Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Missoula

Removing Tree Sap and Moss in Missoula's Garden City Cemeteries

They call Missoula the Garden City for a reason. The cemeteries here, especially the old City Cemetery and St. Mary’s, are full of huge trees. That shade is nice for visitors, but it makes a mess of the headstones. Maples and pines drop sap all summer long. It coats the markers in a sticky glaze that grabs dust and turns black.

The other problem is the damp winter. The clouds sit low in this valley for weeks. That constant moisture creates the perfect setup for moss and lichen. We see thick green growth on the north side of almost every older stone. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to get that black sap off the family stone or to clear away the moss that is eating into the inscription.

Sticky Tree Sap and Pitch

Missoula has two main problems: pine pitch and maple sap. When that stuff drips onto a hot granite stone, it melts and spreads out. Then the sun cooks it. It turns into hard black spots that look and feel like road tar.

Soap won't touch this mess. We use a solvent that melts the pitch. If you scrub too early, you just smear tar all over the stone. We let the chemical dissolve the bond completely before we touch it with a rag. It uses up a lot of towels, but it keeps the polish safe.

Moss and Valley Fog

It stays damp here. In the winter, the fog hangs around and the stones never really dry out. Moss grows thick in the engraving. It holds water right against the rock face. When that wet spot freezes, it expands. That pops chips of stone off the front of the marker.

We don't scrape moss. That scratches the stone. We kill it. We soak it with a biological cleaner. The green turns brown. Once the roots die, the plant loses its grip. We scrub the dry debris off with a nylon brush, leaving the stone clean.

Hard Water Mineral Scale

The cemeteries run sprinklers constantly in July and August. When that hard water hits a hot memorial, it dries instantly, but the calcium stays. It creates a rough white layer that clouds up the black granite.

We remove this with a mild acid cleaner. Speed is important here. We brush the cleaner on, watch the white crust fizz, and rinse it fast. You have to be quick. Acid eats the polish if it sits. We wash it down with plenty of water to make sure the stone is safe.

Shifting in Rocky Soil

The ground in Missoula is full of river rock and gravel. It's loose. Frost heave is a real issue here. The ground freezes, lifts the stone up, and then drops it unevenly when the thaw hits.

We fix leaning stones by digging out the base. We level the ground underneath and pack in fresh, angular gravel. This locks the stone in place. It gives the water a place to drain so the frost doesn't push the marker around as much next winter.

Impacted Dust

Even with the trees, we still get dust. The wind blows dirt into the deep cuts of the lettering. It packs in tight. It plugs up the names so you can't read them.

We clean this by hand. We use wooden picks to dig the hard dirt out of the letters. It is slow work. You have to go letter by letter to get the shadow back so the name stands out again.

Service Costs in Missoula

Cleaning tree sap is slow. We have to work on every single spot. Resetting a stone in rocky soil takes heavy lifting. I can't give you a price over the phone without seeing the mess first. But you can use our online tool. Select your cemetery, tell us if you need cleaning or leveling, and you'll see the exact cost instantly.