Permian Sandblast
Odessa is flat and windy. The wind carries sharp grit from the fields constantly.
This grit acts like sandpaper. It cuts the polish off the granite. It packs into the lettering. Searching for headstone cleaning services near me usually leads to power washing. That is a mistake; it ruins the surface. We use gentle soaps to lift the dust without scratching the face.
"Sour Gas" Corrosion
We are in the oil patch. The air has Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) from the wells.
This gas eats metal. It turns bronze plaques black and green in months. It pits the surface. We strip this corrosion down to the bare metal. Then we seal it with hot wax to block the gas.
Caliche "Grease"
The ground here is Caliche. When dry, it is like concrete. When wet, it turns into grease.
Foundations slide on this slick layer. Monuments twist or lean. Adding topsoil is useless; the wind blows it away. For permanent tombstone repair and restoration, we dig down to the stable layer. We install gravel piles. This drains the water and locks the base in place.
Oil Field Film
Hydrocarbons are in the air. They settle on the stone.
This creates a sticky, oily film. Dirt sticks to it. Water rolls right off. If you try to scrub it, you just smear the black grease around. We use industrial degreasers as part of our grave site cleaning services. We cut the oil bond and rinse the stone clean.
Thermal Spalling
The heat here is extreme. The temperature drops fast at night.
Stone expands and contracts. This causes the surface to flake off (spalling). Cracks open up. We inspect for these cracks and seal them before water gets in and splits the stone.