General Chat

In trawling through cemetaries I have come across family headstones in need of maintenance. I have two queries and I am fairly sure that someone out there will have dealt with these.
1. What type of paint is used by undertakers on highlighting lettering in gold or silver on headstones? My Dad who is an artist told me this morning that it used to be done by an undercoat of yellow with gold leaf applied on top. I cannot believe that something less time-consuming and cheaper is not in use. I am very willing to do this but I need to know what paint to use
2. In the UK what would be the cost of resetting a headstone which is leaning over? In April I found to my huge excitement the gravestone of a family member which was leaning at a serious angle. No-one visits this grave and I am wondering whether this should be something I undertake . In time of course this will happen again and again but I feel that this is the only thing I will ever do for someone who will have shaped me and my existence.
Any clue please?

I think you need to contact the relevent council or church, depending on where the grave is, on the issue of the leaning gravestone and possibly regarding work on the lettering as you would need permission from the grave lease owner.
How do you know that no-one visits the grave?

If you are not the owner of the said headstone I don't think you will be allowed to do anything to it without permission??
I realise that the grave / headstone could be very old & the relevant piece of paper re ownership could have been lost over the years,but if you do not have the paperwork to say that you are the owner you cannot touch it !
You cannot just take it upon yourself to sort out any "problems" that there might be with a headstone,even a family one!!

There are Cemetery & Churchyard rules & regulations re graves & headstones & even a known/ living owner of a grave & headstone usually need "permission" of the said authorities before embarking on any "serious" maintenance.

Joan.

we have often rubbed our families with a soft brush

and for photos we wet them as the letters show up better ;-)

Many graveyards are having problems with headstones slipping to one side or back or forwards as earth moves. I saw it with my own relatives when I visited a churchyard in Gawcott. The usual thing is to move the headstone to one side near a wall or whatever as a safety measure in case it might fall on a child or someone passing by. I think the authorities try to contact the next of kin to advise and ask for the stone to be made safe where possible, otherwise they just end up crumbling away by the church wall or whereever they are put.

Best to talk to the authority in control of the burial area, usually local councils.

You can pay for insurance against damaged stones etc, it's worth having I think.

Lizx