What is Soapstone?

Soapstone is quarried like Granite and Marble. It is a stealite stone and its primary components are magnetite, dolomite, chlorite, and talc.

It can range in age from 300 to 400 million years old depending on which part of the planet it is drawn from and can vary in colour from a bluey-grey to black depending on the amount of mineral oil that has come into contact with its surface.

As talc in soapstone is soft to the touch, it gives the smooth feeling of rubbing a piece of dry soap. Thus the name was derived - "Soap" Stone. No ,You can't wash with it.

Soapstone is a very dense, non-porous stone so liquids cannot pentrate its surface unlike many slates & granites.

For over one hundred years, soapstone sinks and tiles have been used in science class rooms and labs along with work tables and counter tops.

Whilst very attractive soapstone has a tough durability that actually improves with age.

Soapstone is naturally produced at the points where one tectanic plate slides under another. The heat and pressure of the movement as well as liquids surrounding this event converts the metamorphic rock into soapstone.

Why use Soapstone?

Its longevity to long term - high traffic use is amazing!Because of its truly remarkable and natural heat retention characteristics, soapstone is widely used for masonry heater fireplaces, woodburners, fireplace liners and pizza ovens.

Soapstone wood burning stoves heat very quickly whilst burning and give off an evenly distributed heat throughout your home.Unlike many stoves that are made from just steel,which cool down very quickly as the fire burns down, a soapstone stove will give a heat that is continuous for many hours after the fire has died down.



A big plus for soapstone wood burning stoves is that the traditional cast iron stove gets dangerously hot to touch and is a problem for families with young children whereas a soapstone woodburner,although giving off as much heat in a convectional stove, is not as hot to touch so therefore less of a hazard to children if accidentally touched.

"It is simply the most comfortable way to heat your home."

To this day, soapstone continues to be the material of choice for masons and architects when efficiency is a priority.

Slates, marbles, most granites, limestone’s and travertine’s are absorbent. Soapstone is not.

A quaried slab of Soapstone.