Did you know that soapstone is one of the most straightforward stones to install? It’s soft and easy to cut, with a durable and stunning natural rustic beauty.
But unfortunately, the price of installing soapstone is pretty steep, with the total cost ranging between $85 to $150 per square foot. This cost leads many people to give the installation a go themselves. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide to make creating your dream soapstone kitchen a piece of cake. Here’s how to install countertops.
How to install soapstone countertops
Make the templates and collect your soapstone
To begin creating your dream kitchen with soapstone countertops, the first thing you have to do is create your template and send it off to the fabricators for cutting.
Measure your countertops, taking into account your back walls. Make sure you include a 1-¼” overhang at the front. As always, double-check your measurements. Also, check that your cabinets are plumb and square using a nylon string and spirit level.
Now go ahead and build your template for the more irregular parts of the kitchen, like the sink or oven. With much of the kitchen being rectangular, you won’t need to make too many templates.
Make your template from plywood. Create your templates to fit your counter bases exactly. Attach the pieces with glue or nails and place them directly onto your counter for the most exact measurement.
Cut and sand
Once you’ve got your soapstone pieces at the ready, it’s time to cut and sand them. Fortunately, one of the advantages of soapstone is that it’s a pretty soft material; find out more about the pros and cons here. This is due to its high talc content, and so it is relatively easy to cut. All you need are standard woodworking tools fitted with diamond blades.
Unfortunately, soapstone’s high talc content also makes the stone extremely powdery and highly irritating. So, mouth and eye protection are mandatory for anyone working with soapstone.
Though soapstone is naturally durable and sturdy, after cutting, carry your soapstone slabs with the face vertical to minimize the risk of the slabs snapping.
Measure and cut your island
Now it’s time to make your island counter. You probably won’t need a template for this part since it’s rectangular.
If you want an eating overhang area around your island, add an overhang of around 12 inches on one side and 8 inches on the other, with a 1 ¼” overhang around the other two sides. With these measurements, your entire island slab should end up measuring 37 inches vertically and 70 inches horizontally.
Sketch these measurements out on your soapstone slabs. An island this size should be made of three equal soapstone pieces joined together. Each piece will be 37 by 23 ⅓”. When you’ve finished sketching, go ahead and cut your pieces as before.
Since these pieces need to be joined together, you must treat them. Smooth out the slabs’ seam edges with a diamond bit router. Make an edge 90 degrees to the surface. Using a straight edge to guide you, move your router in a back and forth motion along the edge, with steady pressure.
When you’re done, you’ll have created a beautiful tight seam that won’t be visible when you join the pieces.
Set up the island
Place your three soapstone slabs on your island and examine the seams. You’ll want your completed island to appear seamless, so take a look at the veins in your soapstone. When you turn the pieces around, you’ll notice how you can make the seams disappear, as though you made your island from one big soapstone slab. So, move your soapstone pieces around until you find an orientation you like.
When you like the look of your island, set your soapstone pieces in the correct places and try clamping them in place.
Glue the island
Now you need to glue your three soapstone pieces to your island. You’ll need a fast-drying epoxy glue for the seams and an adhesive caulk for gluing the soapstone pieces to your cabinet. You may like to duct tape the outer edges of the seams to minimize cleanup at this point.
Start with an end piece. Unclamp this piece and place it on foam blocks. Add a thin, smooth line to the edge of your cabinet. Then, set the soapstone piece back down into its place. Line it up with the next stone.
Now lift the center stone down onto the foam blocks. Apply the caulking to the cabinets just as before, and squirt the quick-drying epoxy onto this stone’s seam. Then, set this middle section back into its place and squeeze the glued seams together.
Do this again for your final stone and press all the pieces together. Now let the adhesive and epoxy dry.
Sand the countertops
When the adhesives and epoxies are completely dry, sand off the excess and smooth the entire stone with a belt sander, using 36-grit sandpaper. Attach a vacuum to your sander to guard against that fine soapstone dust, though you should still wear a mask. Apply a light, even pressure, just enough to smooth your countertop.
If you want round corners for your island, get a roll of tape or glass and trace around its edge. Do this for every corner of the island. Then, using your belt sander, sand these corners round, using a gentle back and forth rocking motion.
Now it’s time to treat your island’s edges. Use a fine cut file to file your edges firmly. Then, use a piece of 80-grit sandpaper to sand the edges.
Come back to the stove counter
Now it’s time to set up your stove counter. With the two pieces on either side of your stove rectangular, no template is necessary. Simply measure your dimensions, then trace them directly onto your soapstone to be cut. Remember to add your 1 ¼” overhang.
Cut your pieces just as you did before, with the circular saw. Then, sand them with a belt sander. Set your pieces on your counter to check how they fit. Then, glue the pieces into place with adhesive caulking.
Now make your template for your sink pieces. Then, cut those templates and trace them onto your soapstone. Cut the sandstone and set the pieces in place to check their fit. Then, glue them in place with the caulk and epoxy just as before. Tape the seams to minimize cleaning, push the glued pieces together, and press them firmly against your wall.
If you want to add a soapstone window ledge, measure, cut, and sand the piece just as before. But don’t glue the piece yet — save this piece until later when you install your backsplash.
Install your faucet
If you are going to be installing a faucet, now’s the time to do this. Measure where holes need to go. Read the instructions that come with your specific faucet before you do anything else.
Using a random orbit sander hooked up to a vacuum, sand the faucet deck’s seams. This prevents you from making a circular impression on the seams and also helps to hide them.
When you’ve decided on your faucet’s location, test it out in this position. Then, drill a circular hole using a hole saw. Now, install your faucet according to its instructions and connect it up to the plumbing.
Install your backsplash
With everything else in place, it’s now time to install your backsplash. Measure and cut your stone so that the backsplash height matches the molding already in place, then place the backsplash against the wall to see how it fits.
When you’re happy with how the backsplash looks, tape the seams and coat the edges with epoxy, then apply adhesive caulk to your wall and its bottom edge. After this, use a wet rag to smooth out your caulking line.
Finish your soapstone countertops
With your new soapstone kitchen complete and everything in place, all that’s left to do is finish and treat your soapstone. First, make sure you’ve gotten rid of all the dust. Then, pour some mineral oil directly onto your soapstone countertops. Starting at the center, gently spread the mineral oil around your countertop until all the stone turns dark grey. Then, come back and wipe off any excess oil with a dry cloth. Repeat this process for the whole kitchen.
Now your soapstone kitchen is protected from stains and ready for life. Enjoy!
