Locally Quarried Stone Countertops

Posted by Joyce Benson   4 Comments

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Natural stone countertops certainly add a luxurious feel to any kitchen or bathroom.  In addition to their beauty, they are also very durable and long-lasting.  Natural stone, when sealed with low VOC finishes, add to good indoor air quality and low maintenance needs.

Most stone is imported, adding to the environmental impact, but I’ve found a few good resources here in the U.S. for locally quarried slate, soapstone and marble countertops. 

SLATE is a beautiful, dense, heat & stain-resistant stone and is recognized as the leading chemistry lab countertop material (along with soapstone).  It is typically found in blue-black colors, but other colors are available.  Honed, sand-rubbed, machine-gauged or natural cleft finishes are available, as well as a variety of edge profiles.

• Penn Big Bed Slate Company, PA.  The slate from this company comes in slabs or tiles in two forms:  clear grade and ribbon grade.  Clear slate is blue-gray to blue-black in color, but when sealed or oiled, it is jet black in appearance.  Ribbon slate has bands of varying widths of darker shades streaming through it.
• Sheldon Slate Products, NY & ME.  This company quarries green, purple and red slate.
• Vermont Structural Slate Company, VT.  Countertop colors are available in green, mottled green & purple, red, purple, gray and black.

SOAPSTONE makes stunning countertops and sinks in dark greens and blues, which are denser than the lighter colors typically used for sculptures.  Soapstone slabs may contain stunning variations of colors with mottling or veining.  It is heat-resistant and doesn’t even need sealing, yet it’s natural state is impervious to liquids/stains.

• Sierra Hills Stone, CA
• Alberene Soapstone Company, VA
• VA Soapstone, VA
• Woodstock Soapstone Company, NH (soapstone quarried in Quebec, Canada)

MARBLE is gaining in popularity in the U.S. for the timeless elegance it offers.  It comes in polished or honed finishes which offer easy cleaning with a mild soap.

• Tennessee Marble Company, TN.  Earth tones of pink, brown, gray and beige marble countertops are offered by this company.
• Vermont Quarries Corp, VT.  This company quarries Vermont Danby Marble®, a white marble with gray, green and gold veining, which has a low absorption rate of .07% (lower than many granites).
• Vermont Verde Antique LLC, VT (pictured above).  The marble by the same name Vermont Verde Antique® is a rich, dark green marble that is harder and less porous than many types of granite.  It is available in both slab and tiles.
• Other options include Vermont Champlain Black Marble, which is actually a limestone, and a variety of Vermont red marbles.

Tag(s): Green Design, Greening the Home, Kitchens And Baths

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