Cozy Up to a Soapstone Wood Stove

By Jonathon Blocker

If you are among those facing $5 - $6 per gallon heating oil costs due to corporate and speculators' greed and government mismanagement, you may be considering alternatives, such as installing a wood stove. If this is the case, you should definitely consider a soapstone wood stove. Simple, traditional heating tools and appliances made from the unique substance known as soapstone, or steatite have been around since the Stone Age. Despite this venerable status, a soapstone wood stove will fit nicely into the most contemporary kinds of décor as well as traditional Early American, Victorian or Art Deco.

If you remember anything about science from your school days, you may recall that metamorphic rock is a type of rock that is literally changed from one form into another by being subjected to titanic geologic forces of heat and pressure, deep beneath the planet's surface. Such rocks include marble, quartz and soapstone. The substance that goes into the design and manufacture of a soapstone stove contains magnesium, talc and dolomite, and shares many molecular characteristics of marble - including its beautiful grained appearance.

Soapstone is substantially softer than marble; it is easily carved and milled into various shapes, and there are even varieties of soapstone that can be chipped away with one's fingernail. Of course, a soapstone stove is made of much sterner stuff, but what makes a soapstone stove really useful is its heat conductivity. Soapstone is highly heat resistant, yet is an excellent heat conductor; for this reason, it has been used to make cookware and cooking surfaces almost since humans learned how to cook food. Native American peoples have made excellent use of soapstone pottery for many centuries; the same qualities and characteristics that make for a good soapstone cooking pot are what makes a soapstone stove so practical and durable.

And make no mistake - your soapstone stove will, with proper care, last for generations. There are many pieces of household heating equipment that have been in daily use since the nineteenth century. Soapstone is completely inert - meaning that it will not react with any other chemical substances or become permanently stained. Should you spill something on the surface of soapstone, it is simple to clean.

If you are seeking an alternative to overpriced heating oil this winter, consider the beauty and durability of a soapstone stove. Such a piece represents a relatively large initial investment; however it is one that can easily pay for itself many times over. After you have experienced the advantages of a soapstone stove, you'll want to explore other soapstone surfaces as well, including cook stoves, water basins and countertops - all of which offer the same durability and beauty of a soapstone stove.

Jonathan Blocker writes about Dorado Soapstone. Dorado Soapstone's mission is to create an outstanding work environment, improve communities, and supply the highest quality soapstone slabs, soapstone tiles, soapstone stoves / fireplaces, and soapstone sinks throughout the world.

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