which cabinets did you finally decide upon?
I understand your thoughts about granite, I kind of have that about Vermont slate though. Slate is something you usually walk on, or put on your roof! Well, here in New England anyway. Do I want it in my kitchen?
Well, I guess it all comes down to what each person likes and can live with. I think one person will visit and say "Granite, everyon has granite! So trendy and busy." Another will say "Slate? You put slate on your countertop? How um...nice, I have it on my roof." "You went with laminate? How boring, couldn't you afford something else?" "Soapstone? What the heck?" "Caesarstone? Zodiac is better" "Zodiac? Caesarstone is better."
So, I think the oldie but goodie is true...'You can not go wrong if you get what YOU like.'

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Buglady_DE (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 14:31
Yup, SkyMom--that is exactly my point! Granite just doesn't seem right to me to be a countertop--same way you're thinking about slate. It really is funny in a way.
If I do decide to go with stone, which I probably won't, I think it would have to be soapstone, which I do associate with countertops, and at least it is somewhat softer. More like wood, which I think is probably ideal. There are definitely pros and cons to every countertop material, so I believe your advice is right on the money! Get what you love and be done with it! Of course it certainly helps to hear about the experiences others have had, especially if you haven't had stone in your kitchen before.
I do remember that you decided against CWP. I just mentioned it because I was thinking about you when I went in to look at their cabinets, lol! As for me, I am holding steady with my plan to have hickory cabinets. I still believe I will order the Premier Worthington style, but because of my difficulty in finding a GC, I have not been able to move forward with my order.
Sorry to hear that you are still having problems with your GC. You know, I might very well be forced into doing exactly what you are contemplating--hiring out for the job in bits and pieces. I thought that getting someone to oversee the whole remodel would be the way to go, but after speaking with so many GCs that I've lost track of the number, lol, I think I'm about to give up.
Good luck and I hope you are able to move forward with your kitchen plans soon!

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: SkyMom (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 14:54
I know how you feel, because finding a competant, honest GC is near impossible. I have a small galley kitchen, pretty straightforward, so I can't see why I can't just have a floor person, a drywall person, an electrician, and a plumber. I can do the painting!*lol* The granite company can do the countertop install. The custom cabinet guy does the installation, but I am sure a regular handyman or carpenter could do it. So, what do I need a GC for?
It is more juggling, more waiting, but I think it will be less expensive, and much less stressful in the end.
My plan now is to fire the GC this week, drop the plans for everything else in the house, and concentrate on the kitchen and bathroom remodels. Then do everything else when we're nice and comfy in our new kitchen, *lol*.
Good Luck to you too, I hope your remodel starts soon.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: iasid (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 18:45
Does anyone know if soapstone is available in tiles? I saw something in 'Fine Homebuilding' that inferred that it is--and that the edges are true enough to require no grouting. But I suppose tiles would be thinner than a slab; and therefore, the edge would be more complicated.

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: Momto4Kids (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 19:00
I know New World sells it in tile form, but I'm not sure about how rough the finish is. I looked at it for flooring application. I suppose you could get what you want. Call them (434-831-1051). Don't email...they're not up-to-date on responding. They will give you a quick quote if you can fax your specs.
Here is a link that might be useful: New World Stone

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: oddjob (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 22:15
Vermont Soapstone sells 12"x 12"x 1/2" tiles specifically for countertops that cost $12.10 each and 12" edging that costs $12.10. We bought 4 tiles to see what they'd look like. They are beautiful, hold the mineral oil well and we have loved having them on our counter. We will still try to purchase a slab if we can afford it. But it made us feel better about the possibility of tile. I believe you can butt them right up against each other using epoxy like you would with granite tile.Tulikivi also makes tiles 10mm or 15mm thick, 13.5" square.
Here is a link that might be useful: vermont soapstone counters

RE: Slate vs. soapstone countertops
• Posted by: kecs (My Page) on Sun, Apr 11, 04 at 23:44
Re: soapstone tiles--these are for flooring applications.
Slabs are for food-prep surfaces--grout lines catch food debris, which breeds bacteria, creates the greater likelihood of foodborne illnesses, and is a maintenance headache to boot.
Get dense (nonporous) solid stone slabs for any counters where you prepare food.
Those are good prices, though, for 12 x 12 tiles. Put 'em on the floor of your master bath.