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By Burton Fletcher
I often observe monuments that have been neglected and are
dirty, soiled by bird droppings and grass clippings, and
damaged by ant mounds. The maintenance of a family memorial is
essential to the preservation of a loved one’s memorial. Like
fine clothing, a monument looks best when it is sparkling and
dirt free.
Fire Ants
I recommend the use of ant poison to kill pesky fire ants that
often build mounds around graveyards. To avoid staining the
granite, be careful to keep the spray off the granite. Destroy
those pesky ants before they undermine the foundation or stain
the granite with their nests. Also, you want to visit with
your departed loved ones without the sting of ant bites. You
are either part of the solution, or you are part of the
problem. Cemetery maintenance is the responsibility of
everyone who either has loved ones interred in that cemetery,
or who visit the cemetery.
Warning About Cleaning Instructions
At the outset, let me state that, except for basic
maintenance, monument cleaning is a task best left to
professionals. Unless you are a do-it-yourselfer, the cleaning
instructions are for interest only, except for minor annual
cleaning. The use of chemicals is best left to the expertise
of a professional. Likewise, the removal of stains is best
left to experts, except for any immediate actions that may be
required from mistakes. Some instructions, such as warnings
about oil, mostly apply to cleaning crews who are likely to
use mowing or trimming equipment that may leak oil. Likewise,
repairs in the cemetery should be avoided, and acidic soft
drinks, oily rags, and the like should be kept far away from
stone products.
Cleaning
The Elberton Granite Association was the source for much of
the following information, and full credit must be given to
that fine institution for their work in upgrading the monument
industry.
There are numerous methods for cleaning monuments, and I am
including only a few here. With that said, monument cleaning
is an essential responsibility for the perpetuation of
memorialization.
All granites are porous with an intercapillary pore structure,
therefore liquids, including water, and contaminants
introduced to the monument surface from moisture and the air,
including acid rain, do enter the surface of the monument.
That is nature, and an annual cleaning will go a long way to
limit the affects of stains on monuments, and maintain the
natural beauty of the stone.
Not only stains from water and acid rain, but also cleaning
agents that will remove the stain can penetrate the granite
surface. Patience is a must to adequately clean granite. A
stain that took weeks to occur may take weeks to remove. Be
patient!
Basic Cleaning Procedures for Cleaning Granite Monuments
1. Do not apply cleaning solutions to hot surfaces such as
granite on a hot day. Early morning or cool, cloudy days are
the best time for cleaning.
2. Before cleaning, check the condition of the memorial for
stains that may require special attention before cleaning.
3. Check the joints of the upright and base, as they should be
repaired before starting the cleaning process. Otherwise, the
cleaning solutions will seep through the breaks, under the
die, creating streaks in the monument.
4. If the joint compound between the upright monument and the
base does not exist, or has come loose, it must be refilled.
Otherwise, the cleaning solution may seep between the base and
the upright monument, and then be absorbed into the upright
monument causing stains.
Preparation
1. Drape plastic over both the ends of monuments and shrubs
with plastic.
2. Wet the ground thoroughly around the monument that you are
going to clean, to protect the grass and other monuments.
3. Lay plastic within one inch around the base, all around the
monument, and use boards to prevent the plastic from blowing
away.
4. Preserve proper safety procedures. Use rubber gloves,
safety glasses with a side shield, or goggles, and a rain
suit.
Site Preparation
• Make sure the stone is not warm to the touch, and conditions
will allow you to work thoroughly without interruption, or
failure to do so would cause the solution to dry quickly.
• Look for stains around the upright and the base of the
monument.
• Work quickly and make certain the stone is kept moist.
• Rust or oil will require special attention, as described
below.
• Replace the joint compound before starting the cleaning
process.
• Thoroughly wet the ground around the monument before
starting.
• Protect monuments on other sites.
• Do not start without adequate water for cleaning. A minimum
of 15 gallons is necessary for a 3-foot monument upright and
base.
• Wet the monument thoroughly before applying any cleaning
solution.
Recommended chemicals
1. Zep Crystals or BBB crystals for general stains, grass
stains, or bird droppings.
2. KP 38 clean all liquid for general stains and rust removal.
3. Klenztone 2 or 4 for general cleaning, and especially
suitable for steeled or axed surfaces.
4. Oxalic Acid for rust or other deep-seated stains.
Other cleaners are available. Granite suppliers or granite
supply firms are sources of information for cleaners.
Cleaners are chemicals and are dangerous to eyes and exposed
skin. Add cleaners to the water, but never add water to the
cleaners. Always wear eye, hand, and other protection when
using cleaners.
Pre-cleaning Preparations
Use a plastic bucket, as metal buckets oxidize rapidly with
cleaners. Wear rubber gloves and safety glasses.
Using a ten-quart bucket of water, add 4 heaping teaspoons of
Zep crystals. Patience is important in cleaning. When cleaning
a monument with a steeled finish, a stronger solution is used,
such as 12 tablespoons, or 3 handfuls of the recommended
quantity of chemicals. A stronger solution can be used for a
steeled monument.
1. A mild solution is better than risking permanent damage
from using a solution that is too strong.
2. Always use a plastic, rubber, or wooden bucket.
3. Wear your personal protective equipment.
4. Add cleaner to water. Never pour water onto the cleaning
agent.
5. Make sure the cleaning agent is thoroughly dissolved.
6. Work with a mild solution. Always follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for safety.
7. Axed, steeled, or rock pitched surfaces require twice the
exposure as polished surfaces.
8. Never allow the solution to dry on the stone during the
cleaning process.
Cleaning Process
1. Wet the entire monument thoroughly. Clean only on a cool,
cloudy day.
