Our workshop staff have many years of experience cleaning and renovating memorial stones. The techniques will differ according to the material and the age of the stone but the results can be stunning. Sometimes, as with the example below, we will reface the inscription panel and cut brand new lettering which not only leaves the memorial looking great but can also allow for extra words to be added or corrections to be made.
Cleaning is most often required for porous stones such as Marble, Nabresina, Portland and York Stone as they suffer more from the effects of time and weather. Some masons choose to use a stone cleaner to ‘wash’ the memorial, this will achieve a certain standard but is not always very effective or long lasting. At Memorials of Distinction we prefer to ‘machine clean’ the stone – this involves removing a thin layer from the surface of the memorial revealing fresh stone, stone that was formed 1000’s of years ago! This technique can leave the memorial looking almost new and retains the original lettering.
With some very old memorials however, where the lettering is not cut very deeply or the weathering is severe, machine cleaning is not suitable. The inscription would not be clear enough. Where this is the case we would suggest ‘re-facing’ the stone and re-lettering it (the example above is a re-face and re-letter). As you can see, this leaves the memorial looking like new.
Lead filled lettering stands proud of the surface of the stone so can often be difficult to clean with a machine. To address this we use a combination of stone cleaner and machine cleaning. Unfortunately, some stains are so deep they will never come out – see example front centre of base – an orange stain that was not obvious before it was cleaned.
When we renovate memorials they are re-fixed to the current NAMM regulations which involves new stainless steel dowels and ground anchors where relevant. Sometimes foundations will also have to be replaced. Often renovation work has to be carried out at dry times of the year as wet stone is difficult to clean.
If you have a memorial which needs cleaning or renovating, our staff will be able to advise on the best course of action for your individual circumstances and budget. Contact us for more information and a no-obligation quote.