Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Durham

Bull City Red Clay

Durham soil is heavy red clay. Heavy rains splash this mud onto the base of every monument. The sun bakes it until it creates a hard orange shell.

This is iron oxide rust. Regular detergent won't remove it. Pressure washing makes it worse by driving the red pigment deeper into the stone pores. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me often worry the stone is permanently ruined. It isn't. We use a chemical neutralizer. It breaks the molecular bond holding the iron in the granite. We rinse the surface, and the orange stain washes away completely.

Tobacco District Soot

Durham was an industrial town for a long time. Coal smoke and tobacco dust settled on the historic cemeteries like Maplewood for decades.

That pollution formed a black carbon crust on the older stones. It is bonded to the rock surface. Scrubbing it off mechanically destroys the stone's finish. We use a specialized carbon-breaking cleaner. It dissolves the hard crust safely. We wash it off to reveal the original marble or granite that hasn't been seen in fifty years.

The "Yellow Haze" (Pollen Paste)

Spring in Durham means pine pollen. It coats everything in a thick yellow layer. When it rains, that pollen turns into a paste that settles deep into the engraved letters.

It dries hard and turns black over time. We clean this out by hand. We use detailing picks and soft brushes to clear the buildup from every letter. We don't use high pressure sprays that could chip the paint. We take the time to clear the inscription so it is readable again.

Black Mildew and Shade

Many Durham cemeteries are heavily shaded. The sun never hits the markers to dry them out. This dampness breeds black mildew.

You see dark streaks running down the face of the stone. This is a living colony. If you just scrub it, you spread the spores, and it grows back faster. We saturate the stone with a biocide. It kills the root system on contact. The sun bleaches out the remaining stains, and the stone stays clean because the colony is dead.

Pine Sap and Pitch

The pines here drip sap constantly. It lands on the headstones and hardens into resin.

Dirt and pollen stick to the resin, creating ugly black bumps. Scrapers scratch the polished granite. We use a solvent that chemically melts the sap. The sticky residue wipes away easily. We remove the mess without damaging the surface polish.

Sinking in Soft Ground

The ground here is soft, especially near the creeks. Heavy rain destabilizes the soil. Monuments lean or sink completely.

We see flat markers disappear under the grass. We provide professional grave stone cleaning services that include leveling. We lift the stone. We remove the mud. We install a pad of compacted gravel. This base drains water away and locks the stone in place so it stays level.

Lichen on Rough Stone

Lichen loves the rough-hewn granite common in this area. It digs roots into the uneven surface and creates crusty patches.

Pulling lichen off dry tears up the stone. We soak it with a surfactant first. This forces the growth to let go. We brush it away gently. The stone gets clean without losing any material or developing new pits.

Service Costs in Durham

We price based on the material and the specific damage:

We visit the grave. We inspect the stone. Then we give you a price.