Creek Mist and Black Mold
Roswell is full of steep hills and creek beds, especially near Vickery Creek. The moisture hangs in the air here. In the older, shaded cemeteries, the stones never really dry out.
This constant dampness breeds black mold. It grows deep into the pores of the old stones. It turns the markers dark gray or black. Families looking for headstone cleaning services near me often assume the stone is just dirty from pollution. It is actually a living infestation. Pressure washing these old stones is dangerous. It can blow the face right off a 150-year-old marker. We use a biological cleaner. We kill the mold without pressure. The black crust dies and rinses off with the rain, leaving the historic stone intact.
English Ivy Damage
In Historic Roswell, ivy is everywhere. It looks traditional, but it destroys masonry. We see it climbing over family plots and wrapping around headstones.
The vines have tiny suckers that dig into the stone. If you yank the vine off, you pull pieces of the stone with it. It leaves permanent scars. We cut the main stems at the ground. We let the vine die and dry out until it becomes brittle. Then we carefully remove the debris. We treat the ground to stop it from coming back and swallowing the plot again.
Irrigation Hard Water Stains
At places like Green Lawn, the grounds are kept green with sprinklers. That water hits the headstones every day.
The sprinklers run on hard water. When that water hits hot granite, it bakes on instantly. It leaves a white crust or a rusty spot. A standard scrub brush won't touch it. It bonds to the surface like cement. We use specific mineral solvents for cleaning stone gravestones. We dissolve that hard crust. We get the haze off so the inscription is sharp again.
Red Clay Splash-Up
Even in well-kept lawns, we have Georgia red clay underneath. Heavy storms splash mud onto the base of the monuments.
The mud washes off, but the red stain stays. It is iron oxide (rust) from the soil. Bleach is the wrong tool here. Bleach locks that rust into the stone forever. We use specific iron-removing agents for grave site cleaning services. We dissolve the red stain chemically. The stone returns to its natural color without acid damage.
Tree Sap and Pollen
Roswell has a heavy tree canopy. In spring, the pollen covers everything in yellow dust. Then the pine sap falls.
The sap turns into a hard, sticky varnish. It traps the pollen and dirt. It creates a black paste inside the engraved letters. Rain just runs over it. We use a solvent gel. It softens the sap so it wipes away. We melt the binder holding the dirt. The grime releases, and we rinse it away.
Fragile Historic Markers
Founders Cemetery has graves from the 1840s. Many are made of soft, local stone. They are fragile.
Time and weather have made them brittle. A power washer would tear them apart. We use very soft brushes. We get the biological growth off so you can read the names, but we don't try to make it look brand new. We strip the dirt, not the character. This keeps the stone from crumbling away.
Leaning Stones on Hills
Many plots here are on slopes. Rainwater washes the soil out from under the downhill side of the base.
The stone starts to tip. If it tips too far, it snaps or falls over. Shoveling dirt back under it is a temporary fix. It washes right back out. During cemetery plot maintenance, we lift the base. We pack the void with angular gravel. The gravel locks together and supports the weight. It stops the lean.