Useful Information - Headstone Finishes

Headstone Finishes

Choosing the finish is just as important as choosing the material and will have a significant impact on the durability and appearance of the headstone. Like the material, if you want to bury your loved one in a churchyard you have limited options.

Polished

Polished headstones are smooth and shiny. The majority of churchyards won’t allow them because they have a reflective surface which can look out-of-place among older stones. Regardless of the material polished headstones will require regular cleaning and maintenance.

Part-polished

Part-polished headstones are only polished or honed on the inscription and base area. Everywhere else is either sawn, sanded, blasted or rubbed. This effect is used to emphasize the epitaph and images.

Honed

Honed finishes (eggshell) are smooth, yet unreflective – an effect that’s achieved by partially removing the polish with dust. They are often used with headstones that have three or more colours in order to give them more depth. Honed finishes are usually permitted in churchyards.

Pitched

Pitched (rock pitch) finishes are created with a bolster and hammer. Pitched headstones are very rustic and often used in older churchyards.

Other Finishes

There are also other finishes, such as steeled (frosted), sawed and axed; however, they are less common. These alternative finishes are achieved by using different chisels, flaming and sandblasting techniques.

Base Finishes

Bases can be finished differently to the headstone itself. People often choose to use a polished base for the names, dates and epitaph in order to keep the tablet simpler.  Flush, bevel and slant markers can have the same finishes as upright headstones.
Keeping the memorial headstone of a lost loved one tidy will be of utmost importance to relatives and friends of the deceased. Gravestones can need regular upkeep as they are left outside to contend with the elements, and may become weathered or dirty. Flowers and decorations will also deteriorate over time, and will need to be replaced to maintain the appearance of the grave.

After a number of years, marble memorials may need a ‘machine clean’, which grinds out and polishes the top skin of the marble to remove the pores filled with dirt. This will then leave a fresh, clean white surface exposed. Our masons are able to provide this service and although some deep stains may persist in the marble and will not be able to be removed, our cleaning services can almost restore the memorial to its original condition.

Cleaning Tips for Marble and Granite

Whilst our cleaning services are very thorough, regularly giving a memorial a quick clean will help ensure that thorough cleans are needed less often.

Depending on the material used for the memorial, different cleaning methods will need to be adhered to, and a guide to different gravestone materials can be read here. It is recommended that when caring for a gravestone, you clean from bottom to top, in order to prevent acids from moulds and lichens running down the memorial and causing further stains.

Marble memorials should be regularly washed down with soapy water. No neat chemicals such as bleach or detergent should be used as this will damage the texture of the stone and increase the rate of future weathering.

In contrast, Granite memorials will not need regular cleaning as their highly polished surfaces are largely maintenance free and most dirt will be removed by wiping with a simple damp cloth. However, this will not be true of granite memorials that have a matt finish as their surfaces will not be as highly polished.

Repair Work

For both marble and granite memorials it is possible that the lettering finish will deteriorate over time and may need repair work – this can easily be carried out by AK Lander masons as part of our memorial renovation services.

It is very important that headstones are maintained in order to increase the longevity of the memorial and with plenty of experience in carrying out memorial care services, AK Lander can give you piece of mind when carrying out renovations.