Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in West Fargo

Lifting Sunken Markers and Cleaning Impacted Dust in West Fargo

The ground in West Fargo is black gumbo. This isn't just dirt; it is heavy, dense clay. It stays wet. In the winter, the frost goes deep. The ground expands and pushes everything upward. It snaps the concrete foundations under upright monuments. In the spring, that same ground turns soft. Heavy granite sinking into the mud is a constant problem here. We see flat markers in Sunset Memorial Gardens that have dropped inches below the sod.

The wind is the other factor. It blows across the open valley and hits the cemeteries hard. It carries fine field dust. This grit packs into the engraved dates and names on the headstones. Rain turns it into a hard paste. It dries solid. You can look right at a stone and not read the name because the letters are filled flush with dirt. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to dig their sunken stones out of the gumbo and to clear that impacted soil from the lettering.

Lifting Sinking Flat Markers

Flat markers disappear in West Fargo. The clay gets soft in the spring thaw. The stone is heavy. It pushes the mud aside and sinks. Grass grows over the edges. Eventually, the turf covers the marker completely.

We fix this by building a new base. We cut the sod back. We pry the marker out of the mud. We dig out the clay underneath. We fill the hole with crushed, angular gravel. We pack it tight. Rock doesn't turn soft when it gets wet. We reset the stone flush with the grass. It stays visible because it sits on a solid drain field.

Fixing Frost-Heaved Foundations

Upright monuments lean because the foundation failed. The frost in Cass County grabs the rough concrete pad and shoves it up. If the concrete is weak, it snaps. The stone tips over.

We replace the failed foundation. We hoist the monument. We remove the broken concrete and the wet clay. We pour a new pad or install a thick gravel footing. This disconnects the stone from the heaving soil. The ground can move around it, but the stone stays level.

Cleaning Impacted Lettering

Windblown dust ruins the contrast on polished granite. It fills the engraving. Pressure washing won't remove it; the mud is too hard and packed too deep.

We clean this by hand. We use water to soften the packed dirt. Then we use wooden picks to scrape the mud out of every letter and number. We flush it clean. It takes time to do every character, but it makes the inscription sharp again without blasting the stone with sand.

Restoring Oxidized Bronze

Snow sits on the bronze markers in the memorial gardens for months. It destroys the factory clear coat. The copper in the bronze reacts and turns green. The text becomes unreadable.

We refinish the metal on-site. We strip the green corrosion and the failing lacquer. We sand the surface to reveal bright bronze. We heat the plaque with a torch to dry it out. We spray a new industrial sealer on the hot metal. It bonds instantly. The marker looks dark and new.

Killing Heavy Lichen

The Sheyenne River valley is humid. Agricultural dust feeds biological growth. We see thick orange and grey lichen scabs on the rough edges of the granite bases.

We kill it chemically. We soak the lichen in a biocide. It turns to mush and releases its grip. We wash it off. This clears the stone immediately. Scraping dry lichen is a mistake; it leaves metal marks on the stone and leaves the roots alive.

Repairing Mower Scuffs

Landscapers have to mow fast. They hit the stones. We see black tire rubs on the sides and chipped corners on the bases.

We clean the rubber marks with a solvent. For chips, we use diamond files. We grind the sharp, broken edge into a smooth bevel. It looks intentional. It also prevents the mower blade from catching that same jagged spot again.

Service Costs in West Fargo

We don't need to visit the cemetery to give you a price. We have fixed, transparent pricing for all our services, including raising sunken flat markers and cleaning impacted dust. Check our subscription builder to see the exact cost for your plot.