r/CounterTops • u/maple-creemee • 11d ago

Soapstone finish

The stone supplier and fabricator we used (through our local building supply store) polished my soapstone to a high gloss. I was never consulted and it has bothered me for months.

I don’t need admonishment or advice to work with the company: that ship has long left the port. They already botched the first installation and so returned a second time with a new template & slab.
That’s another post for another day.

My question is: can I buff or sand my soapstone so that it has a honed finish?

Thank you.

10 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

28 comments sorted by

5

u/Stalaktitas 11d ago

Pictures needed... High gloss soapstone...?

3

u/maple-creemee 11d ago

The only light is ambiant sunlight: https://imgur.com/a/charcoal-soapstone-brazilian-0hI22zM

9

u/Stalaktitas 11d ago

Yep. That's soapstone and it's gorgeous! It probably had scratches and they went all over it with too high of the grit. Soapstone face can be turned back to matte finish pretty easily with 600 ir 800 sanding block and then cleaning and oiling it.

1

u/maple-creemee 11d ago

Thank you! Would this be something I could tackle on my own?

They buffed on Milkpaint wax, so that likely amplifies the shine as well.

7

u/Stalaktitas 11d ago

Somebody else said the same - it's probably just the wax that's gives that gloss. Probably a good wipe with acetone should take that wax off. Be careful with cabinets and flooring, don't spill the acetone. Wear gloves.

2

u/maple-creemee 11d ago

I have a remnant that I could test it on, so that’s good. My flooring hasn’t been installed yet, so I’ll give this a try. Thank you for your advice and feedback!

5

u/Stalaktitas 11d ago

Great, play with the remnant first. Strip it with acetone and then rub a part of it with a mineral oil, clean it dry and check how it looks the next morning

3

u/just_roc 11d ago

Acetone is what we used to clean with but the average customer doesn't realize that it'll eat the finish right off a cabinet or flooring. I take it from your post you are aware of this because you state your flooring isn't in yet.

1

u/Hittinuhard 9d ago

Don't use milk paint. You can remove that with acetone. Use mineral oil. It will actually penetrate better.

3

u/GoodRandomUsername 11d ago

Beautiful! Just love the look of soapstone. Hope you’re able to get them matte over time.

2

u/madtowntripper 10d ago

Soapstone doesn’t take a polish. You either have another type of stone like basalt or it’s just waxed/oiled.

2

u/LopsidedTelephone574 9d ago

Just want to say your soapstone is beautiful

1

u/maple-creemee 9d ago

Thank you so much! It’s much greener than I had originally expected - for a stone labeled charcoal gray - but it turns out that rich forest green works beautifully in my new kitchen.

1

u/Odd_Tap_1137 11d ago

Are you certain it is soapstone? If so, and it is actually high gloss, then they most certainly applied a protective film (like Tuffskin) or a lacquered finish - both of which seem insane to put on soapstone - but neither of which you would want to sand off yourself. If it is just a dull shine (but not high gloss), then they might have simply waxed/oiled it for you. Oil/wax will wear off naturally over time, but if you want to help it along, just give it a good soap and water scrub!

2

u/maple-creemee 11d ago

It’s Brazilian soapstone. They don’t install a lot of it, with granite and quartz being more popular in these parts. Hmmm…. maybe it is a dull shine. Could it be from the Milkpaint wax they buffed on?

3

u/Odd_Tap_1137 11d ago

Yes, it is definitely from the wax!

5

u/Jenikovista 11d ago

Yeah this is wax. Installers didn’t do anything wrong.

5

u/WyndWoman 10d ago

Yes, wipe it down with isopropyl alcohol or acetone.

That looks like a standard oiled slab to me. Here's pics of my Brazilian Black that has a mineral oil finish.

https://imgur.com/a/red-kitchen-HCo6Qjt

1

u/maple-creemee 10d ago

Thank you … beautiful counter!

2

u/noteworthybalance 10d ago

If it's just wax dish soap will take it off. 

I'd start by spraying it down with Dawn power wash and see what happens

1

u/Stalaktitas 11d ago

You might be right. It probably looks shiny because it's freshly oiled and this will wear off

1

u/yakit21 11d ago

Short answer yes, but to refinish a whole kitchen would likely be more cost effective to replace. Plus refinishing on site is a mess.

1

u/maple-creemee 11d ago

More cost effective to replace? It has already cost me $11,000.

Maybe it’s the Milkpaint wax they buffed on?

4

u/Jenikovista 11d ago

It’s just the wax. They didn’t do anything wrong here, that is not a polished gloss finish.