The Importance of Proper Headstone and Memorial Maintenance

For many, a headstone or memorial serves as the focal point for remembering a departed loved one. But like anything, they can deteriorate overtime without the appropriate headstone maintenance. 

That’s why memorial cleaning and gravestone maintenance services are crucial for restoring your loved one’s place of remembrance back to its original quality. 

In this article, we will guide you through the key topics regarding headstone renovation and cleaning to make everything clear and helpful. 

Why headstone and memorial maintenance is important 

A departed one’s memorial is there to provide solace to the family and friends left behind. But most memorials are positioned outside where they are exposed to the elements. As such, they will naturally weather and degrade over time. 

Gravestone cleaning and renovation is not the responsibility of the cemetery or religious building that manages it, rather it is the responsibility of the memorial’s owner. 

With this in mind, to keep these pieces at their full quality, headstone cleaning, maintenance and renovation will occasionally be required to preserve the legacy of your loved one and to prevent further damage and deterioration by addressing problems early. 

Common issues a memorial might face

There are a few obstacles that your memorial could experience overtime simply from being outdoors and on public land, namely: 

• Weather-related damage: Depending on the materials a headstone is made from, precipitation can cause surfaces to fade or discolour over time. Rain, snow and hail can also find its way into existing joints or cracks and widen them, eventually causing sections to fall off if left unattended. This is why it’s so important to fix cracks or crevices as soon as you notice them. Extreme weather events such as storms or floods can result in more extensive damage too, and on these occasions, headstone repair may be required. 

• Biological growth or staining: Moss, lichen, algae and other biological growths can establish themselves on a gravestone, staining it and potentially resulting in degradation. Biological matter can also grow over any lettering or inscriptions, making them hard to read. 

• Vandalism or unintentional damage: Most people are laid to rest on public land, and with that comes potential exposure to both intentional and unintentional damage. Unfortunately, vandalism is still something that cemeteries come across from time to time. Equally, people can cause accidental damage to gravestones by human error too. 

The best way to check if your loved one’s memorial or headstone needs any repairs, cleaning or restoration is to visually check it and observe its quality over time. 

How professional cleaning and maintenance can help

Memorials and headstones need a gentle touch and professional eye to ensure that any cleaning or maintenance is performed to a high standard. Here at the Memorial Group, we have been cleaning and maintaining headstones for generations, and our services include: 

• Simple clean and polish
• Total restoration 
• Repairs 
• Inscription recutting
• Memorial reguidling 

Our services will help you address problems early, preventing them from worsening over time, along with regularly cleaning the memorial to keep it looking beautiful. 

How often should a memorial be cleaned? 

Depending on the material of the headstone and the weather conditions common in its location, a headstone should be cleaned from anywhere between once every six months to once every three years. For personalised recommendations, please get in touch with our team who will be happy to discuss your individual case. 

Can all types of gravestone be restored? 

Thanks to modern techniques, the vast majority of headstones can be restored. Here at the Memorial Group, we have been crafting and maintaining headstones for over 100 years, and have the experience to restore all types of gravestone. 

What should I do if I notice damage? 

If you spot any damage, note what the damage is and where it is, and then get in touch with the team at Memorial Group to see how we can assist. 

If you need to clean, restore or maintain a memorial or headstone, our stonemasons are here to help. Established in 1894, the Memorial Group has been crafting bespoke memorials and preserving their quality for decades. We provide our services throughout Essex, North London and East London, so please get in touch to learn more.