Peeling Berea Sandstone
This is sandstone country. The quarries around here put this area on the map. But that local Berea stone has a weakness. It soaks up water. When that water freezes in winter, it pops the face of the stone right off.
We see headstones peeling in sheets, like wet cardboard. You can't glue those pieces back on. But we can save what's left. We clean the stone gently to remove the loose grit. Then we soak it with a consolidant. It goes deep into the rock and hardens it. It stops the peeling so the name doesn't disappear completely.
Black River Mold
The Black River cuts right through town, and we have the falls at Cascade Park. That keeps the air heavy and wet. In older cemeteries like Ridgelawn, the dampness never really leaves.
That moisture breeds thick green moss and black slime. It covers the markers entirely. If you scrape it dry, you're going to rip pieces of the stone off with it. We spray a cleaner that kills the growth down to the root. It turns brown and washes off with the rain, leaving the stone clean without us having to scrub it.
Sinking in Clay and Shale
The ground here is tricky. It's a heavy mix of clay and shale. When it rains hard, that dirt turns to soup. We see heavy granite monuments sliding sideways or sinking straight down.
We provide professional grave site cleaning services that include leveling. We don't just shove some dirt under the corner. We lift the stone out. We dig down to a solid layer and pack in angular gravel. It bites into the clay and creates a drain field so the stone stays level.
Industrial Soot
Elyria has a long history of manufacturing. The smoke and exhaust from the plants and the turnpike settle on the stones. It creates a greasy, black film.
Rain won't wash it off. It is baked on tight. We use a degreaser that cuts through that industrial skin. It melts the grime so we can rinse it away. It reveals the true color of the granite that hasn't been seen in years.
Tree Sap Buildup
We have massive trees in the older plots. They drop sap all spring and summer. That sticky resin lands on the headstones and traps dust.
It turns into hard black bumps. If you try to scrape them, you scratch the polish. We use a pitch remover that dissolves the sap on contact. It wipes right off, leaving the stone smooth again.
Winter Frost Splitting
Our winters are wet and freezing. Water gets into the seam between the base and the tablet. Overnight, it freezes and expands.
That pressure snaps the stone. We see bases split in half constantly. We provide professional grave stone cleaning services that include repair. We fill the crack with a stone epoxy that matches the granite. It welds the pieces back together into one solid block.
Hard Water Crust
The water here is hard. The sprinklers hit the stones in the summer heat, and the water dries up fast. But it leaves a hard white crust behind.
It bonds to the stone like cement. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me try to chip it off, but that ruins the finish. We use a wash that eats the mineral deposit. The white haze vanishes, and the deep color of the stone comes back.
Lichen on Rough Stone
On the rough-cut stones and bases, we get heavy lichen. These are those crusty, round spots that hold on tight. They dig roots into the rock.
Wire brushes just ruin the stone texture. We use a cleaner that soaks into the lichen and kills it. It dries up and releases its grip. We can then brush it away easily without damaging the stone surface.
Mower Scuffs
The grass grows fast. The mowing crews move quickly to keep up. They bump the stones with the tires, leaving black rubber streaks.
Water won't touch those marks. We use a specialized wipe that softens the rubber. It comes right off. We trim the grass back to give the mowers a buffer zone so they don't hit it again.
Service Costs in Elyria
Pricing depends on the job. Treating a peeling sandstone marker takes more care than washing a granite block:
- Sandstone Repair: Consolidating peeling stone.
- Leveling: Resetting stones on clay/shale mix.
- Soot Removal: Cleaning industrial grime.
- Moss Treatment: Killing river valley mold.
We check the stone. We see what it needs. Then we give you a price.
