East Orlando Heat Dome
Alafaya sits inland. We get no coastal wind here. The heat gets trapped. Humidity sits heavy on the ground. Granite absorbs this stagnant moisture. It stays wet deep inside the pores. This creates a perfect incubator for Gloeocapsa magma (black algae).
You see a thick, black skin on the stone. It traps heat. It hides the inscription.
Searching for headstone cleaning services near me often points to pressure washing. Do not do it. Pressure forces water deeper into the stone. It feeds the roots. We use specialized grave site cleaning services. We use a biological soaking agent. It penetrates the rock safely. It kills the algae cells chemically. The black crust falls off. The stone stays clean longer.
Pine Sap & Pollen "Glue"
East Orlando has dense pine forests. Spring brings heavy pollen. Pine sap drops onto the markers. The sun bakes this mix into a hard amber resin. Dust sticks to it. It turns into concrete-like grime.
Soap won't touch this. Scrubbing scratches the polish. We use professional cleaning stone gravestones chemistry. We use a solvent poultice. It dissolves the hardened resin chemically. We rinse it away without abrasion. The natural shine returns.
Sugar Sand Washout
The soil here is loose "sugar sand." It shifts constantly. Heavy afternoon storms turn the ground into liquid mud. Water rushes under the concrete base. It scours the sand away.
The foundation floats on nothing. The monument tilts or sinks. Adding topsoil is a waste; it washes away in the next storm. For lasting tombstone repair and restoration, we stabilize the sub-base. We excavate the loose sand. We install angular gravel. The rocks lock together. They create a friction pile. This supports the weight, even when the ground is wet.
Irrigation Rust (Well Water)
Cemeteries irrigate constantly to fight the heat. The water comes from deep wells rich in iron. Sprinklers hit the hot stone. The water evaporates. The iron bonds to the granite.
It creates heavy orange streaks. Scrubbing ruins the stone face. We apply a chelating paste. It acts like a magnet. It pulls the iron particles out of the pores. We rinse it away. The stone looks new again.