River Fog and Constant Dampness
Sandy Springs follows the Chattahoochee River. The morning fog here is thick. Even in summer, the headstones start the day soaking wet. They stay damp until noon.
This daily moisture feeds mildew and black algae. It grows fast on granite and marble. It turns the stone dark and hides the inscription. Families looking for headstone cleaning services near me often think the stone is just old. It is actually covered in living growth. We don't scrub this with harsh wire brushes. We use a biological cleaner. We kill the mold spores. The black crust dies and washes off with the rain. The stone looks new again without any damage to the finish.
Bronze Marker Corrosion
We have large memorial parks here, like Arlington, full of flat bronze markers. The humidity attacks the copper in the bronze.
The metal turns a chalky green. This is corrosion. It ruins the lettering and the relief details. This isn't dirt you can wipe off. The green layer is chemically bonded to the bronze. Simple cleaning won't touch it. We treat bronze differently than stone. We strip the green oxidation. Then we apply a protective wax coating during cemetery plot maintenance. This seals the metal against the wet air. It keeps the marker rich and brown, looking like it should.
Pine Straw Staining
Pine straw is everywhere in our landscaping. It looks neat, but it is acidic. Wet pine straw rots against the granite. It bleeds acidic sap directly into the rock.
It dyes the stone a deep, ugly yellow. It looks like a coffee ring. Soap won't touch it. We use a poultice specially made for organic stains. We draw the acid discoloration out of the stone pores. It takes time, but it pulls the yellow out so the gray granite looks clean again.
Sinking and Mower Damage
The soil here is soft near the river. Heavy flat markers sink over time. When they sink, the grass grows over the edges.
This causes "mower rash." The lawnmower blades hit the bronze or chip the granite edges because the marker isn't level. We fix this by lifting the marker. We pack the hole with crushed stone and reset the marker flush with the ground. This keeps it safe from the mowers and visible to the family.
Red Clay Splash
Even with the grass, we still have Georgia red clay. Heavy rains splash mud onto the bases of upright monuments.
The clay dries, but the iron stain stays. It creates an orange band around the bottom. Families often try bleach, which is a disaster. Bleach sets the stain permanently into the rock. We use iron-removing agents for grave site cleaning services. We dissolve the rust. The orange washes away, and the stone returns to its natural color.
Tree Sap and Pollen
Our tree canopy is dense. In spring, pollen covers everything. Then the sap falls.
The sap acts like glue. It creates a black, sticky paste inside the engraved letters. Rain runs right over it. We use organic solvents for cleaning stone gravestones. We melt the resin binder. The grime releases, and we rinse it away. The dates become readable again.
Lichen Growth
On older, upright stones in church cemeteries, we see heavy lichen. These are the crusty green circles that grow on the rock.
Lichen digs roots into the stone. If you scrape it off dry, you pull up pieces of the granite. It leaves pits. We treat it with a soaking agent first. The lichen dies and lets go. We brush it off gently. This saves the polished surface.