Reuse Marble Gravestones

Can we have it engraved for someone else.

Reuse marble gravestones.

An undiluted cleaning agent may leave a residue in the marble s pores. I have seen heavy lawn mowers mercilessly chip away and gash historic. Cleaning weak marble can result in further irreparable damage. Inspect the entire headstone for cracks wear and signs of damage.

Historically numerous substances have been used in an attempt to make stones last longer when placed outdoors. I have seen cars crash through fences and destroy gravestones and monuments toppling them like so many dominos. I have seen too many tree limbs fall and shatter fragile marble gravestones into unrepairable fragments tree which were dead and should have long ago been pruned. Only marble that is in good condition should be cleaned.

Earlier gravestones were used only by the middle and upper classes. Mist the surface with water just enough to prevent drying if necessary. Soak the stone with water to saturate any growth that may be present. Olive oil whale oil turpentine and wax represent just a few of the liquids applied to masonry in a mostly vain effort to inhibit the future deterioration of stone.

Steps to clean a marble headstone. Marble granite or other stone the same techniques that would be used to clean and protect the building cannot be used in the cemetery. If these are present it may be best to leave it as is. The use of sealants on a gravestone even though a gravestone may be made up of materials like those found in the exteriors or interiors of building i e.

Mix a marble cleaning solution of one gallon of bleach one half gallon of citra solv and three and one half gallons of water. Allow dwelling time of twenty minutes no less. The most popular materials for gravestones during this era were marble 1780 1930 granite 1860 untill date iron and wood. Wetting the marble first will provide better cleaner spread on the surface and make rinsing easier.

If you own the headstone you can do what you want with it. However after the emergence of the new protestant theology even lower classes started using grave markers for commemorating the life of the. Take it to stonemason and ask them. This is why the old gravestones of the midwest are barely legible because acid rain created by factory pollution has dissolved a lot of the calcite in the limestone and marble gravestones.

Sometimes these stones are irregulars or decommissioned stones but sometimes they re just stolen. As with interior marble cleaning soak the cemetery headstone with water before adding a cleaner.