Countertops.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Anyone have experience with this?

[mrbigjas]

i've got friends who have it. they love it, but caution that the company isn't kidding when they say that acids will mark it, and that it scratches. they like that it gets a 'lived-in' (read: marked up) look, and are happy with it overall, but i'm pretty hesitant about it.

i wanted to look into it for my upcoming renovation, and am actually going over to their place to do some work on it sometime soon so i can tell how i'd like it. i'll report back.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

i've got friends who have it.  they love it, but caution that the company isn't kidding when they say that acids will mark it, and that it scratches.  they like that it gets a 'lived-in' (read: marked up) look, and are happy with it overall, but i'm pretty hesitant about it.

i wanted to look into it for my upcoming renovation, and am actually going over to their place to do some work on it sometime soon so i can tell how i'd like it.  i'll report back.

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I'm hesitant, too, because while I'm pretty strict about the way I cook and work, I don't want to be constantly b*tching at people to wipe stuff up, and I don't want to have to think about it. The surfaces I'm looking at using this on are for prep/staging only, and a wet bar.

I've got three samples; the darkest (which I like best) is still holding onto a drop of oil that I wiped up after five seconds. The red wine, soap, and vinegar drips give it a little "character." I'll look forward to your report on actually working with the stuff.

[mrbigjas]

i've got friends who have it.  they love it, but caution that the company isn't kidding when they say that acids will mark it, and that it scratches.  they like that it gets a 'lived-in' (read: marked up) look, and are happy with it overall, but i'm pretty hesitant about it.

i wanted to look into it for my upcoming renovation, and am actually going over to their place to do some work on it sometime soon so i can tell how i'd like it.  i'll report back.

←

I'm hesitant, too, because while I'm pretty strict about the way I cook and work, I don't want to be constantly b*tching at people to wipe stuff up, and I don't want to have to think about it. The surfaces I'm looking at using this on are for prep/staging only, and a wet bar.

I've got three samples; the darkest (which I like best) is still holding onto a drop of oil that I wiped up after five seconds. The red wine, soap, and vinegar drips give it a little "character." I'll look forward to your report on actually working with the stuff.

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yeah that sort of thing is what worries me--i was painting a cabinet above the aforementioned fireslate countertop with oil based paint, and a drop missed the dropcloth. i cleaned it up with thinner, which worked to pick up the paint, but immediately spread into a big ol spot on the counter. then the thinner evaporated and it ended up being fine.

but the thing about the oil situation is, if you're going to be rubbing a bunch of tung oil into it every while, you're not going to notice cooking oil on it. so i'm not sure that's the best criterion to judge it on. the acids thing is more worrying to me. i'm not that neat when i cook...

[elfin]

Anybody have a link re this stuff?

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Anybody have a link re this stuff?

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For the real Fireslate website, clickety

For another, Lookie here

[MGLloyd]

This takes me back to my chemistry school days, in that some of our labs had tables with Fireslate tops. If I recall correctly, it is a mix of Portland cement, silica sand and fillers. I can say that in the environment of a chemistry lab, the tops stained terribly, showed scratches and nicks and generally looked pretty distressed. On the upside, it was essentially fireproof and pretty chemically inert to most solvents. Unless I was building a rustic villa in Tuscany, in which case the look would blend right in, I personally would not choose this as a counter top in a food prep area.

Edited April 21, 2006 by MGLloyd (log)

[KitchenMom]

I have friends who have it and love it. It's been in their kitchen for about a year, and looks pretty beat up, so it really depends if you like "patina." My friends are both doctors and it reminds them of their days in the lab. I really like the feel of it, but I wouldn't want my counters looking quite that worn (my friends are also not the neatest people in the world).

[FabulousFoodBabe]

So far, my feeling on this is "high maintenance." Nope, my old dog is the only high-maintenance thing in this house! The price we were quoted was very, very nice, and I do like the color. I just don't like to fuss with some things.

[Rehovot]

The tone of the second website you mentioned, FFB--that of the "fan club"--is hysterical. With fans like those, who needs enemies?

Edited to clarify which site

Edited April 22, 2006 by Rehovot (log)

[Smithy]

The tone of the second website you mentioned, FFB--that of the "fan club"--is hysterical.  With fans like those, who needs enemies?

Edited to clarify which site

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Yah. You get the feeling that they're really, really unhappy with the product? I wonder if FireSlate's customer service has started paying attention yet.

[mrbigjas]

today i was at a local bar that recently opened, that has fireslate for a bar material. i still like the feel of it, but here's a photo i took of it:

can you tell someone didn't want the lemon in their drink?

i didn't realize that basically it's a concrete-esque material, and should be avoided if you want to avoid the issues there are with concrete.

i'm gonna take a pass on this stuff.

Edited April 30, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[FabulousFoodBabe]

today i was at a local bar that recently opened, that has fireslate for a bar material.  i still like the feel of it, but here's a photo i took of it:

can you tell someone didn't want the lemon in their drink?

i didn't realize that basically it's a concrete-esque material, and should be avoided if you want to avoid the issues there are with concrete.

i'm gonna take a pass on this stuff.

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Eek! I didn't have that experience with a lemon on mine, but maybe I didn't let it sit long enough. Hmmm ... etching?

