Small SoapStone Facelift

The soapstone counters in the kitchen have been sitting there since the day we bought and then installed them about two years ago.  They technically needed some additional finishing, but with all the other work being prioritized, they just got left as is.

Soapstone is fantastic material, but it can scratch and after 2 years and no preventative oiling, it ends up with blotchy spots.

To correct this, you have to sand down the scratches (easy!) and also use acetone to remove the spots - equally easy. The hardest part on our counters was actually sanding enough on the front edge and top to remove the markings made by the vendor.

Here is the step-by-step actions, applied on the right side counter as it was the side with the most scratches. We had added an extra piece, just an inch wide, to make the counter a touch longer at one end. This extra piece was itself a little bit big at the front and needed to be sanded down.

This shows the writing and the extra piece at the end.

The scratches (click to zoom):

The sanding was done first with a 80/100 grit, and then followed by hand with a finer 200 grit sandpaper.

The scratch part sanded out (click to zoom and see top of photo)

Lianne producing so much dust throughout the house that we are still trying to get rid of it months later!

After the dust is cleaned off, the counter is ready for oiling.  This is done using a food-grade mineral oil.  It brings out the stone beautifully.   The initial application is what you see here.  After a day or two, the oil soaks in and needs an additional coat or two.  After that, it is up to the owner as to how often the counter is oiled.

Here are the Before and After shots of both sides of the counter.  Well worth the effort!