Champion City Grime
We built the world's farm machinery right here. International Harvester and the other plants kept this town running. But those factories put out a lot of heavy smoke. It wasn't just dust; it was oily.
That greasy soot settled on the headstones at Ferncliff and St. Raphael. It baked in under the sun for fifty years. It turns the stone a dull, dark gray. You can't wash it off with a hose because it repels water. We use a degreaser that cuts through that old oil. It breaks the bond so we can rinse the stone clean.
Cliffside Erosion
Ferncliff isn't named that for nothing. We have cliffs, hills, and steep drops down to Buck Creek. Gravity is always working against the monuments here.
The soil creeps downhill, taking the headstones with it. We see markers leaning dangerously forward or sliding off their foundations. We provide grave site cleaning services that include leveling. We don't just prop them up. We dig a flat shelf into the hill and pack it with jagged gravel that locks together. It gives the stone a bite so it stops sliding.
Hard Crust Lichen
In the open sections of the cemetery, we don't just get soft moss. We get lichen. It grows in tight, crusty circles that look like light green or orange scabs.
This stuff holds on tight. It digs right into the granite surface. If you scrape it, you leave scratches. We spray it with a solution that soaks into the growth. It kills it from the inside. After a week or two, it dries up and unhooks from the stone. Then we can brush it away without hurting the polish.
Soft Limestone Wear
A lot of the older markers in Clark County are local limestone. It is soft rock. Decades of rain have worn the faces smooth. The names are fading away.
Power washing destroys these stones. It blasts the remaining lettering right off. We handle them gently. We wash them by hand. Then we apply a consolidant. It soaks into the rock and hardens the surface. It stops the stone from dusting away so the family name lasts a bit longer.
Winter Frost Heave
The ground here gets saturated in the winter. When it freezes, the dirt expands and pushes up. We call it heaving.
"A year ago I traveled to Ohio and visited the cemetery where most of my family is buried. I was appalled at the condition of the gravestones for my loved ones. Because of this, I came back home and decided to look for someone who could clean and maintain those gravestones. I saw an ad in FaceBook of Tending and was thrilled to contact them. I am soooo glad I did. They were easy to work with; they did exactly what they said they would do; they charged exactly what they said they would; and, I have been so very impressed with their business and their work ethic. I am very pleased with this company and recommend them to anyone who could use their service."
— Beck, Ohio
It lifts the heavy stones and leaves them crooked when the thaw comes. We see bases tilted at bad angles. We reset them. We pull the stone, fix the foundation with proper drainage, and set it back level. It keeps the stone from tipping over next winter.
Tree Sap and Shade
Springfield cemeteries have massive old oak and maple trees. They drop sap all summer. That sticky stuff lands on the markers.
The dust settles in that sap and turns it into black tar. You can't scrub it; you'll just drag a black smear across the name. We use a pitch remover that dissolves it on contact so we can wipe it clean.
Ice Cracking Stone
Water is the enemy. It gets into a seam or a small crack in the granite. Overnight, it turns to ice and forces the rock apart.
We see corners popped off and tablets split down the middle. Glue won't hold in this weather. We provide professional grave stone cleaning services that include repair. We fill the crack with a stone epoxy that matches the color. It bonds the pieces back into one solid block and seals the crack.
Hard Water Haze
We have hard water here. In July, those sprinklers hit a stone that's been baking in the sun. The water evaporates instantly, leaving a white calcium layer stuck to the granite.
It bonds to the stone like cement. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me try to scrape it, but that ruins the finish. We use a cleaner that eats the mineral deposit. The white crust vanishes, and the deep color of the stone comes back.
Mower Damage
The grass grows fast here. The maintenance crews have to hustle. They hit the edges of the stones with the tires and decks.
It leaves black rubber streaks that water won't touch. We use a specialized wipe that softens that rubber instantly. It comes right off, and we trim the grass back so they don't hit it again.
Service Costs in Springfield
Pricing depends on the work. Fixing a sliding stone on a hill takes more time than scrubbing a flat marker:
- Grime Removal: Cleaning industrial factory soot.
- Lichen Treatment: Removing hard, crusty growth.
- Leveling: Resetting stones on steep hills.
- Consolidation: Saving worn limestone.
We look at the stone. We see what it needs. Then we give you a price.