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Keeping a loved one’s memorial well cared for can become more difficult as the years pass. A headstone that was once clear and bright can gradually develop green growth, lichen and staining simply through continued exposure to the outdoors.
The Patio Black Spot Removal Company provides professional gravestone cleaning throughout Hampshire, offering families a specialist option when a memorial needs more attention than routine maintenance can provide. Whether the headstone is located in a city cemetery, village churchyard or a quieter rural setting, our team can assess the stone and carefully clean it using a treatment developed specifically for memorial surfaces.
Our focus is on appropriate stone care, taking the condition and characteristics of each headstone into account before any work begins.
If you are considering professional cleaning for a loved one’s headstone, contact us to discuss the memorial and where it is located. We can talk you through the service and provide a quotation before arranging a visit. Call 0800 500 3032 or email info@pbsr.co.uk to speak to our team.
Being outside every day of the year inevitably has an effect on memorial stone. Rainfall and moisture can settle on the surface, while headstones positioned in shaded areas may take longer to dry. Trees and surrounding vegetation can also contribute organic matter that builds up over time.
These conditions can encourage green algae to spread and lichen to establish itself on the stone. General dirt and weather related staining may develop alongside this, gradually altering the appearance of the memorial.
Hampshire contains a wide variety of environments, from coastal communities and larger towns to countryside churchyards and villages. Rather than assuming all headstones in the county experience the same conditions, we consider the particular surroundings and condition of each memorial.
Where growth has become firmly established, force alone is not necessarily the solution. A considered cleaning method can address the staining without relying on unnecessarily aggressive scrubbing or pressure.
Our guide to black lichen on outdoor stone provides further information about how this persistent growth develops.
There is no reason every weathered memorial needs professional attention. Some families are perfectly comfortable maintaining a headstone themselves. However, specialist help can be useful when staining has become difficult to remove or there is uncertainty about how the stone should be treated.
Older memorials may have delicate details, inscriptions or areas that require additional consideration. You may also be concerned about choosing an unsuitable cleaning product or using a method that is too harsh for the surface.
For others, cleaning a headstone thoroughly may simply be physically difficult. Our service provides the option of leaving the work to a team experienced in caring for outdoor stone.
Our work with outdoor stone has helped us understand how persistent organic growth behaves and why a general cleaning product is not always the most appropriate choice for a memorial.
We developed Stone King Gravestone Cleaner specifically for gravestones, memorials and ornamental stone, and it forms part of our professional cleaning service.
Stone King is designed to deal with algae, grime, dirt and stubborn organic staining. Its biodegradable formulation works without the need for abrasive scrubbing and helps reduce reliance on aggressive pressure washing.
Because the treatment was developed from our own experience of stone cleaning, our team understands both the product and how it should be used as part of a professional memorial cleaning process.
Headstones can be made from many different types of stone, and you do not need to identify the material yourself before making an enquiry.
We can clean memorials made from:
We also consider features that may require protection. If lead lettering is present, these areas are carefully covered to prevent the cleaning treatment from coming into contact with the lead.
Before arranging the work, we ask for a clear photograph of the front and back of the headstone, along with details of the cemetery or churchyard and enough information for us to locate the correct grave.
If you would rather identify the memorial personally, you can arrange to meet our team at the site.
Formal permission is not normally required, although we recommend checking with the church or cemetery before our visit. This helps ensure the cleaning does not coincide with a funeral, wedding or another important event taking place nearby.
Once the memorial and location have been reviewed, we can confirm the quotation and arrange a suitable date for the cleaning.
Once our team has identified the correct memorial, we prepare the area before starting work. Any flowers, ornaments or other movable items that restrict access are carefully moved aside while the headstone is being treated.
Our standard service is for the headstone itself. We inspect its condition, prepare the surface and protect any features that require additional care before beginning the cleaning process.
The specialist treatment is applied and given the necessary time to act on the organic growth and staining. We then thoroughly rinse the memorial and check the finished surface.
How a headstone responds will depend on its material, age and condition, as well as the amount of staining that has accumulated. For this reason, our aim is not to promise an identical finish for every memorial, but to clean each one appropriately and carefully.
Before
After
A family member may be buried in Hampshire long after relatives have moved to another part of the country. If travelling back to the cemetery or churchyard is difficult, you can still arrange for the headstone to be professionally cleaned.
You do not need to attend the appointment as long as we have sufficient information to identify the grave. This also means the service can be arranged by relatives living overseas.
Our team takes photographs before and after the work, which can be supplied on request. These provide a record of the completed clean that you can also share with other members of the family.
Professional headstone cleaning costs £450 including VAT, plus £0.50 per mile for the complete round trip from GU10 2DZ.
The £450 service covers cleaning the headstone itself. Mileage is added according to the full return journey to its location, and we confirm the total cost before the visit takes place.
Should we arrive and find that the memorial is unsuitable for treatment, we will not continue with the work. In these circumstances, any deposit paid will be returned.
Once a headstone has been professionally treated, there is usually no reason to repeat the full service annually.
Patio Black Spot Preventer provides an option for ongoing maintenance. Used annually, it can help prevent lichen returning and remove green algae without pressure washing. Green algae will usually disappear within around three to five days after application.
The surroundings of each memorial are different, so there is no single schedule that suits every headstone. If another professional clean is wanted, this may typically be considered after approximately three to five years.
Our guide to removing green algae from outdoor stone provides further information about managing this type of growth.
If you are able to visit the grave regularly and would prefer to carry out the cleaning personally, Stone King Gravestone Cleaner can be ordered directly from our website.
When using the product yourself, follow the complete instructions provided. Stone King is generally left to work for approximately one hour before the surface is thoroughly rinsed with clean water. A further application may be appropriate for particularly weathered stone.
This gives families a choice between arranging our professional service and purchasing Stone King Gravestone Cleaner online for their own use.
Our service combines specialist stone care with a straightforward approach from enquiry through to completion.
We provide professional gravestone and headstone cleaning across Hampshire, including:
If the cemetery or churchyard is elsewhere in Hampshire, contact us with the location and we can advise whether we are able to visit.
If you would like a loved one's headstone professionally cared for, contact our team to discuss the service and location. Call 0800 500 3032 or email info@pbsr.co.uk and we can advise you on the next steps.
Yes, although the result will depend on the type and condition of the stone and how established the staining has become.
The standard £450 including VAT service covers the headstone itself.
Yes. If you would prefer to identify the memorial in person, you can arrange to meet our team on site.
Annual professional cleaning is generally unnecessary. Depending on the memorial and its surroundings, another clean may be considered after approximately three to five years.
Get in touch today and we’ll reply promptly with a free patio cleaning quote – no pressure, just great service and results.
