Whether you're pre-planning your own funeral to take this burden away from your surviving family members or making final arrangements for a parent or other close relative, one of your primary concerns when selecting a headstone is likely its durability in inclement weather. If you live in an area that gets rain, snow, or long stretches of cold weather and frozen ground, certain softer headstone materials may quickly become weathered and lose their aesthetic appeal or even become damaged, making the process emotionally painful for visitors. Read on to learn about some headstone materials that can provide you with great value while holding up to whatever weather hazards your climate may dish out.
Which headstone materials are best at repelling moisture?
When it comes to durability against moisture, a granite headstone is often the best option. Although granite is a relatively porous stone and does allow the penetration of some moisture unless treated with a water-repelling wax or sealant, it is dense and hard enough to avoid being damaged by any water flowing through it. This density also permits you to have names and dates carved into the headstone without fear of these words fading over time. Even without regular maintenance, a granite headstone should last 100 years or more.
Cleaning your gravestone yourself (or paying for it to be professionally cleaned) can significantly extend its lifespan and keep it looking brand new for decades -- even centuries -- to come. To clean a granite headstone yourself, you'll just need a few supplies, including a non-ionic cleaner (or simple soap and water), a wire brush, a soft cloth, porcelain clay, and some glycerin. Mild surface stains can be removed with soap and water (or a non-ionic cleaner available at home or office supply stores to avoid leaving any salt buildup or soap scum), and deeper or more stubborn stains can be lifted using a mixture of glycerin and porcelain clay to be wiped off later.
Which headstone materials can adapt to frozen ground?
While granite can be a good option for both rainy and cold climates, there are some other headstone materials that can also stand up to frozen ground. Bronze headstones can be ideal for cemeteries that require flat grave markers, and because they're composed of a mixture of copper and tin, they don't expand and contract like other metals would when placed in the cold ground. Although bronze headstones can be a bit more expensive than granite headstones of similar size, they're incredibly durable -- bronze sculptures and statues have endured for thousands of years.
To clean your bronze headstone, you'll use the same materials you'd need in order to clean a granite headstone. A soft cloth and some diluted dish soap should be enough to remove all but the toughest stains. If a bronze headstone has become weathered through years of sun and rain exposure with no regular maintenance, you may be able to sand away any darkened or discolored areas with some ultra fine grit sandpaper until they're bright again, and then darken the backdrop with leather dye, wiping off any excess. A restoration expert may be able to fully remove any oxidation or other surface indications of weathering, giving you a brand-new headstone all over again.
Another good headstone option for cold climates is marble. Like granite, marble is a hard but porous stone that can last for centuries if regularly cleaned and maintained using the same process as you'd use to clean a similar granite headstone. Marble can be one of the most expensive headstone options, but it provides an elegance and aesthetic appeal that is often unrivaled by any other material. Letters carved in marble headstones should endure for centuries, helping future amateur genealogists and great-great grandchildren alike enjoy visiting a headstone that still looks like it did the day it was placed in the ground.
For more information and options, talk with grave maker suppliers or visit websites like http://www.elmwoodcaskets.com.
Share14 March 2016
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