Blackland "Heave"
Forney sits on deep Blackland clay. Locals call it "self-mulching."
In summer, it cracks wide open. Dirt falls into those deep cracks. When winter rains come, that extra dirt swells up violently. It pushes foundations right out of the ground. It snaps concrete footers like twigs.
For tombstone repair and restoration, we ignore the moving topsoil. We anchor the foundation deep into the stable subsoil zones.
Highway 80 Diesel Grime
US Highway 80 and the Union Pacific rail line cut right through town.
The exhaust from trucks and trains is heavy and oily. It settles on the monuments, creating a gray, greasy film. Rainwater creates streaks in it but won't wash it off. Regular soap isn't strong enough.
We use an industrial degreaser for grave site cleaning services. We strip the oily bond chemically so the stone shines again.
Hackberry "Glue"
Hackberry trees line the older cemeteries. They are magnets for woolly aphids.
These bugs drop sticky "honeydew" on the markers. It turns into a black, tar-like mold. It bonds to the granite. If you try to scrape it dry, you'll scratch the polish.
We use an enzyme wash for headstone cleaning services near me. We digest the sugars and wash the black gunk away safely.
Well Water Scale
Many local cemeteries use well water for irrigation. It is full of dissolved limestone.
As the water dries, it leaves a hard white crust on the base. It builds up layer by layer, turning into rock. Scrapers just chip the stone.
We use a buffered acid for cleaning stone gravestones. We dissolve the calcium bond chemically. The crust washes away.
Fire Ant Acid
Fire ants love the clay soil. They build mounds against the stones.
The dirt is acidic. It burns the polish, leaving a rough, dull ring. You cannot wash this damage off. We treat the ground and neutralize the acid to stop the burn.