We remodeled our house about 2 years ago and used Fireslate for the kitchen and bath counter tops (black). We have re-oiled (tung oil) every six months and used very fine sand paper (600) on the stains. Some stains howevery don’t go away and in strong sun light are obvious.
My question is what can we do about these stains? If soapy water or a very hot pot is left on the counter it will leave a mark. Lemon juice does for sure and in the bathrooms toothpaste leaves stains also. Is there anything we can do to improve this?
I chose fireslate as I wanted a non- glossy finish –but I don’t like the stains.
Replies
perhaps whoever sold it to you should have told you that it would stain
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Sorry, but staining and marking are inate to the Fireslate product. We installed them this past summer knowing that they would get a patina from use. We have not oiled our counters and have left them with the shop finish. Acids and oils will show marks.
Rip out the slate and install soapstone. Has the same look a slate, but is more resistant to stains and heat.
Mike K
Mike K
Amateur Home Remodeler in Aurora, Illinois
Agree w/Mike. Soapstone was used for countertops in High School chemistry classes. It resists chemicals and heat BUT it will scratch - keep that in mind.
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Try http://www.soapstones.com
The have what they call Cobra Soapstone. It is a soapstone with lower talc contant. I ordered a sample and it scratches less easily than typical soapstone.Mike K
Amateur Home Remodeler in Aurora, Illinois
I have a sink made of fireslate and it gets very dirty and difficult to clean...my wife is always on me for this...i use fine sandpaper and then mineral oil on it....it looks better...if you go with soapstone be prepared for sticker shock!!
If you get to the point that you just can't live with the stains, don't replace the Fireslate with another expensive alternative (e.g., Soapstone, PaperStone, Richlite, Slatescape, ).
I just learned about Resistop (http://www.resistop4kitchens.com), which appears to be just as good if not better than all of the other phenolic resin materials and sells for a whole lot less ($12/sq. ft. plus shipping and fabrication). It can be fabricated by anyone with a little experience working with building materials, too. A lot of the surfaces I've been checking out required a certified fabricator working with a builder or kitchen designer. My husband is going to fabricate our Resistop countertops. Resistop has been around for years, but just recently entered the kitchen countertop market. It comes in 210 colors and patterns, each available in one of 8 textures, including suede, leather, soft leather, slate, and crystal.
I also read about a trend towards bringing "green" linoleum back to the countertop (technically Marmoleum). Marmoleum comes in 92 colors/patterns, sells for $28.95 per sq. yd., and is considered a 40-year surface. Check it out at http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com/shop.mv?CatCode=PRODUCT&ProdCode=FORBO_DUAL_CUTS. Does anyone else remember having linoleum countertops? They were tacky at that time, because if I remember right, people used a metal, screw-on edge. With a wood edge treatment, they would look great . . . better than the laminates, because the color/design goes all the way through the product.