cleaning marble..

[sara3]

DIY.. oh dear! couldn't find a better category than this :o/

my dad's gravestone is white marble, and almost 40 years old. I don't get to visit very often as it's not near home, but my sister is over from Australia and went to the grave. apart from the fact that it's been vandalised (there are some pathetic people out there) the part where the lettering is looks in a bad way. the stone has become very porous over the years and seems to have a lot of black streaks on it. it's not vandalism, just wear and tear. also the lettering is lead and a lot of letters have fallen out, or are loose.

any ideas on cleaning and how best to stick the letters back? thank you.

[Buenchico]

This article is written by someone who does the job for living, so hopefully it will assist you:
http://alphagraves.co...eadstonecleaning.aspx

Chris

[sara3]

thank you Chris, will have a read.

[KARL]

Regarding cleaning marble, you should take care not to use any agressive materials, particularly not anything with bleach in it. Marble is a slightly fragile stone in that atmospheric pollutants tend to attack it and essential salts get leeched out - acid rain is really deadly for this stone. In fact, for outdoor uses in Britain, marble would be well down the list of my preferences due to the amount of dampness above freezing point, especially through autumn, winter and spring when algae thrive. It is quite possible that the marks you see on the stone are in fact both living and dead algae. Be prepared to have to accept that their removal is not going to be successful. The best way to try is with a mild solution of washing up liquid and at most using a plastic scourer to gently rub at the worst bits that won't come off by rubbing firmly with a cloth.

as for sticking the letters on, a solvent based adhesive is probably best, or else an epoxy. The latter is a bit more difficult to control, but I am thinking in terms of No Nails or a similar construction adhesive. Be very careful not to use too much adhesive because the excess will be tricky to remove. I would suggest you use masking tape to put on the stone to give just the right footprint for each letter in turn. Have a small knife handy to immediately remove any excess adhesive and also something to wipe the adhesive off on. This work requires care and patience.

[sara3]

thank you, Karl.. I suspect I'll be more successful with the lettering than the stone. good advice, thanks again.

[jamesnan]

In a shop recently we saw a bottle of headstone cleaner, and I remarked that it was something which was rarely seen. Something like that may help

[sara3]

thanks jamesnan. do you remember where you saw it?

[boxtops]

sara - they sell headstone cleaner on eBay, I've just looked - mostly in spray bottles.

[sara3]

well well.. thanks Boxy, who'd have thought it?

[boxtops]

I know - I only find things on eBay when I look specifically, I didn't even know that there is such a thing!

[jamesnan]

The cleaner was in a hardware type shop, which sold lots of other things as well, but you are bound to be able to get it from Ebay with no problem. Hope it works for you.

[sara3]

thanks again, jamesnan.

[TeddyJohne]

The hard chemical cleaners always harm your marble. he best way to clean it with washing up and gently rub it with soft cloth.
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