Stone Care in the Historic Capital
Carson City holds the deep history of Nevada. In places like Lone Mountain, we maintain markers that have been exposed to the elements since the 1800s. You won't find the tough granite here that fills the modern parks. These are mostly sandstone and marble, and after a hundred years, they are extremely delicate.
That makes our job here less about scrubbing and more about saving the stone that's left. We remove green lichen that eats into old stone, clean off sticky pine pitch, and stabilize soft marble that is crumbling. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to gently clean these antique monuments and reset markers that moved during the spring thaw.
Lichen and Green Growth
The moisture here allows moss and lichen to grow on the stones. This growth sends roots deep into the rock pores.
If you scrape it off dry, you will damage the stone. We apply a cleaner that kills the organism. The growth turns dark and dies, making it easy to rinse away without scrubbing the fragile surface.
Cleaning Fragile Historic Stone
Many markers in Lone Mountain are made of sandstone or soft marble. After a century, they are very brittle. Power washing will ruin them.
We treat these with extreme care. We use soft-bristle natural brushes and low-pressure water spraying. We work slowly to lift the dirt without removing any of the original stone material.
Pine Sap and Pitch
Large pine trees drop sap all over the cemeteries. In the summer heat, this sap catches dust and hardens into a black glob.
Scraping it scratches the granite. We use a chemical that melts the sap. We wipe it off and clean the area so the stone is smooth again.
Snow Melt and Leveling
Heavy snow loads and the spring runoff move the soil around. We often find markers that have sunk or tilted significantly after a wet winter.
We carefully hoist the stone. We dig out the mud and replace it with a compactable gravel base. This allows water to drain through instead of washing the dirt away, keeping the marker level for years.
Iron Rust and Oxidation
Many historic plots are surrounded by iron coping or fences. When these rust, the orange water runs onto the stone.
We use a pH-neutral rust remover. It turns the rust purple and lifts it out of the stone. We rinse it clear. For the iron fences, we can wire brush and seal them to stop the rusting at the source.
Hard Water Scale
Even with the snow, irrigation is needed in summer. The water leaves hard white calcium deposits that cover the names.
We use a buffered solution to soften the crust. We carefully scrub the minerals away. This restores the readability of the monument without using harsh acids that could damage the antique finish.
Joint Repair (Re-pointing)
Older monuments are built in pieces: a base, a die, and a cap. The mortar between these pieces fails over time, and the stones start to slide.
We clean out the old, loose sand. We mix a historically accurate lime mortar (or a specific stone epoxy for modern markers) and re-seal the joints. This keeps water out and stabilizes the structure.
Service Costs in Carson City
Historic preservation takes more time and gentler hands than standard cleaning. Removing lichen requires expensive biological cleaners. We assess the age and stability of the stone before providing a price.
- Biological Cleaning: Killing moss and lichen.
- Historic Preservation: Gentle cleaning of soft stone.
- Leveling: Fixing winter soil settling.
- Sap Removal: Cleaning pine pitch and resin.
