Headstone and Memorial Restoration in Thatcham

The environment can play havoc with the memorials that mean so much to us, unfortunately, there is nothing that we can do about the weather, moss, and algae that grows on memorials and gravestones over a period of years.

Sometimes it means that certain memorials and headstones do not look as good as they did when new. However, with a little love and care from Art Craft Memorials in Thatcham, they can be restored to their former glory. Art Craft spends a lot of time restoring and cleaning older memorials around Thatcham and we take a lot of effort to make sure they look as good as they can.

Art Craft Memorials takes great pride in offering a complete headstone and memorial restoration and renovation service in and around Thatcham.
Each renovation is treated individually and is never rushed or outsourced.
Upon receipt of an initial inquiry, we ask you to kindly provide

photographs and where necessary we would carry out a full site visit, carefully investigate all the requirements needed before undergoing removal – This allows to see a full complete picture then we can sit down with you and discuss our recommendations and costs.

Before & After Gravestone Restoration

Art Craft Memorial Thatcham – Memorial Care and Cleaning Tips

Polished or Honed Granite

Wipe surfaces occasionally with a soft, damp cloth.
On rare occasions give the memorial a mild wash using a weak mixture of washing-up liquid and warm water.
Dab out letters with a very soft sponge – do not rub or scrub letters – especially gold letters.
Thoroughly rinse off the memorial with warm, clean, clear water.

Stone and Marble

Gently pour a mixture of weak washing up liquid and water over the memorial – beware of too strong a mix this may affect any surrounding grass or plants.
Leave for a few minutes to soak – you may need to use a soft brush to get any ingrained stains off – do not rub or scrub the letters – just dab out any debris with a very soft sponge.
Thoroughly rinse off the memorial with clean, clear water.

Art Craft Memorials Headstone Care Tips

The cleaning process has to be done on a regular basis to stop a build-up of tougher stains.
Memorials will weather a lot quicker if under or near to trees, bushes or long grass.
NEVER use domestic bleach or a similar solution on a memorial stone.
Upright Memorials: Lettering should last at least five years if the above instructions for cleaning are observed.
Flat Memorials & Tablets: We are able to re-paint or re-gild an upright memorial’s inscription.

Please Note:

These care notes are for guidance only as some types of stone will weather quicker than others.
Bird droppings will badly stain most types of memorials.
Memorial stones that are very old can be deeply ingrained with stains and lichens and never be thoroughly clean.
Do not put artificial or plastic flowers with wire supports in the stems on a memorial as the stone may be affected by both the dye coming out of the petals and the wire supports rusting.
Do not put a wire-framed wreath on a memorial as the wire will rust and may stain the stone.
This also applies to flowers such as lilies with stamens that have dark colours as these may also stain any memorial gravestones.
We accept no responsibility for any damage caused to a memorial by a third party following these guidelines.