It is true that soapstone isn't for everyone. It is also true that your stone distributor and GC are mental defectives. You may seal soapstone, but you don't need to, unlike marble and some granites. "Nobody uses it," is GC-speak for, "I have no clue what I'm talking about so I don't want you to use it."

I would think soapstone would be a good choice. Another thing to look at would be something like my brushed Cambrian Black. I wish I could tell you the source of it, but when my fabricator went with me to look at it and we tried to wet the surface to test it, the water just beaded up. He went and talked to the folks who ran the yard and they said it was acid washed or something as part of the finishing. The resulting finish is a low sheen -- like and eggshell satin paint, that doesn't absorb anything and didn't require sealing, doesn't require chemical cleaners.

I was told marble was totally unsuitable for a kitchen. Not all the "experts" are experts.

I copied this from a local stone supplier's site. They supply granite, marble, and slate countertops as well so I don't think they are slanted particularly toward soapstone

SOAPSTONE

It is a metamorphic rock basically composed by mineral talc. This natural quarried stone is softer than most other natural stones. Although a soft stone, soapstone is a very dense (non porous) stone.

It is wrong to associate softness with porosity; soapstone is denser than marble, slate, limestone and even granite. Because soapstone is so dense, it will not stain if anything is spilled on the stone surface, it will not penetrate the stone. Other natural stones, including granite, if not properly sealed may stain.

Very easy to maintain, can be cleaned with any common household cleaners. The only maintenance required for soapstone, is the application of mineral oil.

You also don't need to oil soapstone. That's just for the look. A lot of soapstones look just fine without oil.

There are also harder (for soapstone) soapstones. If you can easily scratch the surface with anything pointy, move on to the next one. They mine softer and harder soapstone from the same quarry so don't let the name decide you. And make sure your husband isn't allergic to talc! :)

One way to tell it's soapstone--and to see that it's not porous--is throw water on it. It should bead up and kind of fall off, rather than making a wet mark.

agree with the above.

except the last point: you don't know what the surface will look like when water gets onto it, as its surface is not water repellant / hydrophobic on the surface.

Yes it is!! The whole point is that soapstone is water repellent. I've seen that water slide off thing several times, and one of the things I love about my soapstone is that when I splash all over it I can just brush the water into the sink with my hand and it's gone. Oiled soapstone might act differently, but water doesn't sink into natural soapstone. Oil does. Water doesn't. Oil will grab to the surface. Not sink in, but kind of cling to it.

ayerg, since you're choosing for health reasons, you might also want to consider stainless steel.

Good luck, and keep us posted on what you and your husband decide to use.

Becky

Thanks for the input... I thought I was sort of on track, but then two different people telling me I was wrong made me doubt myself. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't survive this reno without you all!

plllog - goodness gracious, I hadn't even considered that he could be allergic (which he very well could be! Eek!) I guess I'll have to tape a sample to his back and leave it there for a week to find out for sure! ;)

Becky - thanks for the idea. However, he is allergic to nickel which can be found in small part in stainless steel. I had considered it and other glass based counters as well (but then I'm dealing with man-made resins to bind it) but we're going for a warm, rustic look - so I think soapstone is a better fit.

I think talc allergies are primarily triggered by talc powder, and there are some respiratory issues from breathing ground talc. But you could talk to your allergist to be sure.

Yes, to echo palimpsest's post -- I wouldn't equate the dense talc in soapstone to light, fluffy, scented and adulterated talcum powder. But the appropriate person to ask about medical problems is your medical provider.

But obviously, during installation anything can become airborne, inhaled and cause problems, and soapstone is no different. Mine had a gritty, chalky residue that needed to be wiped off, just that one time, even though the installers were very tidy with the rest of the house.

But porous? No way. And as others have pointed out, you don't HAVE to put a thing on it if you don't want to. I oil mine about once a year. (Permanent sealing is unnecessary and really rare. There may be one guy in your area who is running amok and sealing everything in sight.)

I clean with dish soap and water. I use cutting boards to avoid big scratches and chips, etc, but otherwise live my life. (Solvents and things make me very itchy, so I avoid them when possible.)

If you can deal with the possibility of chips (I think of it like living with wooden furniture) then I think soapstone could work for you.

Good luck!

The talc dust from soapstone cutting is the same as the talc in powder. I was being half silly when I mentioned it, but I was thinking of when/if it gets cut or scratched, especially if he has a contact allergy. Besides the talc, there's a lot of steatite and the veins are mostly quartz. There can be other minerals as well, but mostly talc and steatite.