Soapstone counter refinishing?

14 years ago

I have seen several posts on this forum referring to soapstone refinishing but I'm not entirely sure what that means. Our soapstone counters are about 4 years old and I think they must be of the softest variety. I oil frequently and even used an electric buffer after oiling a few times (not sure if that was a good idea), but the counter is getting really banged up (particularly around the sink, which is undermounted). The counter was put in by our GC - he went down to NJ to pick up slabs and cut and installed the counters in our kitchen and two bathrooms on-site, but I don't think either he or his crew are particularly expert when it comes to soapstone. Soooo - I'm thinking we need to have the counters refinished, but I am not sure what exactly that means or who we would call to do the refinishing. Any advice at all would be really appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Featured Answer

prill

14 years ago

I was hoping to see some soapstone experts chime in here. Maybe they're all on vaca. I would contact a company like Tiexeira or Dorado and talk to them.

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Comments (6)

darbuka
14 years ago
bump
judydel
14 years ago
Teixeira Soapstone is in N.J. and they are very knowledgeable. They installed our soapstone and I had a good experience all around. Why don't you give them a call and tell them Judy from GardenWeb suggested that you call them and inquire about fixing your counters. I'm sure they'll at least give you information and may be interested in re-sanding them or whatever needs to be done.

I'm sure others on GW will also have DIY ideas.
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tntwalter
14 years ago
have had flown to their homes. He does excellent work.

Good luck.

Trish
florida_joshua
14 years ago
If you give us a call we can answer any questions you may have. . . I emailed carajon as I may be up in their area doing a refinish job. I haven't nailed anything down yet but the offer is there.

Pluckymama's kitchen was the perfect test for me as she lived with her soapstone polished up too high, and a little too rough. If anyone she can tell you how each finish holds up. I do know if you are really rough on your kitchen, then 4 years down the road is a good time to think about refinishing. My in-laws kitchen is used and abused and I'll be taking care of that in a few years to give it a facelift. They are super hard on their counter. When I had soapstone in, it looked new even after a couple years of use. The finish will help keep it looking fresh longer, but soapstone is a softer stone, so cast iron pots to the edges and pots being thrown into the sink will just beat it up no matter what finish is on it. But the finish that is on it can help hide those little scratches and chips. If you talk with my clients you will find that they still get some scratching and chips, but they typically blend in with the rest of the counter. I think this is a testimony to proper education about the product before hand and the finish on the stone helps out a lot. Proper education about the slabs you choose are important as well.
kelchas
11 years ago
Just wanted to join the bandwagon...Florida_joshua is truly the best!!!! He refinished my soapstone last weekend in Atlanta. I can not begin to tell you how terrible my countertops looked. When they initially installed them, a stone company's name who I will not mention, they were glossy and had the feel and texture of granite. Beautiful at first, but they showed EVERY scratch, bump, ding... it was impossible to use. I thought that I had made a big mistake choosing soapstone. I tried to refinish it myself and only ended up making it look worse.

I searched the web and found this forum where people raved about Florida Joshua's work. I was skeptical at first, but I can tell you that I am a true believer. Joshua came up and within three hours transformed my scratched up mess of a countertop. I am positive I made the right choice with soapstone now. It has a texture and feel like none other. It is a night and day difference from the way it used to look and behave. I can slide things across it now, without it leaving a mark.

Don't think twice about calling Florida Joshua. He is a true professional and knows this stone well.