Cleaning Gravestones

message from Dave Firman on 12 May 2004

My grandmother's grave is in dire need of cleaning, the white marble looking
grey and some of the lead letters are showing signs of distress. What can I
use to clean the marble? I have tried a mild detergent solution to no avail
and a not so mild solution also TNA...

I know that there are specialist companies that can do this job, however the
best quote I received was well in excess of £500!

Any suggestions please peeps?

Thanks,
Dave

dave_firman@h0tm@il.com (remove the obvious typos)

dave @ stejonda replied to Dave Firman on 13 May 2004

In message <bhm5a0laqqpqelqu6lgeeo15vda0f64j7h@4ax.com>, MJ@MJ.com
writes

NOT!!!

Chas replied to Dave Firman on 13 May 2004

Used to do that for a living.

Depending on condition, we either cleaned headstones/kerbsets in situ using
and acid solution (if I remember correctly it was hydrochloric) brushed on,
left, scrubbed with a stiff brush, than washed off. This is generally OK for
an interim tidy up, but degrades the surface of the marble so can't be done
more than a couple of times.

If the marble and lettering were in poor condition we would remove the
headstone to our workshop and clean using a wet abrasive wheel on a flexible
drive (flextol).

Traditionally marble would have V cut letters filled with lead (wire or
strip beaten in to the letters). If the condition of the marble is poor, and
the letters weathered, they may need to be re-cut by hand and re-leaded.

More recently letters on marble tend to have been painted. The letters are
cut (either by sandblast, engraving machine or hand) then the lettered
surface is given several coats of paint and the excess paint scraped then
ground off using the flextol.

Removal to the yard, cleaning, restoring lettering and re-fixing are all
labour intensive and could easily cost £500 these days. It might even be
more economical to replace with a new headstone - though I am out of touch
with current process and they vary regionally.

There is some scope for DIY - especially if the headstone and letters are in
reasonably good condition and the letters are cut and painted (not leaded).
I would recommend using a sanding block with wet and dry starting coarse and
going finer. If the letters need to be repainted just use a black enamel or
exterior gloss.

Hope that helps,

Chas.

MJ replied to Dave Firman on 13 May 2004

Take a selection of various household and motoring solvents (oven
cleaner, descaler etc) and run some tests on somebody elses
gravestone.

MJ

jacob replied to MJ on 13 May 2004

No disrespect to your gran but I'd say why bother. All gravestones
weather and decay and quickly are beyond the point where they can be
kept "as new''.
This is impossible to slow down. and cleaning is quite likely to speed
it up if anything.
I'd just keep it all tidy and trim, plant flowers etc and not to try
and prevent the inevitable.

cheers

Jacob

Peter Crosland replied to Dave Firman on 13 May 2004

You need to be cautious. Seek the permission of the cemetery owner before
doing anything.

Z replied to Dave Firman on 13 May 2004

Is it natural stone or reconstituted?

Stiff paintbrush with Jeyes fluid to remove green gunk. Let soak in a
while.
Jif or Cif or whatever it is called this week also is decent for
cleaning.
I have an associate who is a Stonesquarer / Stonepolisher with a
monumental masons firm and have to pick up a granite block from him
(homer from the skip) so will ask him. It will be a couple of weeks time
though so if you don't get an answer please re-post.
GBP500 to clean? Are they using diamond slurry (lapping fluid) to clean
it or something, or are they just trying to cash in hoping as it's for
the deceased you won't haggle?

Black or gold lettering?
The gold marker pens make a good interim solution otherwise standard
gold effect gloss paint.
The old paint scrapes out well to provide a better substreate for
painting with a diamond spatula

Check with the keeper of the cemetery on arrangements for renovations.

Archived message: Cleaning Gravestones (UK DIY Home Decoration)