Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Clifton

Stabilizing Hillside Plots and Cleaning Traffic Soot in Clifton

Clifton cemeteries have a unique problem: gravity. Places like East and West Ridgelawn are built on steep slopes. Heavy rain washes the soil down the hill. We see foundations sticking out of the ground because the dirt washed away. The stones lean downhill and eventually fall.

Then there is the traffic. Route 3 and Route 46 run right past the burial grounds. The exhaust is constant. It coats the granite in a sticky, black layer. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to stop their monuments from sliding down the hill and to strip off that oily highway grime.

Hillside Erosion and Leaning Stones

Rain hits the slopes hard. It carries the topsoil away. Over time, the concrete foundation under the headstone gets exposed. It looks ugly, but it is also dangerous. The stone loses support on the downhill side and starts to tip.

We can't just push dirt back under it. The rain will wash it away again. We dig out the front and pack it with angular crushed stone. We often build a small retaining edge buried in the soil. This locks the ground in place so the monument stops moving.

Route 3 "Traffic Film"

The exhaust from the highways is oily. It lands on the monuments and sticks. Dust sticks to that sticky layer and hardens. It covers the stone in a heavy grey coat. A garden hose won't remove it. The grime is cemented to the rock.

We use a strong degreaser. We spray it on dry stone and let it work. It dissolves the oil holding the dirt. We scrub it with stiff brushes. The black sludge comes off, and the stone looks bright again.

Overgrown Ivy and Vines

In the older, wooded sections near Weasel Brook, ivy takes over. It looks nice, but it destroys the masonry. The vines grow into the seams of the base. As they get thicker, they lift the stone up and separate the pieces.

We don't just yank the vines off. That pulls the mortar out. We cut the vines at the bottom and kill the roots. Once the plant is dead and brittle, we remove it carefully. Then we repoint the joints to seal the cracks.

Moss in Shady Valleys

The lower sections of the cemeteries stay damp. Moss grows thick on the rough edges of the monuments. It holds water against the granite like a wet sponge. In winter, that water freezes and pops chips off the stone.

We soak the moss with a biocide. It penetrates the clump and kills the roots. The moss turns brown and falls off. We sweep the dead plant matter off. This keeps the stone dry. Dry granite doesn't split when the temperature drops.

Service Costs in Clifton

Fixing erosion on a steep hill is hard labor. We have to carry materials up by hand because trucks can't drive on the slope. Cleaning heavy traffic grease uses a lot of chemical. We need to see the location and the damage before we give you a price.