Installation Overview
Installation by Vermont Soapstone
At Vermont Soapstone, we’re pleased to offer expert installation of our sinks and counter tops in the Northeast – with COVID-19 precautions in place. We’re installing primarily in VT, NH & ME during the pandemic to avoid overnight stays. We’re always happy to advise your local contractor about installation specific to soapstone.
Our “soapstone road show”, as we fondly refer to installation teams, have been traveling throughout the eastern United States for twenty years and have enjoyed working in a variety of settings. From a penthouse overlooking Portland Harbor to a secluded beach cottage on Vermont’s Lake Champlain, each project presents a new set of opportunities for us to highlight the versatility of soapstone. When you contract us for the installation, the crew working at your home is employed by Vermont Soapstone. Our crews travel each week from their homes here in Vermont.
Most installations require a day or two’s work. We like to arrive early and work through the day. We require that someone be available at the start of the day to answer any quick questions and at the end of the day to sign off on the completed job. Cutting on site means that we handle all final measurements. All cutting to size and sanding of the soapstone is done at the job site, so it can get quite dusty. But you can be sure that we make every effort to keep a clean work site, and clean up well when our work is done. The only exception to the cutting on site would be if you have a soapstone sink. All sinks must be built at our mill. It is important that all cabinets that we are installing stone on, as well as any non-soapstone sinks, are in place before we arrive.
When conditions are such that a workspace at the job site is not available, we also offer a template service. Our template crew will travel to the job site when the base cabinets are set to make a wood template. Generally we’re ready to install the tops 2-3 weeks after the template is made. Please contact us for an installation estimate, sales@vermontsoapstone.com or FAX (802) 263-9451.
Installation by your contractor
With no investment in special tooling, we guarantee that any experienced contractor can easily perform soapstone installation. Plus, we are available to consult with your contractor every step of the way.
We make the following recommendations for the installation and maintenance of soapstone material:
- Cutting: Masonry blade in skill-saw or table-saw. 8-10 TPI blade in jigsaw. Total support of work and cut-off.
- Drilling: Metal speed bit or hole saw.
- Shaping: Wood rasp or carbide router bit.
- Setting:
- Counter/Vanity Tops – Set tops and backsplash with panel adhesive (we like Phenoseal), seal joints with two-part translucent epoxy (for stone, glass or metal).
- Finishing: 40 Grit sanding belt to match slab, 80 Grit to finish before oiling counters.
- Masonry: Thin set mortar (Silpro Masco) with a bonding agent (Silpro C-21).
- Sinks: Bench test after uncrating. Install with support from bottom. All sinks manufactured for I.S.E. disposal (Ace, Sears, Kitchen Aid) or Chicago Specialty’s Spin and Lock Basket (Ace).
- Tile: Set with thin set mortar with bonding agent or with tile adhesive. Grout to match or contrast.
COVID-19 MESSAGE
As we all deal with this extremely trying time, we at Vermont Soapstone are committed to following state and federal guidelines to help ensure the safety of both our employees and our customers. Therefore, for now, we need to avoid person to person contact.
We are open Mon-Fri 9 am-2 pm by appointment, to answer your questions and take orders, as well as have someone fill requirements in the mill. Additionally, we are checking email at sales@vermontsoapstone.com on a regular basis. If you have an installation scheduled, please view our guidelines via the link below to be fully prepared for our crew under the new safety procedures. We’re still limiting the distance our crews travel for installs, but if you’re outside of northern New England, give us a call. We custom fabricate, crate and ship sinks, countertops, and other products all over the country and into Canada and Mexico. If we can’t get to you, we can advise and guide your local installer on the unique nature of soapstone.
Vermont Soapstone has been here since 1856 and will be here when we’re on the other side of this current health crisis. Thank you for your interest in our products as well as your understanding and support during this challenging time. Please take good care of yourselves and those around you.
Glenn Bowman, Vermont Soapstone
