Les Pierres Stéatites

Soapstone is the common name given to steatite and is a metamorphic stone closely related to talc and serpentine (green marble). Soapstone has historically been one of the world's most widely used dimension stone, for sinks, flooring, windowsills and architectural accents, in slabs and pots for cooking and in sculptures. In Scandinevia, some cathedrals have been built with soapstone.

Soapstone  has remarkable heat-retention characteristics. It has been used for centuries to make masonry stove, taking in heat from burning wood quickly and then slowly radiating the heat for hours. Soapstone can handle high temperature fluctuations with extremely minimal expansions or contractions, allowing it to be put in place and to keep its structural integrity. For the same reasons, it is a material particularly well suited to standard fireplace fabrication, both as a firebox liner and also for decorative hearths, facings and mantles. The thermal capabilities of the stone make it ideal for under-flooring heating. Soapstone works well as a dense, durable material in flooring applications, and is less brittle than harder stones. Refinishing of high traffic areas is aided by the easy honing of the stone.

During centuries, in cold climate countries, soapstone has been used as bed warmers, boot warmers and bun warmers. In some countries, even windowsills were made of soapstone: warmed by the sun during the day, and slowly radiating the stored heat.

Also, soapstone has special technical qualities: it resists to acids and alkalis thus making it an ideal material for counter top and sinks in laboratories.