can light soapstone stay light??

12 years ago

Can a light colored soapstone *stay* light colored or will it always eventually darken, even if you don't oil/wax it? I looked at a*lot* of soapstone threads today but didn't find this addressed even with a google search--my apologies if I missed it!

I'm leaning toward a light grey counter which maybe could be soapstone if I can find the right DIY low low price; I'm going to Denver at the end of the month and will check out M Texiera and Dorado, especially the recycled parts. I really like fivefootzero's counters (and the bunnies!) but so many soapstones are very dark. My eyes and I are getting older so I think a lighter colored counter is the way to go (DIY is a must).

I know there are options for this in laminate, which I'm already looking at.

thanks in advance!

Featured Answer

leela4

12 years ago

I'm not sure I'm the least bit qualified to answer this, but I'll take a stab at it. I would give a qualified yes to that. We've had ours since July 2010, and have never oiled it. We want/like the lightness of it. I did talk to Florida Joshua about a problem we had early on (unrelated to oiling or lightness) and he said in passing that all soapstones eventually darken, since it does oxidize over time. He is truly the expert. I think there are two things you could do to keep that from happening. One would be to lightly sand it. And the other would be to use a degreasing product, ie "Greased Lightening". We have used this when we have gotten oil spots or marks and wanted to remove them (some we just leave because they do just eventually fade). I noticed that the area around the spot that I wiped up with the greased lightening stuff was a little lighter, so apparently had removed some of the natural oxidation. Sorry-long answer but I hope it helps.

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Comments (13)

mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you, leela4, I think you gave a very good answer! Well, if Florida Joshua says it'll darken, I'll believe it :) . I like the sanding and degreasing ideas, but I plan to be in this house for decades so eventually I'll lose the darkening battle.

thanks again, cheers!
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jscout
12 years ago
Join the Dark Side...
leela4
12 years ago
yeah mtnfever- I'm sure we'll be in this house forever (it's been 31 years and counting) but I'm hoping that when it does darken significantly I'll be too addlepated to notice ;-)
fivefootzero
12 years ago
You can bring soapstone back to it's original lightness either by sanding or by using acetone or alcohol. This takes any accumulated oils off.

We leave ours naked...and it's a light grayish color. When areas get darkened, I can take some alcohol and take the oils off. It's only on the surface.
tinker_2006
12 years ago
pictures please of naked soapstone! :)
fivefootzero
12 years ago
Here you go. We have Belvedere from M. Tex in NJ. Very hard stone...I have dropped soup cans from the upper corner cabinet on to it with not even a ding.
mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
Original Author
12 years ago
jscout and leela4, hah! Maybe by the time they cart me off to the home, the counters will be so dark that I can't see any dirt and I'll think I'm a great housekeeper lol.

fivefootzero, thanks for posting your beautiful pics, and for seconding leela4 on sanding or alcohol removing the dark oxidation.

I think I'll get some samples and start testing them. Fivefootzero, your Belvedere is so pretty and at hardness 4 sounds "hard to beat";) .

thanks again!

cheers
cheri127
12 years ago
Scott at Bucks County Soapstone has a product that can be used to keep soapstone from holding onto oil and thus stay light. I have no idea what it is, but he applied it to a sample for me and it really worked.
fivefootzero
12 years ago
It's probably either acetone or alcohol...no special products are needed to get the same result.
mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
Original Author
12 years ago
hmm, cheril27, that sounds interesting, thanks! I couldn't find anything on the Bucks County Soapstone web site other than their Snake Oil Liniment, so I sent Scott an email and will update when I hear back.

cheers
User
12 years ago
I use a color enhancing sealer on my soapstone so that it stays dark without oil, I would think that a regular stone sealer that does not enhance the color would help prevent oils from soaking into the counter and therefore help keep it light. It might be worth trying on a sample.
mtnfever (9b AZ/HZ 11)
Original Author
12 years ago
cheril27 and athomeinva, you're both right on track! I heard back from Scott at Bucks County who said it's probably DuPont Bulletproof Stone Sealer. Amazon gives it high marks but no one there nor DuPont talk about soapstone, only for porous stone, which I thought soapstone was non-porous. But, there you are. Something to try during sample testing.

thanks, and cheers!