Hmm,don't they get grease stains? I remember looking at a house once and they had a black slate counter riddled with grease stains? And the same thing on a kitchen tour once.

Maybe they have solved that somehow?

No, they are not non porous. Vermont slate comes close and can be as non-absorbtive as some granites, but it's black or dark green colors are not one of the showier ones. Those colorful choices are usually Indian or Chinese and origin and are pretty absorbtive and need a lot of sealing in order to look good. If you don't seal them, they can end up blotchy and pretty full of "patina" and not in a good way.

Slate, being a metamorphic product of sedimentary shale, is also pretty soft and can nick and scratch. It has a hardness from 2.5 to 4 on the Moh's scale. Again Vermont slate is one of the harder ones, from 5-6 but it's still softer for a rock.(Granite is 7-8) In other words, your average slate has all of the "bad" qualities of soapstone, and none of the good. They can be absolutely gorgeous, but just like most beauty queens, you must be willing to pay for that beauty in additional effort!

I have slate for my entire stand alone shower surround and floor. I can tell you that greasy soap and stuff like that never leaves a mark. It's for my entire shower, so as long as I put the sealer stuff on it every 6 months or so, I never worry.
So as far as waterproof goes, it's a certainty that it can be waterproof.

this is what mine looks like:
{{gwi:1587521}}

Soapstone is non porous. That is one of the reasons that it was used in chemistry labs. So you can leave that pat of butter on it all night long and wash the evidence of it right off. With slate, you would have a big greasy splotch. You would have to periodically take everything off of your counters and seal the stone. It's no worse than cleaning the counters really well with Windex, but it will mean that they counters are unusable for around 24 hours every 6-12 months. If you love it, the effort may be worth it to you.

Soapstone is also about the same hardness as slate and it can ding and nick readily. These nicks and dings are more visible in the slate than the soapstone because the oxidizing properties of soapstone and the oiling process will hide the sharp edges. You can also sand them out to be a bit smoother and then oil them. You might be able to smooth out minor nicks with the slate, but oiling it would be disastrous! It will look more worn more rapidly.

From your description of your former counter, it looks as though you might be a good candidate for either soapstone or slate.

My mom had slate in her last home. It was from a Maine company, I think, so it's probably similar in it's qualities to the Vermont stuff. She had an integrated sink and runnels, too. It was quite beautiful.

It did nick and scratch, but she had a historic home and a VERY unfitted kitchen, so that seemed just fine. It also showed soap or dried water spots, since it was in a kitchen used hard by a couple teenagers... but again no one cared. I suspect in a fussier household it would have looked cleaner :) Also, after it had been installed a month or two, it developed and actual crack along one of the natural veins. I don't know if that's any more common with slate than other stones, but thought I'd mention it.

I think this is the company my mom used. They have some nice photos and information on their site.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sheldon Slate

I picked up five 2 inch thick slate slabs (they came from a bowling alley's pool tables) free on craigslist. They are 6 feet long and 2-3 feet wide. I'm going to use them for kitchen counters. Only in the butler's pantry is the run of the counter longer than 6 feet, so these will work fine in the rest of the kitchen and on an island. Since they were free, I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. My house is 230 years old and this will fit right in with the rest of the Federal/Georgian center entrance colonial design.

We used Brazilian green slate in the kitchen of our old, 1840s Italianate Greek Revival house, lived with it for four years before we moved to another house, and were very pleased with it. I am not a perfectionist, and wasn't bothered by one hairline crack and another major ding on one edge that I created by forcefully swinging a Le Creuset Dutch oven into it. The ding could have been repaired if it had bothered me enough. Don't recall significant stains, and we never sealed it.
Lynn

In the finished kit blog "janedibber" has slate counters & sink as well as a beautiful kit. Take a look.

I have seen many examples of slate sinks and counters made of Monson Maine slate (one of the quarries for the Sheldon Slate Co.). Like soapstone, it develops a "patina" of use over the years, and if that kind of look doesn't bother you, it is wonderful material. My high school lab counters were made of Monson slate. I wish I'd been able to buy them when they were sold off years ago!

In addition, I got to know some of the family who own the company and they are really nice people.

If you want an environmental-impact-free slate, use one that has already been used. Salvaged black-board slate is great for counter tops. It's usually between 3/8" and 3/4" thick, so it needs plywood or something behind it for strength. It comes in fairly large slabs, and has a smooth finish one one side that make a great counter top surface. The large sizes make seamless counter tops in most kitchens. You an cut it to size with a diamond blade in a regular power say, but cut just 1/8"-1/4" at a time.

Slate is brittle and will chip at the edges, so the best edge treatment is a wood molding to match your cabinets.

Don't let anyone tell you that slate won't stain. Any oil will stain it, but most water-based liquids will not. The best way to prevent oil stains is to keep it sealed, or oiled. We just use Windexî to clean it and food grade mineral oil once a week or so.

This is a fantastic amount of information, all.
Will start haunting salvage yards as suggested (CEFreeman keep your eye out for me at Forklift!!!).
And will keep gathering info.
farmgirl your current kitchen is one of my very very favorites. If you had and loved your slate counters that holds weight with me. I like my house to look like I live there! Would *love* to hear the story involving "forcefully swinging a Le Creuset Dutch oven"
I did once have a shower finished in slate. And do remember a "patina."

I think my kitchen is unfinished cause I'm loving this process . . . especially since it's functional.

rafor what a great find! I would love to see pictures when you get the counters done (and of the whole house!)

yes, rafor - VERY COOL. I just did a quick craigslist peek and there are lots of slate pool tables for sale.
Do you plan to do the work yourself?

We're not sure about fabricating the slate on our own. But we are in NH and there are a lot of granite fabricators around, so we figure we can always interrogate them :) Though the kitchen is large and has a great big fireplace in it, if we use the existing cabinet layout, the counters are broken down into several 4 to 5 foot spaces. There currently is no island, we have a table for my 91 year old father to eat at. I also got a free hutch that I will paint and then use it to replace one of the cabinet runs next to the stove. So I'm still planning and dreaming and collecting great finds on craigslist. Funny, several years ago when I first discovered craigslist, I found that not only can you furnish an entire house for free but you can also get free mobile homes. Currently I'm looking for a round solid wood top table to repurpose. I know if I'm patient I can get it for free (and since I want to paint it, I don't want to pay for it!!!!). I built 2 glasshouses out of old windows and doors from craigslist too. It's a lot of fun and sometimes I regret all the money spent on house stuff. If you search under my user name, lots of pics of the house will show up on the home dec forum and the holiday forum. The glass houses may also be on the small house forum.

Any info out there about the quality of slate from New England/New York as opposed to Brazil? I am doing a countertop for my new kitchen and love the look and feel of the green slate, but am not clear if the lower price on the Brazilian slate is a reflection of a lower quality product. I understand and am considering the carbon footprint issues related to importing slate, so let's leave that aside for the moment, please. Thanks!

Slate cover a wide raange of quality and character.There are slates that are porous like a sponge and others that are roofing quality. Remember they can last on a roof up to and over hundred years. It doesnt get better than roofing quality slate. But then there is everything in between such as slates that contain calcites and others slates that dont do well in wet enviroments. The most inportant aspect however in your search will be finding a knowledgeable fabricator who can give you credible infomation regarding your product search and the ability to do a great installation.
You will need to pic your own slabs and test samples-dont rush, the stone will be in your home for many years so make an informed decision. Do your research.
Stu Rosen
www.mbstonecare.com
www.stoneshine.com