Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Cumberland

Splitting Slate and Forest Overgrowth in Cumberland

Cumberland is rocky and wooded. A lot of the cemeteries here, like Diamond Hill or the old historical plots, are surrounded by trees. That creates a specific set of problems. Nature is trying to take these stones back. We deal with aggressive roots, heavy moss, and old repair jobs that are actually destroying the stones.

The biggest headache in Cumberland is what we call "iron jacking" in the old slate markers, and the stubborn black lichen that grows on the granite in the shade. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to stop their slate stones from splitting in half and to clear out the brush that hides the family plot.

"Iron Jacking" (Rust Splitting Slate)

The problem with many old slate stones is the repair work done a century ago. They used iron pins to hold broken pieces together. Iron rusts. As it rusts, it expands. It swells up inside the drill hole and pushes the stone apart.

That swelling acts like a slow wedge. It exerts enough force to crack the slate right down the middle. We have to drill the iron out or seal it completely. If you just glue the crack without removing the iron, the rust will just pop the stone open again.

Black "Map Lichen"

In the shady spots of Arnold Mills, you see granite stones with black, flat spots. It looks like someone splattered tar on them. That is Map Lichen. It is incredibly tough. It bites into the crystal structure of the granite.

Wire brushes won't touch this stuff. You will scratch the stone before you get the lichen off. We soak it with a biocide and wait. The chemical needs time to kill the root system. When it finally dies, it releases its hold on the rock. Then we can brush it away gently, so the granite doesn't get scratched.

Sinking in Forest Soil

Many plots in Cumberland are under pine trees or oaks. Decades of rotting leaves turn the soil into soft mulch. It’s too soft to hold a heavy monument. The stones sink straight down, sometimes until the dates are buried.

We hoist the stone out and dig down to the hardpan soil. We fill the hole with crushed stone—not dirt. Dirt just rots and compresses again. Crushed stone locks together and creates a foundation that won't sink when the leaves pile up.

Lead Lettering Repair

On the old Victorian monuments, the names were often filled with lead. The problem is that lead and stone don't mix well in the weather. They expand at different rates in the heat. After a hundred summers and winters, the lead wiggles loose and pops out.

We can't re-pour molten lead in a cemetery. It’s unsafe. But we can clean the white oxidation off the remaining letters and use a stone-grade adhesive to glue the loose pieces back in so the name stays readable.

Service Costs in Cumberland

Working in the "woods" means we often have to haul water and gear by hand, which takes time. Slate repair is risky. If the crack is deep, trying to pull that iron pin might snap the stone in two. I need to see the crack myself before I touch it to make sure it won't break.