Teresina Soapstone

The cost of soapstone is similar to many natural stone countertops…

The advantages of soapstone in your home…

To keep our soapstone prices low we incorporate many…

We import soapstone directly…

Comparing soapstone and granite is like comparing oranges to apples.

Soapstone counters have less seams…

You will have nearly invisible seams in soapstone counters…

There is no need to use a sealer on soapstone counters…

Thick soapstone slabs mean no edge seams…

This blog is managed by the owners of Teresina Soapstone. We specialize in soapstone countertops. We also carry a diverse line of soapstone sinks, and tiles. We are dedicated to providing a superior natural stone and exceptional service to our customers. This blog is designed to share additional information about soapstone, and its uses as kitchen countertops, bathroom countertops, fireplace mantels and more.

We currently have in stock some amazing soapstone slabs, you have to see these to believe it! Once mineral oil has been applied they go almost completely black. In the picture above the dark half of the slab has been rubbed with oil, the light side is the natural fresh cut color. With oil they look almost identical to honed black granite.

 The supply is limited, so give us a call to schedule an appointment to come by and check them out.

Many  of our customers plan on remodeling their kitchen, or just replacing their countertops. My partner Ben and I frequently get asked “We want to put soapstone in our kitchen, where do we begin?” After letting them know they came to right place, we ask them several questions. It goes something like this:

1. Are you planning on keeping your existing cabinets?

Once the stone is installed on the countertop, in most situations, it is extremely difficult to remove without any damage to the soapstone. If the homeowner plans on refinishing or replacing the kitchen cabinets, now would be the best time.

2. Have you already found a sink?

We carry several varieties of soapstone sinks, that may appeal to our customers if they haven’t already decided. In addition to that, sometimes the sink can take several weeks (or even 3 months in one case) to arrive. The exact dimensions of the sink will be an important piece during the soapstone fabrication.

3. Is it going to be an undermount sink or the self rimming variety?

We ask this question mainly to determine the price of the sink cut. Due to the additional finishing work and precision needed for the undermount sink cut it will have a higher price.

4. Do you have a stand alone oven, slide in, or countertop range?

A stand alone unit would typically not require any additional cuts.

5. (if applicable) How much overhang are you planning on having on the island?

In California, the building standards with 1.25″ material is a 10″ overhang without any additional support needed, as long as 2/3 of the soapstone is supported. For example, if your countertop was 20″ wide, you could put up to a 10″ overhang because the total would be 30″, and 2/3 of that (20″) would be supported. We however prefer a little more caution, and typically suggest anything over a 6″ overhang have some type of support.

 6. Do you have your faucets or other fixtures yet?

We will not need these until the soapstone is actually installed, but again, they can take several weeks to arrive. Also, the standard size hole for these is 1 3/8. If the homeowner has a unique piece, it may require a larger or smaller hole.

These are the most common things we ask so we can quickly assess the customer’s situation. If you have any other questions, or things that you found valuable during through your experience please add a comment below.

 Thanks,

-Bryan