Grave Cleaning & Headstone Restoration in Alexandria

Cleaning River Mold and Preserving Sandstone in Alexandria

Alexandria is an old river city. The humidity from the Potomac hangs over the cemeteries in Old Town. In the Wilkes Street complex and Ivy Hill, this moisture fuels heavy biological growth. We see headstones that are completely carpeted in green moss. Black algae grows into the grain of the marble, turning white stones a dark, dirty grey. It isn't just unsightly; the roots of the moss dig into the stone and crack it.

The stone itself is often fragile. Many of the oldest markers here are carved from Aquia Creek sandstone. This stone is soft. Over time, the layers separate and peel off. We call this exfoliation. If you touch it, the face of the stone might crumble. Families searching for headstone cleaning services near me call us to gently remove the heavy river mold and to stabilize these fragile historic markers before the inscriptions are lost forever.

Killing Heavy Moss and Algae

The shade and humidity in Alexandria make moss grow fast. Scraping it off dry damages the stone. Pressure washing is even worse; it blows out the grout and erodes the lettering.

We clean it chemically. We use a biocide that soaks into the moss and algae. It kills the organism down to the root. The growth turns brown and dies. We rinse it away with a garden hose. The stone gets clean without any harsh abrasion.

Consolidating Peeling Sandstone

Sandstone markers flake apart. Moisture wicks into the seams of the stone. When it freezes in winter, it expands and pushes the layers apart. The face of the marker flakes off in sheets, taking the inscription with it.

We stop the peeling. We apply a stone consolidator. This is a special fluid that flows deep into the cracks and pores of the sandstone. It hardens inside the rock. It glues the layers back together and strengthens the surface. This keeps the inscription intact and stops the stone from shedding more material.

Removing Red Clay Stains

The ground in Alexandria is heavy red clay. Rain splashes this mud onto the porous stone. It soaks in and dries into a stubborn orange ring. On white marble, it looks exactly like a rust stain.

We extract the stain. We use a poultice that draws the iron and clay out of the stone pores. We apply it and let it work. It pulls the orange color out. We rinse it away, leaving the base white again.

Leveling Stones on Hillsides

Ivy Hill Cemetery is steep. Gravity pulls at the monuments. We see obelisks and tablets tipping forward as the soil washes out from under the downhill side.

We fix the foundation. We dig out the loose dirt. We build a level shelf using crushed, angular gravel. We pack it solid. The jagged rocks lock together and drain water, so the foundation doesn't wash away. We reset the monument on this stable pad so it stands straight.

Restoring Bronze in Memorial Parks

In places like Mount Comfort, flat bronze markers sit in the wet grass. The moisture destroys the factory clear coat. The bronze turns green and the names become hard to read.

We refinish them on-site. We strip the corrosion down to bright metal. We sand the surface to reveal the lettering. We heat the bronze to dry it. We spray a new industrial sealer on the hot metal. It bonds instantly and protects the marker from the wet ground.

Repairing Mower Scuffs

Mowers run tight to the stones. They hit the corners. We see black rubber marks and chipped granite edges.

We clean the rubber marks with a solvent. For 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 Alexandria

We don't need to visit the cemetery to give you a price. We have fixed, transparent pricing for all our services, including biological cleaning and sandstone consolidation. Check our subscription builder to see the exact cost for your plot.