Salt Spray "Rot"
The wind carries salt from the Gulf. It hits the stone constantly.
Salt settles in the pores. It crystallizes and expands. This pops the face off granite. It turns bronze markers green. Wiping it dry acts like sandpaper.
We use fresh water flushes for cleaning stone gravestones. We remove the salt before it eats the finish.
Sand Washout
The ground is sand. It moves with every tide and storm.
Heavy rains wash the sand out from under the base. Monuments tilt. Flat markers sink. Adding dirt is useless. The sand filters it away.
For tombstone repair and restoration, we pack the void with angular gravel. It locks together. It supports the stone while letting water drain.
Oleander Sap
Galveston is the "Oleander City." These bushes line the cemeteries.
They drop sticky sap and flowers. The sap bonds to the warm stone. It creates a black, gummy mess. It is toxic. You cannot scrub it off dry.
We use an enzyme cleaner for grave site cleaning services. It digests the sap. It lifts the resin safely.
"Island Green" Algae
The humidity never drops. The stone never dries.
This breeds aggressive green algae. It covers the markers. People searching for headstone cleaning services near me often use bleach. That is a mistake. It contains salts that damage the stone further.
We use a biocide soak. It kills the algae roots. The green dies and rinses off.
Historic Marble "Sugaring"
Old City Cemetery has soft marble stones.
Salt air dissolves the binder in the marble. The surface feels like sugar. Scrubbing it destroys the lettering.
We use a gentle surfactant. We float the dirt out of the pores. We clean without abrasion.