Headstone cleaning
Years of weather come away with patience and the right touch. The lettering is readable again and the stone is unharmed.
Gently does it
A headstone is cleaned with water, soft brushes and time. I do not use pressure washers or harsh chemicals: they strip the surface of softer stones, open the grain to the weather and can lift gilding and paint from the lettering.
Marble, granite, sandstone, limestone and slate each weather differently and each is treated accordingly. The result is a stone that looks cared for rather than brand new, which is usually exactly what families want.
It is not always instant. Lichen that has had years to take hold can need more than one application, and sometimes a second visit, before it comes away fully. I will tell you at the start if yours is one of those stones.
What I can and cannot do
- Lichen, moss, algae and grime: cleaned away by hand. The result is not always instant: heavy growth can need more than one application, and sometimes a second visit, to come away properly.
- Bird mess, soil splash and water staining: cleaned away by hand.
- Vases and pots: emptied and cleaned.
- Leaning or sunken stones, broken kerbs, re-cutting or re-gilding letters: a stonemason's work. I will photograph the problem and tell you, and can recommend someone local.
A one-off headstone clean with a tidy of the plot and fresh flowers starts from £60. Within a regular plan the headstone is washed on every visit.
Questions about headstones
How do you clean a headstone?
Gently. Water, a soft brush and patience, never a pressure washer or harsh chemicals, which can damage the stone and the lettering. Marble, granite, sandstone and slate all need a slightly different touch and I treat each one accordingly.
The headstone is very weathered. Can it be restored?
Years of lichen and grime come away with careful cleaning and the difference is usually remarkable, though it is not always instant: a stone that has been left for a long time can need more than one application, and sometimes a second visit, before it comes up well. Re-cutting or re-gilding lettering, re-fixing a leaning stone or repairing damage is a stonemason's work, and I will tell you honestly if that is what is needed.
What happens to the old flowers and pots?
I take them away and dispose of them properly. Vases and holders that belong to the grave stay, cleaned.
Send me a photograph of the headstone
I will tell you what cleaning will achieve and what it will cost before I touch it.