Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Sumter

Restoring Military Markers and Cleaning Lichen in Sumter

Sumter is a military town. Between Shaw AFB and the retirees living here, we see government-issued headstones everywhere. Evergreen Memorial Park and Sumter Cemetery are full of them. The weather here destroys the finish on those markers. The bronze plaques turn a chalky green, and the white marble uprights get covered in black mold.

We also fight the ground conditions. Sumter sits on a mix of sand and clay. It drains well, but it moves. When we get a summer downpour, the sand washes out from under the flat markers. They sink or tilt. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to level those sinking military stones and to clean the hard, crusty lichen off the granite monuments.

Refinishing Bronze Veteran Markers

The clear coat on government bronze markers doesn't last forever in the Sumter sun. Once it peels, the metal turns a chalky green. You can't just polish it. That green layer is corrosion.

We restore them right on the plot. We strip the old finish and the corrosion down to the bare metal. We sand the raised lettering so it stands out bright against the background. We use a torch to dry the metal completely, then we spray a new industrial clear coat. It seals the bronze so it stays dark and readable.

Lifting Markers in Sandy Soil

The soil here is loose. Heavy flat markers settle over time. We often find them an inch or two below the grass line, covered in dirt and ant hills.

We pull them up. We dig out the loose sand and fill the hole with crushed stone. We tamp it down hard. The rock creates a solid bed that lets water drain through. We set the marker back on top. It stays visible and dry.

Cleaning Government Marble

The white marble uprights issued by the VA are porous. They soak up water and grow black mold instantly in this humidity. If you pressure wash them, you destroy the soft stone surface.

We clean them chemically. We spray a biocide that kills the mold down to the root. We let it sit and work. Then we rinse it off with a hose. The stone turns bright white again because the infestation is dead, not because we blasted away the top layer of stone.

Removing Hard Lichen

Granite stones in Sumter get covered in a hard, green lichen. It looks like paint splatters, but it is a plant that digs into the rock.

We kill it before we scrub it. We soak the lichen in a cleaner that softens it up. It turns into a jelly-like mush. We scrub that residue off with soft brushes. It comes right off without scratching the polish on the headstone.

Repairing Mower Scuffs

Maintenance crews have to work around thousands of stones. Mowers hit the corners. We see black tire marks and chipped edges everywhere.

We clean the rubber marks with a solvent. For the 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 Sumter

We have flat-rate pricing for Sumter, Dalzell, and Wedgefield. 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.