Stabilizing Stones in Loose Soil
Sandy lives up to its name. The ground here is granular and loose. It does not hold heavy weight well. We see this problem everywhere, from the city cemetery to the private plots near the mountains.
Upright monuments sink unevenly. They start to list to the side. Adding dirt to the low side is a waste of time. The heavy stone pushes that soft sand right back out. It’ll be leaning again in a few weeks. We dig the unstable sand out completely. We replace it with compacted road base gravel. This creates a locking foundation. The jagged edges of the gravel hold together, keeping the stone vertical even when the sandy soil around it shifts.
Scrub Oak Sap Removal
East Sandy cemeteries, especially Larkin Sunset Gardens, are full of scrub oak. These bushes spray a fine mist of sap onto the stones all summer.
The sap dries clear at first. Then the dust hits it. It turns into hard, black bumps that look like tar. It covers the dates and names. You cannot wash this off with soap. It is too sticky. You can't scrape it either, or you will scratch the mirror finish on the granite. We use a specialized tree resin solvent. It melts the sap back into a liquid. We wipe it away, and the polish looks new again.
Canyon Wind "Sandblasting"
The wind rips out of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It picks up grit and sand from the valley floor and slams it into the monuments.
It works exactly like a sandblaster. Over time, that flying grit strips the paint right out of the lettering. It leaves the stone face looking dull and rough. Families looking for headstone cleaning services near me often think the stone is just dirty. Actually, the finish is worn down. We clean the stone gently. Then we re-paint the letters with high-durability enamel. We also apply a surface sealer to protect the polish from the wind.
Hard Water Mineral Build-up
The irrigation water here is full of calcium. When the sprinklers hit a hot stone, the water dries fast. The minerals stay put.
You see thick white lines across the family name. It looks like hard frosting. If you try to chip it off, you will take chips of stone with it. We brush on a mild acidic cleaner specifically for cleaning stone gravestones. It dissolves the white crust. We rinse it heavily to make sure no acid stays on the rock.
Deer Antler Damage
Deer come down from the mountains into the cemeteries. Bucks use the headstones to rub the velvet off their antlers.
They grind the sharp corners of the granite. This causes chipping. They also leave behind grease and biological oils. This grease soaks into the stone pores. We use an enzyme cleaner to eat up the oil. If the chips are bad, we smooth the edges with a diamond polishing pad. This stops the stone from flaking further and removes the sharp edges.
Sinking Flat Markers
Because the sand moves so much, flat markers sink fast here. Grass grows over the edges and hides them.
Mowers run over the sunken markers. The blades hit the stone and leave rust marks or gouges. We pull the marker up. We create a new, level bed of gravel. We set the stone flush with the grass so the mowers can pass over without hitting it.
Service Costs in Sandy
Prices depend on the specific issues. Cleaning sap is different from releveling a tilting monument. Here is a general breakdown:
- Sap Removal: Chemical treatment for scrub oak resin and tar-like buildup.
- Wind Damage Repair: Cleaning and re-lettering stones stripped by canyon winds.
- Leveling: Excavating loose sand and installing a gravel foundation.
- Hard Water Cleaning: Acidic removal of white calcium lines.
We assess the stone onsite. We check the stability. We check the paint condition. Then we give you a set price.