Are you comparing Traditional Fire Clay Bricks with imported all-natural Soapstone Firebrick?
Why settle for ordinary Fire Clay Bricks, when you can have the luxury of imported all natural Soapstone Firebrick
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Traditional Ceramic Fire Clay Bricks
Imported All Natural Soapstone Firebrick
Mariana Soapstone Firebrick:
A fireplace liner of natural stone.
You’ve chosen the perfect mantel & surround – why not design your fireplace using the dove gray beauty of Soapstone bricks instead of fire clay bricks?
Soapstone bricks’ special mineral properties make it ideal for lining fireplaces. Soapstone is a refractory material: it can withstand high temperatures without cracking.
It is also extremely dense and has a high thermal capacity, so it holds heat and radiates it slowly for hours, improving fireplace efficiency.
But perhaps the best thing is the look: a soft gray firebrick with natural veining & texture. It is a real upgrade to ordinary fire clay brick. And after all, what part of a fireplace do you look at most: the firebox! Soapstone bricks will make a beautiful back drop to your next fire.
Our Soapstone bricks is suitable for use with both gas and wood burning fireplaces, and is often used to line the interiors of Isokern™ or FireRock™ fireplaces.
We stock our Soapstone bricks (which is much better than fire clay bricks) in four different sizes, and we ship nationwide. Send us an email, or use the inquiry form at the bottom of this page to get prices, installation tips, layout guides, and a calculator that will show you how many soapstone firebricks you would need for your project.
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Mariana Soapstone™ Firebrick FAQ
A metamorphic rock, primarily made of the mineral talc. It is not anything like limestone, marble, granite, slate or sandstone. It is reasonably soft and can be scratched with metal. True soapstone has special mineral properties that make it ideal for lining fireplaces.
Soapstone has a low thermal coefficient of expansion: it doesn’t expand and contract much when its heated and cooled, so its less likely to crack or spall than other natural stones. Plus, soapstone is extremely dense, so it absorbs and retain heats for long periods of time. Soapstone is non-porous & not chemically reactive, so it won’t stain or discolor like marble or limestone.
All varieties of true soapstone are gray, with some lighter and darker veining.. The stone varies somewhat in the amount of patterning and white veining.
Sealers are not necessary to protect the stone and will not last in a fireplace. Soapstone countertops are often oiled to make them black: this should not be done in a fireplace application.
Yes, our soapstone has been tested and meets ASTM C-1261 (Standard Specification for Firebox Brick for Residential Fireplaces).
Regular firebrick:
raw look,
bright yellow or red color,
porous structure traps soot,
no real heat storage capacity,
can be brittle and crumbly.
vs
Soapstone:
dove gray color with natural veining,
crisp, clean look.
Non-porous and smooth texture stays cleaner,
Dense mineral structure holds and radiates heat,
Precise sawn sizing means you can use thin joints.
Experienced masons will have no difficulty in working with soapstone.
Cut wet with diamond bladed tile saws.
Buff out nicks and scratches with fine grit sandpaper.
Set with a refractory fireplace mortar like Heat-Stop™.
Joints can be 1/8” or even thinner.
Choose from our four different size bricks to achieve
many different patterns and layouts.
Use only for masonry fireplaces.
Choose your layout & brick size
We have four sizes of bricks:
Standard: 9" × 4½" × 2½"
Split: 9" × 4½" × 1¼"
Strip: 9" × 2 ½" × 1¼"
Soap: 9" x 2 ½" x 2 ½"
Decide what brick face you want to show and how thick you want the soapstone to be (2 ½”, 4 ½”, or 1 ¼”). For wood-burning fireplaces, we recommend a minimum soapstone thickness of 2½". IsokernTM and gas fireplaces may be able to use 1¼" thickness: check with your fire inspector.
Calculate the square footage of your firebox walls & floor
Contact us for a calculator that will determine how many bricks you should order, including some extra for cutting waste. We sell full cases of bricks only,
and minimum order quantities apply.
We ship nationwide. For a shipping quote, let us know your town, state and zip code, and if its a residential or commercial address. We can offer lift-gate curbside unloading in many locations.
We accept checks, or credit cards via PayPal (some restrictions apply).
Stonetrade® pioneered the reintroduction of Soapstone bricks for the US dimensional stone market in 1991. We are the exclusive importers of Mariana Soapstone™, the best variety of soapstone on the market, which has been featured on TV and in print. No one imports more Soapstone bricks and understands the material better than Stonetrade®.
If you’d like information about any of the stones on this website, or would like to discuss your project or idea, please contact us. We are open Monday through Friday, 9-5 pm, US East Coast Time.
Be sure to tell us which stone you are interested in, or what application you need stone for. An idea of the quantity required is helpful, and your location is essential (city and state or province is enough).
Source your Soapstone bricks from Stonetrade:
- Soapstone bricks Specialists
- Thousands of bricks in stock
- Ready to Install
- Decades of Experience with Soapstone bricks
- Nationwide Shipment
- Expert Advice
- Multiple fireplace configurations possible
- Excellent Customer Service
- A Great Alternative to Fire clay bricks
Want to Start a Soapstone Firebrick Project? Have Questions?
Please contact us!
