Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Rock Hill

Removing Red Clay and Lichen in Rock Hill

Rock Hill sits on heavy red clay. Rain splashes that red mud onto the bases of the markers in Laurelwood and Grandview. It dries into a stubborn orange ring that looks exactly like rust. A scrub brush won't touch it. The clay particles are so fine they get trapped deep in the stone's texture.

We also fight the lichen. The humidity in the Piedmont is perfect for it. We see crusty green and grey patches growing on the rough edges of the stones. This stuff roots into the granite. It eats the polish and hides the dates. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to pull those deep red clay stains out and to remove the lichen without damaging the stone.

Extracting Red Clay Stains

The clay in York County acts like a dye. The iron in the dirt rusts inside the stone. Soap won't move it because the orange color is locked in the pores.

We treat it chemically. We smear a thick cleaning paste over the orange band. It soaks into the stone and pulls the red iron out as it dries. We rinse the dried paste away, taking the orange stain with it.

Killing Lichen on Granite

Lichen loves the rough, rock-pitched edges of the headstones here. You cannot scrape it off when it is dry. If you try, you will pull chips of stone off with it.

We kill it first. We soak the growth in a biological cleaner. It penetrates the crust and kills the roots. The lichen turns to mush. We gently scrub it away with soft brushes. We rinse the stone clean, leaving the rock surface intact.

Leveling Stones on Hillsides

Laurelwood Cemetery has a lot of hills. Rainwater washes the soil down the slope. We see monuments that are tipping forward because the dirt under the front edge washed away.

We fix the foundation. We dig out the loose soil and replace it with crushed angular gravel. We pack it tight. Gravel lets the water run through it without moving. We reset the monument on this rock pad so it stays level, even on a hill.

Restoring Oxidized Bronze

Grandview Memorial Park is full of bronze markers. The humidity breaks down the factory clear coat. The metal oxidizes and turns a dull green.

We refinish them on-site. We strip the corrosion down to the bare metal. We sand the raised letters so they shine against the dark background. We heat the bronze to remove moisture, then apply a heavy-duty industrial sealer. It stops the oxidation and keeps the marker looking polished.

Repairing Mower Scuffs

Mowers run tight to the stones. They hit the corners. We see black tire rubs and chipped edges on nearly every plot we visit.

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 finished and prevents the mower from catching that same jagged spot again.

Service Costs in Rock Hill

We have flat-rate pricing for Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and York. We don't need to visit the cemetery to give you a price. Check our subscription builder to see the exact cost for your plot.