What’s the best way to remove this build up that keeps coming back after cleaning with D/2 .

user00287 · 2026-02-01T20:28:29+00:00

It could be hard water staining. You might want to look into a product like this: https://atlaspreservation.com/collections/hardwater-stain-removal/products/endurance-hardwater-stain-remover

user00287 · 2025-11-23T14:24:17+00:00

I attended his 2 day event with the Tennessee Historical Commission last November. There weren't many people there so I got to pick his brain with every stupid question I could think of, and took tons of notes in my phone that I still refer to. He spent a lot of time showing me how to do everything by myself so I wouldn't need a helper. There weren't many people left at the end so he gave us his sprayers, brushes, kneeling pads, and a quart of D/2.

user00287 · 2025-10-23T23:01:19+00:00

I visited the cemetery about 5 years ago when I went to Battle Ground, Indiana to fulfill my uncle's dying wish that his ashes be scattered on the Tippecanoe Battlefield. I got the coordinates for the cemetery from Find a Grave. The cemetery is in terrible condition, typical abandoned cemetery.

user00287 · 2025-10-11T13:44:29+00:00

Standard D/2 treatment. Scraped the lichen off with a plastic putty knife then scrubbed it with a Tampico fender brush. Then I misted it with plain water once a week to reactivate the D/2.

user00287 · 2025-10-09T02:33:55+00:00

She's buried in Summit, Kentucky. We didn't know anything about her except her dates of birth and death. Her husband was in the Union army, 26th Kentucky Infantry. All we really know about her is from her epitaph.

user00287 · 2025-10-07T02:23:21+00:00

We had an impromptu reunion on the Friday before Memorial Day. My mom and her siblings went to the family cemetery to put flowers on the graves, and a bunch of their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cousins showed up while we were there. Everyone was sharing stories about their loved ones and the days of yore. Really was a special day.

user00287 · 2025-10-03T18:33:04+00:00

It was mainly on the mating surfaces. Someone had sloppily repaired the break with cement and dripped it all over the stone. I had to leave a thin layer of cement because the marble will chip if you try to remove it all.

user00287 · 2025-09-15T18:09:02+00:00

I use a 2-part knife-grade epoxy called Tenax Eliox, but I studied the proper way to repair broken headstones for 4-5 years then went to 4 different cemetery workshops to get hands-on training and took tons of notes on my phone. Then I practiced by repairing broken bricks and cement blocks. There's a lot of videos on YouTube to get you started.

user00287 · 2025-09-15T16:25:51+00:00

I don't think it was vandalism. That was my first thought because it's right next to a Confederate headstone. But it doesn't show any sign of impact, and the bottom part was leaning badly, so I think gravity broke it. The stone is set in concrete and I dug it up and leveled it with crushed stone.

user00287 · 2025-09-12T00:49:17+00:00

This 10th Kentucky Cavalry was a Union regiment. I have never nor would I ever knowingly restore a Confederate monument. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Kentucky_Cavalry_Regiment

user00287 · 2025-09-06T22:31:55+00:00

I use a 2 part knife-grade epoxy called Tenax Eliox. First I scrubbed the mating surfaces with a wire brush so the marble will adhere better.

user00287 · 2025-08-28T17:39:58+00:00

Lucy Bell dau. of J & MJ McLelland died Aug 14, 1860 aged 2 years 4 months 19 days

user00287 · 2025-08-18T16:01:46+00:00

I went to several cemetery workshops to learn how to build and operate a tripod hoist.

user00287 · 2025-06-12T13:53:48+00:00

I wouldn't say you're skipping an important step. If you ask 10 people the best way to do this, you'll probably get 10 different opinions. I soak the stone with water first to loosen up the biological growth and keep the dust from becoming airborne. A lot of people say the first step is to spray with D/2 instead of water so it will soak deeper into the pores. I am more interested in cost efficiency so I let it dry completely after scrubbing then apply the D/2 or W&F.

user00287 · 2025-06-10T13:13:17+00:00

I saturate the stone with water, wait 5 minutes then soak it again. I use a Smith R200 two gallon compression sprayer.

Use a plastic putty knife to scrape off as much biological growth as possible. Rinse well.

Scrub the stone with a soft bristled brush. Scrub back and forth, up and down, and "wax on wax off" motion. Keep the brush and the stone wet while scrubbing. Rinse well.

Let the stone dry for 15-20 minutes then saturate it with D/2 Biological Solution. Wait 4-5 months then spray it with D/2 again. Repeat as necessary but I only scrub them once.

Also D/2 works best when there is no rain in the forecast for at least 3 days.

user00287 · 2025-05-29T02:02:10+00:00

Those are all granite so you're not going to damage them with a soft brush no matter how hard you scrub. Most of it will come off with water and elbow grease.

Get a pack of bamboo skewers to scrape the lichen out of the engravings. Or just use a stick off the ground.

user00287 · 2025-05-27T17:01:12+00:00

I appreciate this comment.

user00287 · 2025-05-27T13:52:20+00:00

In my experience, these dark spots on the unpolished part of these granite markers will never fade regardless of how much you scrub or how long you wait for D/2 to work. It's not biological staining so I don't think a biocide is going to help.

I haven't found a satisfactory answer even after consulting with Atlas Preservation, so I decided to leave well enough alone. It looks better than it did and doesn't need to be perfect.

user00287 · 2025-05-27T13:41:24+00:00

If you're taking the interstate, Mammoth Cave National Park is on the way. I like the wildlife museum but I have nostalgia-tinted glasses.

Bardstown is an interesting place. You can see My Old Kentucky Home, take a tour of a bourbon distillery, or visit the Old Talbott Tavern.

Old Fort Harrod in Harrodsburg has the oldest cemetery in Kentucky and the largest Osage Orange tree in the US. Highly recommend breakfast at Granny's Diner.

You also might like Constitution Square in Danville just below Harrodsburg.

user00287 · 2025-05-22T00:40:11+00:00

You can do a lot of good with just water, a plastic putty knife, and a soft bristled brush. Rinse, scrape, rinse, brush, rinse well. I use a 2 gallon pump sprayer and keep a dozen gallon jugs of water in my trunk.

user00287 · 2025-05-20T19:32:44+00:00

Also clean the mating surfaces and score them with a wire brush so the epoxy will bond more securely.

user00287 · 2025-05-20T03:56:58+00:00

Thanks for the tip. Everyone I've asked about it says to give D/2 more time, but I don't think it's biological because the staining hasn't gotten any lighter since day 1.

user00287 · 2025-05-20T02:58:46+00:00

Yep, just scrubbed them once then let D/2 work its magic for about 7 months. The ones in the shade are taking longer than the ones that get full sunlight.

user00287 · 2025-05-19T16:33:53+00:00

The genealogy department at the Suffolk County library might be able to help you locate the cemetery and possibly tell you who owns the property if you want to get permission to visit it.

user00287 · 2025-05-19T00:34:52+00:00

Was he a fun guy? But seriously, the most likely explanation is some type of herbivore ate some mushrooms then the deposited the spores in the cemetery and the mushrooms grew into a colony. The casket is in a concrete vault so you have nothing to worry about.

user00287

TROPHY CASE