How and why grave monuments become illegible

Wind errosion of gravestone monuments is often a very gradual process and is greatly influenced by the type of stone and its position relative to the prevailing wind.

The most likely type of stone to suffer wind errosion are those made from sandstone. Other much harder stones such as granite and slate are the least effected by wind errosion.

Example of wind errosion

Example of wind errosion

Example of water errosion

Like wind errosion, water errosion of gravestone monuments is often a very gradual process and is often greatly influenced by the type of stone and its position relative to the prevailing wind.

The most likely type of stone to suffer wind errosion are those made from sandstone. Other much harder stones such as granite and slate are the least effected by water errosion.

Like wind and water errosion, frost damage to gravestone monuments is greatly influenced by the type of stone. Unlike wind and water errosion, once it starts it can very quickly make a monument completely illegible.

The most likely type of stone to suffer frost damage are those made from soft layered stone such as sandstone. Other much harder stones such as granite are the least effected by frost damage. However occasionally slate which is a very hard but layered stone can be damaged by frost.

Besides actually damaging the stone itself, frost can also cause damage to those stones which have inlayed lettering. When water gets behind inlayed lettering a freezes then the lettering drops out of place.

Example of frost damage

Example of frost damage

Example of frost damage that has caused lettering to fall out.

Example of frost damage

Example of lichen damage

Unlike wind, water and frost damage to gravestone monuments, it is not so greatly influenced by the type of stone. It is however related to the location and direction the monument is facing as well as the amount of polution in the air.

Moss is most likely to be a problem in the more shaded parts of a cemetery especially where the monument is facing north. It is more common in rural cemeteries where there is little polution.

Lichen damage is much more likely on older stones as it is much slower groing than moss. It is also more likely in rural churchyards where there is little polution. In town cemeteries where there will be more polution, lichen is not such a problem as the polution kills it off before it can do any real damage.

Ivy can very quickly make a grave monument completely illegible by smothering it with growth. Often this growth can be removed without damage to the underlying stone. However if the monument is made of a soft stone then the roots of the ivy may penetrate it and then eventually remove the top legible layer.

Ivy damage is most often a problem in neglected rural churchyards.

Example of ivy damage. In this example much of the ivy has been bemoved from the main part of the monument. Although the damage to this monument is not great it clearly shows have the roots do begin to penetrate the soft stone.