Sprinkler Calcium Build-Up
In Johns Creek, the landscaping is perfect. The sprinklers run every single morning. That constant water is the biggest enemy of the headstones here.
Our water has minerals in it. When it dries on the hot stone, it bakes on a hard white layer. This is calcium scale. It covers the polished granite and makes the inscription look blurry. You cannot scrub this off with a brush. It bonds to the stone like cement. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me often think the polish is fading. It isn't. It is just buried under minerals. We use specialized mineral solvents. We dissolve the crust safely and bring back the shine.
Landscaper "String Trimmer" Damage
Maintenance crews move fast here. They use string trimmers (weed eaters) right up against the monuments. We see the damage on almost every base.
The spinning line whips against the stone. It smears crushed grass into the pores, leaving a bright green stain. Sometimes, the plastic line melts onto the rock. This creates a green-black mark that soap won't remove. We use organic stain removers to pull the chlorophyll out of the stone. We clean off the plastic residue so the base looks square and clean again.
River Mist and Mold
We are right on the Chattahoochee River. The fog rolls in heavy in the mornings. Stones stay wet until the afternoon sun hits them.
That moisture feeds black mold. It grows in the carved letters where water sits. It turns the name dark. Pressure washing is risky because it can chip the paint inside the lettering. We use a biological soft-wash. We kill the mold spores chemically. The black stuff dies and rinses away with the rain. The letters become clear without blasting them.
Bradford Pear Stains
Many lots are lined with Bradford Pear trees. They drop small, mushy fruits. When these land on a marker, they rot instantly.
They leave a sticky, dark circle on the stone. It creates an acid spot that eats into the polish on marble. We clean this organic mess up. We neutralize the acid to stop the etching. We keep the stone smooth so dirt doesn't stick to the rough spots.
Red Clay Splash
Underneath the green grass, we still have Georgia clay. During heavy storms, mud splashes up onto the monuments.
The mud washes off, but the red iron stain stays. It looks like a rusty band at the bottom. Bleach is a bad idea here. It sets the rust into the stone permanently. We use specific iron-removing agents for grave site cleaning services. We dissolve the rust. The orange stain washes away, and the stone looks natural again.
Lichen on Rough Granite
On older markers with rough-cut edges (rock pitch), lichen digs in deep. It forms crusty green and orange patches.
Lichen eats into the minerals. If you scrape it dry, you pull loose pieces of stone with it. We soak it first. We use a solution that makes the lichen release its grip. Then we brush it off gently. This gets the growth off without damaging the rugged look of the stone.
Sinking Flat Markers
The soil near the river is soft loam. Heavy bronze or granite flat markers tend to sink. Grass grows over the edges, and soon the marker is gone.
We lift these sinking stones during cemetery plot maintenance. We don't just put dirt under them. We install a gravel pad. This supports the weight and lets water drain. It keeps the marker level with the sod so it stays visible and safe from mowers.