Removing Pine Pitch and Leveling Sandy Plots in Lakewood
Lakewood is built on sand. The ground shifts constantly. In the older sections of Woodlawn or the crowded rows of the Jewish cemeteries off Route 9, we see markers sinking into the earth every week. Gravity and rain wash the support right out from under them.
We also deal with the trees. The native Pitch Pines drop sticky sap all year. The sap hits the stone and freezes into a hard black lump. Scrapers just scratch the polish. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to melt that hardened resin off and to lift their family markers back up to grade.
Pine Pitch (Tree Sap) Removal
The pines here drip sap constantly. It hits the granite and spreads out. Then the sun bakes it. It turns into a hard, amber or black lump. Dirt sticks to it, making it look like a tar stain.
Soap won't touch this. If you scrape it, you scratch the polish. We use a solvent that softens the resin. It turns the hard lump back into a liquid. We wipe it away and wash the stone to remove the oily residue. The stone looks clean, and the sticky spot is gone.
Sinking Flat Markers in Sand
The soil in Lakewood is loose sand. It drains well, but it doesn't hold weight. Flat bronze or granite markers sink. Grass grows over the edges until the marker disappears completely.
We locate the buried corners and cut the sod back. We lift the marker out. We don't just put it back on the sand. We pack crushed stone underneath it. The rocks lock together and create a solid base. The marker sits on the gravel pad, so it stays flush with the ground.
Hard Water Calcium Crust
The irrigation systems here run hard. The water leaves heavy mineral deposits on the stones. We see white, hazy streaks covering the names on polished granite. It looks like dried salt, but it is stuck fast.
This is calcium scale. It bonds to the surface. We use a stone-safe acidic cleaner to melt the minerals. We scrub lightly and rinse it fast. The white haze vanishes, and the black granite looks deep and clear again.
Concrete Curbing Repair
Many plots in the older cemeteries have concrete borders. The frost heaves them up, and tree roots crack them. We see chunks of concrete breaking off and falling into the grave space.
We fill the gaps with fresh cement. If the curb is falling over, we lift it up and re-bed it. Then we seal it. This keeps water out so it doesn't pop open again in January.
Moss on Rough Granite
Under the big pines, moss takes over the rough rock. It clings tight to the unfinished edges. It holds water against the granite, which causes cracking when it freezes.
We spray the growth with a biocide. The spray kills the entire plant. It dies and falls off the stone. We brush it off. Because the roots are dead, the stone stays clean for a long time.
Service Costs in Lakewood
Removing pine pitch is slow, detailed work. We clean it spot by spot. Resetting markers in sand is heavy labor—we move a lot of gravel. We need to check the site to see how many markers need lifting before we give you a price.
- Sap Removal: Dissolving hardened pine pitch.
- Marker Leveling: Resetting stones on a gravel base.
- Scale Removal: Cleaning white irrigation stains.
- Curbing Repair: Patching cracked concrete borders.
