Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Hattiesburg

Pine Belt Sap

You know how fast a parked car gets sticky in this town. The stones at Roseland Park have been catching that dripping resin for fifty years. It builds up into a thick shell.

That sap hardens until it looks like road tar. Taking a razor blade to it just ruins the polish. We use a pitch remover that melts the sap instantly. It wipes off clean without us having to dig at the stone.

Railroad Soot

We are the Hub City. Trains have been running through here forever. That old coal smoke and diesel exhaust settled on everything. In the older cemeteries like Oaklawn, the stones are covered in a dark, greasy film.

Rain won't touch it. It is baked on. We use an industrial cleaner to dissolve that oily crust. We scrub it by hand, and the gray granite finally shows through again.

Pine Needle Staining

Pine needles pile up fast around the base of the markers. When they sit there wet, they bleed a dark brown acid into the stone. It looks like a permanent tobacco stain.

Soap won't pull that color out because it's deep in the rock. We use a poultice powder. We mix it up and pack it onto the stain. Over 24 hours, it sucks the brown liquid out of the rock. We peel the dry paste off, and the stain is gone.

Green Algae in the Shade

The humidity here stays high. Under the shade of the pines and oaks, stones never really dry out. Green algae takes over fast. It covers the names and makes the markers look neglected.

We don't blast it with pressure; that damages the stone. We spray a cleaner that kills the algae down to the root. It turns brown and falls off naturally. It keeps the stone clean for months instead of just weeks.

Sinking in Sandy Soil

The ground here is loose sand. Heavy rains scour that dirt right out from under the markers. They don't just lean; they sink straight down into the mud. We see flat markers that are completely buried.

We provide professional grave site cleaning services that include raising and leveling. We dig the marker out, build a new base with crushed gravel, and set it back flush with the ground. This keeps it from sinking when the next big rain comes.

Root Heave

Those big pine trees have strong roots. They grow right under the concrete base and lift the whole monument until it leans over.

We can't chop the root without hurting the tree. Instead, we lift the marker and build up the ground around the root so the stone sits flat again. It solves the problem without killing the pine.

Fire Ant Mounds

Fire ants are everywhere in the Pine Belt. They build mounds right up against the warm stones. They tunnel underneath and create voids that make the heavy monuments unstable.

We treat the area to move the ants out. Then we pack the tunnels with gravel and dirt to make the ground solid again. It protects the stone and keeps visitors from getting stung.

Lichen on Rough Granite

On the rough-cut sides of monuments, we get heavy lichen growth. It looks like crusty gray or green circles. It digs into the rock surface.

Wire brushes leave rust marks and scratches. We use a solution that softens the lichen. It turns into a jelly that we can rinse off. The rough texture of the stone stays intact, but the growth is gone.

Mower Scuffs

The grass grows fast, and the mowing crews have to hurry. They often bump the edges of the stones. We see black rubber transfer marks on almost every corner lot.

It looks bad, and water won't remove it. We use a solvent that dissolves the rubber smear instantly. We wipe it clean and trim the grass back by hand to give the mowers a buffer zone.

Service Costs in Hattiesburg

Pricing depends on the condition. Removing hardened pine sap is more work than a standard wash:

We inspect the stone. We see what it needs. Then we give you a price.