How can I clean and read inscriptions from headstones?

R

rochs

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I have to clean and read inscriptions from headstones.
What would be a good cleaning agent for this purpose.??

rochs
 
What are the headstones made from - marble, slate, sandstone, limestone?

Using the wrong cleaning material may eliminate any residual lettering. Do you have any idea of whether the original inscriptions painted on, etched using acid or carved in?

You might be better of engaging the services of a monumental sculptor to have a look and avoid further damage.
 
Could you not do some form of tracing?

Also, headstones can be much easier to read at different times of the day when the light is just "right".

Brendan
 
Warm water. Don't attempt to use vinegar on marble, slate or sandstone.
 
Thanks to everyone who replied to my Thread.
It's a project i will be doing shortly and it will be a mixture of all types of Stone and Marble.

Thanks again

rochs
 
i always take pics with my digital camera, from different angles in different sunlight to try and decipher later on the computer...even by inversing the image you can sometimes make out very hard to read inscriptions.
 
I came across an old faded ancestors headstone lately. Washed it down with water and went over it carefully with chalk. Then took photo which came out perfectly. It was dated back to 1831.
 
I recommended plain water - it's easier to read faded things when wet. Don't do a rubbing because it actually damages the stone, as would anything chemical. You can also use a soft brush to clean dirt out with water.
 
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