2. If the monument is small, clean the entire base first, and
then the upright monument. Clean the monument in sections,
just like waxing a car. Rinse as each section is completed. 15
gallons of water is needed for a 3-foot monument and base.
3. Keep the monument wet with clean water during the cleaning
process. Start from the bottom and work up to the top.
4. Clean one section at a time, rinsing when clean.
5. Never let the cleaning solution dry on the monument.
6. Never allow any portion of the monument to dry out during
the cleaning process.
7. Always work with a mild acid, progressing to a stronger
concentration only when needed. After the entire monument has
been cleaned, rinse thoroughly with a hose or, if possible,
with a pressure washer. 800 to 2200 pounds of pressure reduces
some of the hard scrubbing required on many older monuments.
8. After cleaning, and rinsing, use a solution of bicarbonate
of soda and water solution to neutralize and remove any
remaining acid with a baking soda solution. Use this same
solution to clean other monuments that may have been exposed
to your cleaning solution.
9. Sandblasting is not recommended. Sandblasting would only
remove surface dirt and stains. Also, sandblasting would
remove the surface detail of the monument. Stick with the
cleaning solutions and be patient.
Special Treatment
Oil is very bad for granite, and it should be removed
immediately. The longer oil is on granite, the deeper it will
penetrate. Be alert for spots of oil and take immediate
action. K2R spot remover, sold in grocery stores, is
excellent. Spray K2R on the spot. Wipe off the excess before
applying K2R. Be careful not to smear the oil. K2R will dry to
a white powder. Once dry, wash the entire monument with a
solvent, and then wash with a mild acid solution.
If a dark spot remains, then all oil has not been removed.
• Patience, in a generous supply, is essential when removing
oil stains.
• Plaster of paris is used for deep stains. A poultice using
plaster of paris, and lacquer thinner is used for deep stains.
White unleaded gasoline or Coleman fuel can also be used.
• A paste of lacquer thinner and plaster of paris is mixed in
a plastic container. The paste is applied to the oil stain,
covering the stain. The paste should be one to two inches
thick over the stain.
• Apply dry plaster around the outside edge of the polstice to
prevent spreading of the oil. This is extremely important, as
the dry plaster will prevent secondary staining from the
diluted oil. Do not apply direct heat to the stone.
• Once dry, wipe off the plaster, and wash the entire monument
with a solvent, and then clean the monument with soap and
water.
• Do not use lacquer thinner around lithichrome in carving or
lettering, as it will dissolve the lithichrome.
• If the stain has been on the monument for days or weeks,
multiple applications are probably required.
• Sources of rust stains include: wire blower baskets, tin
cans, or iron bleedings from the stone itself. Zep Crystals or
BBB crystals, KP 38, or Klenztone 2 or 4 are very effective
for cleaning. You will need to apply the chemicals to the
entire monument.
• Apply cleaners to the entire monument, keeping it wet at all
times.
• Let the solution remain on the stain for 10 to 15 minutes.
If these do not work, try MP7.
MP7 Manganese Phosophiline 7 is a cleaner that is diluted with
water. It is used full strength if the iron stain is from the
granite itself. Allow the cleaner to remain on the stain for
about 10 minutes, scrubbing occasionally. Rinse the entire
monument, brushing with a clean brush. Again, avoid cleaning
during warm weather or when it is hot, as the stone will dry
too quickly.
Moisture Stains
Moisture from inadequate calking may soak up moisture behind
the polished surface. To correct this problem, the upright
monument will need to be removed and will need to be turned
upside down allowing the monument to dry out.
A poultice of plaster of paris or Fuller’s earth and water may
be used to remove the stains. Wash with soap and water or
cleaning solvent. Rinse thoroughly.
General cleaning procedures will be applied.
Before resetting the monument, we recommend applying joint or
bottom sealer. A 3/16 or ¼ plastic spacers are recommended. A
setting compound seals the crack between the upright monument
and the base. Always remember that the monument is a permanent
display of the monument builder’s work, and it is more than a
monument, but a memorial to a life.
There are other solutions that are just as effective. Problems
can often be prevented with a little effort.
Preventing Stains
Monument company employees should be careful to not stain
monuments at the shop.
• Use crates or cardboard covers.
• Do not set monuments on wooden boards.
• Watch where you leave your hoist during the day and
overnight.
• Oil, Coca Cola, tobacco juice, and burns from cigarettes are
some of the worst stains to remove from monuments.
• Grass clippings stain monuments, too.
• Don’t leave monuments on wet boards or around the wash rack,
at night, or on the weekends.
• Keep K2R around for emergency situations.
When washing a monument, it is important to clean the monument
with a soft brush and clean water, and, to prevent streaking,
always clean the monument from the bottom up. Too many folks
think that it makes sense to clean from the top down, however,
just the opposite is the appropriate manner to clean a
memorial.
Always start at the bottom of the monument and clean upwards.
Acids, oils, and caustic chemicals should be avoided. Granite
is more porous than marble and it absorbs water with
contaminates that may exist on the surface of the monument.
Acid rain deteriorates granite.
Monuments should be cleaned annually.
Buckets of clean water
and a soft brush can do wonders on most newly designed
monuments. Care should be taken to use clean water, as water
lines in cemeteries may be rusty. If cemetery water is used,
it is important to run the water long enough to allow rusted
water to be discharged from the lines.
Also, chemicals used in city water may react unfavorably with
some cleaning materials. Where possible, use spring or rain
water. Bicarbonate of soda is an effective powder for negating
the acid residue in cleaning compounds.
Burton Fletcher, with over 20 years business experience, owns
ValdostaMemorials.com. He is a licensed memorialist in Georgia and Florida. He enjoys genealogy and
visiting and studying Southern monuments. Reach Burton at
229.245.8858 or
Burton@ValdostaMemorials.com |