While the "Fan" website was funny, I take stuff like that with a grain of salt. Could be a disgruntled employee, a competitor. It seems like a lot of energy and effort to slam something and give a platform for others to join in. I've seen some honest discussions of the stuff on other forums.

My own tastes, and the way the rooms are going to be laid out and what they're blending into, would (I think) make shiny, perfect countertops look odd. Plus, I'm not a shiny, perfect type of homeowner! (No, really ) We need something as close to slate as we can, and this is probably it.

Of course, I could change my mind any minute.

[LindaK]

i didn't realize that basically it's a concrete-esque material, and should be avoided if you want to avoid the issues there are with concrete.

Could you elaborate? I love. love. love the look of concrete countertops and am seriously considering them for my kitchen renovation.

[Jim Charles]

The fan club site is a riot and at first I was reading it thinking it was connected in some way to the factory site. I was thinking, are these people nuts that looks like the devil. I don’t think I would consider it, myself.

[mrbigjas]

i haven't researched it lately, and unfortunately killed off a lot of my short term memory in college, so i can't remember off the top of my head, but if you search around the site, you'll see the things i'm talking about--acid sensitivity, cracking, inability to, say, attach a pasta maker or something, etc. the impression i've gotten from reading about all this stuff over the years is that they look great, but they're relatively high maintenance and really not the greatest choice for sheer utility.

[FabulousFoodBabe]

I don't think a material exists that will be just right for me, and I'm driving myself insane with this process.

I think I'll do my countertops the same as AngelaAlaimo -- plywood. I'll probably love it!

[C. sapidus]

FFB: what criteria are important to you? Looks? Durability? Cost? Color? Lack of gloss? Amount of maintenance? What countertop materials have you considered and rejected? Granite? Soapstone? Engineered stone? Serpentine?

Site with lots of countertop info.

Bruce

[FabulousFoodBabe]

FFB: what criteria are important to you? Looks? Durability? Cost? Color? Lack of gloss? Amount of maintenance? What countertop materials have you considered and rejected? Granite? Soapstone? Engineered stone? Serpentine?

Site with lots of countertop info.

Bruce

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We'll have slate tile on the floor leading into the house, and the Nanawalls will open to outcroppings -- our deck will be built directly into those, no railing. There's a big stone and slate fireplace in the room this whole kitchen will be opened into.

A patina or showing wear is not a problem. A glossy finish, is. Something that is high-maintenance is not great. I'd thought of concrete, but hadn't considered engineered stone. I'm the perfect Corian customer, except I don't like it!

Just occurred to me that since I'll have a 10 x 4 island, it'll probably have a seam unless I do fabricated stone. Sigh. Me and my beeg idears!

Edited May 2, 2006 by FabulousFoodBabe (log)

[FabulousFoodBabe]

Okay. Now, soapstone. (Yeah, I'm still waffling.) If anyone has these in their house, could you please tell me (a) how it holds up in really heavy use, (b) if the seams are visible, and © if it's relatively soft or hard?

I've been researching and found that no material exists that does what I want: look like porous, natural stone; be available in 10'x4' slabs, stand up to everything we (and 8-10 students, 5x a week) do to it, and require NO maintenance. Firelsate is half the cost of honed granite, probably more for the 1.25" thickeness I"m hoping for. The samples I've been abusing for weeks have held up well (our water is no doubt part of the equation), though they seem to chip a little when I hit the edges really hard with a pot.

I don't have to make this decision any time soon, but I want to.

Thanks in advance,

[Smithy]

Okay. Now, soapstone.  (Yeah, I'm still waffling.)  If anyone has these in their house, could you please tell me (a) how it holds up in really heavy use, (b) if the seams are visible, and © if it's relatively soft or hard? 

I've been researching and found that no material exists that does what I want:  look like porous, natural stone; be available in 10'x4' slabs, stand up to everything we (and 8-10 students, 5x a week) do to it, and require NO maintenance.  Firelsate is half the cost of honed granite, probably more for the 1.25" thickeness I"m hoping for.  The samples I've been abusing for weeks have held up well (our water is no doubt part of the equation), though they seem to chip a little when I hit the edges really hard with a pot.

I don't have to make this decision any time soon, but I want to. 

Thanks in advance,

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FFB, a lot of us talked about, drooled over, and dreamed about various countertop materials a while back. Here's a thread on Soapstone & Concrete Countertops that may get you some useful commentary, and it refers to yet another thread on Corian and Silestone countertops. There's also some side discussion about soapstone countertops in this thread about soapstone sinks.

'Sfunny, I never thought about soapstone countertops - remind me too much of the lab - and I think that's precisely the reason some people like it. Now, I've been paying more attention, and thinking how nice they would be - and my taste just keeps getting more expensive, far outpacing my salary...

[FabulousFoodBabe]

'Sfunny, I never thought about soapstone countertops - remind me too much of the lab - and I think that's precisely the reason some people like it.  Now, I've been paying more attention, and thinking how nice they would be - and my taste just keeps getting more expensive, far outpacing my salary...

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Thanks Nancy -- what a great thread! I've posted a request for updates from everyone. I don't think concrete will work for me, but I'm liking soapstone. I don't have any lab flashbacks to deal with (my 'lab' was stainless steel, and I'll have plenty of that, thank you!).