The Pros & Cons of Soapstone Wood Stoves

Soapstone Wood Stoves

• These stoves have been used in Scandinavia and Northern Europe for centuries. Because soapstone contains talc, it can be carved and sculpted. Many old, Gothic walk-through fireplaces were made of soapstone. Soapstone stoves are made differently than cast iron and metal wood stoves because of their heat properties. The firebox of the stove has to be made of stone because of the intense amount of heat that soapstone can retain. Soapstone slabs are then lined on the inside and exterior of the stone walls, which allows the soapstone inside of the stove to absorb the heat from the fire and lets the soapstone on the exterior radiate the heat into the room.

Pros

• Soapstone holds and radiates heat better than any other natural material -- even better than granite and marble. As a result, you will save money on your heating bill. Long after the wood logs have finished burning, the stove will still generate heat into the room. What's also distinctive is that the heat the stove emits is actually softer because it is radiant heat, in comparison to the thick and intense heat that a metal stove generates; the heat is closer to how the sun warms you. If you live in a climate with long, cold nights, you'll find the soft, ongoing heat a comfort. Soapstone is also aesthetically pleasing because of its texture and veining. Unlike a dark or plain-colored metal stove, soapstone has a natural beauty and material qualities that you can both see and touch. Like cultured stones, such as marble, the color of the soapstone will deepen and intensify over time.

Cons

• With all of its positive features, there are certain downsides to a soapstone stove. First is the weight of the material itself, which is much heavier than conventional metal stoves, which means if you're having a stove shipped to your home, the costs may be quite high. Another issue is that because of the inherent properties of soapstone to retain heat, they also take longer to heat up from a cold start. So if you will have a frequent need for quick heating, a soapstone stove may not be a good choice, which also corresponds to cooking capability. Unlike metal wood stoves, the top of the stove will rarely get hot enough for cooking purposes.

Alternatives

• If the cons of an all-soapstone stove are a turn-off, choose soap stone hybrid stoves, which are stoves that include iron, steel and firebrick to offset some of the downsides of pure soapstone, like lower heat emitted from the exterior walls of the stove. Another alternative is steatite, which is also a naturally quarried stone and was actually used as the exterior insulate coating for the famous "Christ the Redeemer" statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Steatite has the same heat retention and radiation properties of soapstone.