Great South Bay Salt Crystallization
Atmospheric chemistry depends on the Great South Bay. The air load contains heavy marine aerosols. Sodium chloride ions penetrate the granite pores at Cedar Grove Cemetery.
The water vehicle evaporates. Crystalline solids remain trapped. Crystal growth generates internal pressure ("Sub-florescence"). This force exceeds the tensile limit of the stone. The matrix crumbles. Scrubbing is ineffective. It cannot reach the internal stress points. We use specialized grave site cleaning services. We apply desalination poultices. These draw the salt ions out. We flush with distilled water.
"Lace Mill" Chlorine Fallout
The Patchogue-Plymouth Lace Mill defined the industrial zone. Production involved hypochlorite and chlorine gas. Exhaust plume settled on local marble markers.
Chlorine gas reacts with calcium carbonate. The byproduct is gypsum. The surface converts to a brittle, sugary crust. Detail dissolves. Pressure washing strips this layer. We use consolidation treatments. These chemicals penetrate the pore structure. They replace the degraded binder. Hardness is restored.
Glacial Outwash Sand Shift
The geological base is the "Glacial Outwash Plain." Substrate consists of deep silica sand. Structural cohesion is absent.
Traffic vibration causes grain displacement. Monument foundations lose static friction. They sink or tilt. Adding topsoil is a cosmetic patch. For permanent tombstone repair and restoration, we stabilize the sub-grade. We excavate. We install a friction pile of angular gravel. This interlocks with the sand. It prevents vertical movement.
Marine Fog Spalling
The bay functions as a thermal reservoir. Winter fog density is high. Stone saturation levels peak in January.
Ambient temperature drops to freezing. Pore water undergoes phase change. Ice volume expands 9%. Internal pressure reaches 2,500 PSI. The face shears off (Spalling). Searching for headstone cleaning services near me often leads to pressure washing ads. This increases water saturation. We use hydrophobic sealers. They coat the capillaries. Liquid entry stops.
Coastal Lichen Encrustation
Saline air encourages Xanthoria lichen. These orange growths bond chemically to the mineral surface.
Rhizines (roots) bore into the crystal lattice. They excrete oxalic acid. This etches the granite. We use professional cleaning stone gravestones chemistry. Quaternary ammonium biocides terminate the organism. The biomass releases its grip. The biocide residue prevents new spore attachment.