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Cleaning and Preservation of
Tombstones, Headstones & Gravestones
Did you recently visit the grave of a loved one only to
discover their tombstone was dirty and in need of
cleaning or preservation? Over a period of time
tombstones will accumulate a layer of deposits resulting
from hard water, dust, dirt, or lichens, mold and fungus
that usually grow on a porous stone.
Due to the different types of materials used as a
tombstones, it is first important to understand how each
material needs to be cleaned. This article will serve as
an overview to the general aspects of cleaning
tombstones and will reference other publications for
further reading.
Materials Used For Cleaning Tombstones
First let us look at the different materials used to
make tombstones. Natural stone throughout history has
been the top choice for cemetery tombstones. Among the
most common types of stone used as tombstones are
sandstone, limestone, marble and granite.
Limestone and sandstone represent the softest stone of
the group. These materials have a hardness between 3-4
on the Mohs hardness scale and were used as tombstones
mainly because of their ease of carving. Marble having a
hardness of 4-7 is also considered soft, but it yields
more beauty with it's veining patterns and finer grain
which can support intricate carving details on
tombstones. Granite is the hardest of this group as it
shows with a hardness rating of 7-9. Granite tombstones
will withstand a more thorough cleaning than its
counterparts in this group.
In addition to natural stone, bronze has been gaining in
popularity with modern day memorial parks as a choice
for tombstones. Many of today's cemeteries are moving
toward an all bronze memorial park since they make the
grounds easier to maintain. |
