Cleaning Mill Soot and River Algae in Paterson
Paterson headstones are dirty. The old mills pumped out smoke for a hundred years, and that soot baked onto the monuments in Cedar Lawn and Holy Sepulchre. It formed a thick, black crust that does not wash off with rain. It looks like the stone was painted black.
The Passaic River keeps the air wet. That humidity makes green algae grow rapidly on the granite. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to melt off that industrial carbon and to kill the green growth covering their family names.
The "Silk City" Carbon Crust
The black staining here is sulfur and carbon. It hardened on the surface over decades. It bonds to the stone. It feels rough under your hand.
Scrubbing destroys the shine. The carbon is harder than the stone. You will scratch the monument before the dirt comes off. We use a chemical poultice. We apply a thick paste to the dark spots. It sits there and dissolves the bond. We rinse it away, and the stone is grey again, not black.
River Algae and Moss
The damp air feeds the algae. The stone stays wet, so it turns green. In the shade, moss packs into the lettering and hides the inscription.
We never scrape dry moss. It pulls pieces of the stone with it. We soak it with a biocide. The liquid penetrates the rock and kills the roots. The plant dies and detaches from the stone. We wash the debris away. The stone stays clean longer because there are no living spores left.
Hard Water "Scale" (Calcium Deposits)
Sprinklers hit the stone every day. When that water dries, it leaves a white mineral crust behind. It clouds the reflection.
This is calcium scale. It etches the polish. We use a cleaner made for stone that dissolves the minerals. We work fast and rinse it aggressively. This brings the shine back without burning the granite surface.
Sinking in Silty Soil
The ground near the river is soft mud. Heavy upright monuments sink straight down. We find base stones buried deep in the soil.
We hoist the stone up. We shovel out the mud and replace it with angular gravel. We pack the gravel tight to make a solid pad. Gravel drains water and locks together. The stone sits on this pad and stops sinking.
Vandalism and Paint Removal
Spray paint is common in urban plots. Granite is porous. It absorbs the paint. Using paint thinner just pushes the pigment deeper into the rock.
We use a "drawing" paste. We apply it to the tag and cover it with plastic. This keeps the chemicals wet. The paste sucks the paint out of the stone pores. We peel it off, and the paint comes with it.
Service Costs in Paterson
Stripping thick industrial soot takes time. We often have to apply the paste twice. Resetting stones in soft mud requires heavy equipment. We need to see the damage to give you a price.
- Carbon Stripping: Removing heavy industrial soot.
- Biocide Wash: Killing river algae and moss.
- Leveling: Stabilizing sinking stones in soft soil.
- Calcium Removal: Cleaning white sprinkler stains.
