Headstone Cleaning & Restoration Services in Brockton, MA

Cleaning Tannery Soot and Pine Sap in Brockton

Brockton is famous for the shoe industry. But those old tanneries left a nasty legacy in the cemeteries. The smoke from the leather plants settled on the headstones in Melrose and Calvary Cemeteries. It was full of chemicals that actually ate into the stone surface. We see marble markers that feel rough like sandpaper because that acidic smoke destroyed the polish.

We also deal with the trees. The older cemeteries here are full of white pines. They drop sap all year. That pitch lands on the granite and turns into hard black lumps. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to dissolve that sticky mess or to pull the grey factory stains out of the family monument.

Chemical Stains from Shoe Factories

The soot from the old leather factories was different from regular coal smoke. It had acid in it. It burned off the smooth finish. Now the surface is rough and open. Dirt gets trapped deep inside the stone where rain cannot wash it out.

You can't scrub this out. Soap is useless. The stain is inside the rock. We use a chemical poultice. We spread the paste over the stone and cover it. It draws the deep grey stains out of the stone. It takes time, but it brings the white color back.

Pine Pitch and Sap

Melrose Cemetery has a lot of pine trees. Pine trees drip sticky sap. It lands on the headstones and hardens instantly. Dust sticks to it, and it turns into black tar spots. If you try to scrape it off, you will scratch the polish right off the granite.

We use a solvent that melts the pitch. We apply it to the spots and let it sit. The hard sap turns back into a liquid, and we wipe it away. The black tar wipes right off, and the granite underneath stays smooth and undamaged.

Lichen on Rough Granite

Local granite has a rough texture. That is perfect for lichen. It latches onto those uneven spots and spreads out. It forms crusty green and grey circles that grow over the dates and names.

We don't scrub lichen. That just rips up the stone surface. We spray it with a solution that kills it. The plant dries out and releases its grip. Then we can rinse it off easily, leaving the granite unharmed.

Frost Heave and Tipping Stones

The ground in Brockton is rocky and freezes hard. When the frost gets under a headstone, it lifts it up. When the ground thaws, the stone drops, but it rarely lands flat. We see stones leaning in every direction after a hard winter.

"Dachi is such a great help and so easy to work with. He keeps me updated at all times of the cleaning of my parents headstone. It had not been cleaned in over 33 years and was looking really bad. When I found Tending I was fortunate to connect with Dachi which is a blessing in its self. In working with Dachi and a contact outside the US I was able to connect Tending with the cemetery where my folks are buried. I feel so much better that I have renewed their headstone to almost the day we bought it.Many people saw their headstone and asked about it. With that Tending and Evergreen Cemetery now have a contract to do other headstones. You can learn more about Tending on Facebook. They are a great company and I am so lucky to have Dachi as my contact. Thank you Dachi and Tending for restoring my parents headstone after so many years."

— Nancy, Massachusetts

We fix this by digging out the foundation. We remove the dirt that shifts and replace it with crushed gravel. Gravel drains the water away so the ice can't push the stone around. It keeps the marker standing straight.

Service Costs in Brockton

Dissolving baked-on pine sap is slow work. Pulling chemical stains out of old marble takes special materials. I can't give you a price until I look at the marker. We have an online tool that makes it simple. You pick the cemetery, tell us what is wrong, and you see the cost right there.