You may not have given a thought to cleaning headstones in Huyton that mark the grave of your loved one. However, T. Lyon & Son has been established since 1929 so we carved and set many of the older headstones that you see in the cemeteries. Those stones are still standing but the inscriptions may be getting difficult to read and the stone itself may be discoloured. They are rocks; they’ll last forever but the elements will take a toll on their appearance. Headstones, especially the older more fragile stones should be cleaned by professionals. At T. Lyon & Son, that is one of our services along with resetting and repairing of headstones. Ground shifting can cause the stone to loosen and you may notice cracks. We can repair the cracks and reset the stone.
Headstones sit for decades while nature has its way slowly staining and damaging the stone. In Huyton, cleaning headstones of dirt, mould, choking vines, moss, lichens and other biological organisms is not meant to make them look like new. We clean them to preserve them. Bird droppings are toxic and can cause extreme damage and stains. If the headstone is made of softer stone, like marble or sandstone, it is porous. Organisms work their want into the stone and weaken it if they’re not cleaned off. The cleaning process is a delicate task and requires the right cleaner for the specific stone. There is no rubbing and scrubbing. That will damage the stone. When people undertake this process themselves they often do more harm.
As stonemasons of long standing, we know about cleaning headstones in Huyton, just as we know how to carve them and do no harm. It’s not a task that needs undertaking frequently. But when it’s time, we focus on the gentle removal of vegetation and stains and killing the live organisms that penetrate and cause damage. We never clean a cracked stone until the stone is first repaired. Contact T. Lyon & Son for professional headstone cleaning with care and gentleness. We use specially formulated cleaners, gentle tools and a light hand with both. We want to preserve the headstone for future generations.
