Step by Step Instructions for Cleaning & Repainting Granite Memorial Headstones.These instructions are for memorials with a White inscription.

Things You'll Need:

Wire Brush

Clean Water

Bucket

Solvol Sand soap

Clean Soft Towel (Old)

Black Paint

White Paint

Scraper

Paint Brush

 

1.Cleaning Headstone.

1.1 Things you will need: 1x wire brush, water (bucket or hose).
1.2 Clean the Inscription gently using the wire brush and water wash out the mould and debris (any lose paint) from the inscribed areas.

2.Painting Headstone.

2.1 Things you will need: Black oil based paint (enough to cover inscribed area), 1x inch wide paint brush, White oil based paint (enough for 2-3 coats).
2.2 Paint it Black: make sure the stone is dry, then paint a thin layer of Black over the entire inscribed area.
2.3 Wait at least one day for black paint to dry.
2.4 First Coat of White: only on a warm day come back and paint a thin coat of White over the letters using an inch wide brush, making sure to cover the entire general area not just the individual letters.
2.5 Wait 10 - 20 minutes or until the paint is very tacky.
2.6 Second Coat of White: paint a second thin coat of white over the first. DON'T paint too thickly or the paint will dribble and forms lumps at the bottom of the letters.
2.7 Leave at least a day to dry.

3.Cleaning Paint.

3.1 Things you will need: 1x wet towel, 1x scraper, 1x sand soap (Solvol) or Pumice, water.
3.2 Sweat the Paint: take a wet towel and lay it over the face of the stone for 20-30 minutes.
3.3 Scrape the Paint off: with a razor blade paint scraper.(you can skip this step if you wish)
3.4 Rub off with Sand soap: using sand soap and water clean the face of the stone, if you don't have sand soap you can use pumice. Never use sandpaper or abrasives designed to cut.

4.Tips.

1.If it all turns to custard you can apply paint stripper and start again, but it is easy. The Black paint fills any small imperfections in the face and stops the spotting that will occur if you use just the white.
2.DON'T use water base paint if you want it to last.
3.We use enamel Based Paint.
4.For Roses and other Graphic you can use the appropriate colours.