Basic Standards

BASIC STANDARDS – is our section that covers the 6 areas of basic preservation. All are based on current DO NO HARM procedures agreed on by most cemetery preservationists and conservators. This section is meant to accomplish 2 things.

The first thing, is to create a place for beginners and people new to the preservation and restoration concept. I can’t stress the word BASIC enough. There are so many different situations and aspects because every stone should be looked at individually. But at the same time, there are basic concepts and procedures to all things. This is what we are focusing on here. Anyone truly interested in doing preservation work needs to learn it hands on in a class. This website is an introduction through words and pictures, and not a substitute for field training.It’s a cemetery education and awareness tool.

This brings us to the second thing we are trying to accomplish with this section. It’s about what is best for the cemetery or grave marker. We created it to act as a place that contrasts safe preservation methods VS destructive methods. Most people act with the best of intentions, but do permanent damage none the less. It’s about being armed with good information so you can make better decisions. Because no one ever really sets out to damage a tombstone or monument. It often happens because people are uninformed about what to do. We have a wide variety of downloadable pdf’s on these subjects and have tried to give the best explanations for all of these methods. We have sought out the best information by the best experts in the field. We want your experience to be the best, safest, and most productive it can be.

Good basic cemetery preservation is not complicated. It’s all about good techniques and good products.

The 6 basic areas of preservation and the standards that govern their approach in preservation.

Cleaning – how to clean with no damage

Tablet Set – ground set stones with no bases

Slotted Bases – grave markers and tablets in slotted stone

Multi-Piece Monuments – stackable stone block grave markers

Repairs – broken tablet types

Infill – filling in cracks on repairs

Reading grave markers is not considered preservation per se, because it’s not actually part of the preservation or restoration process. But because it has become an ever growing part of cemetery documentation, and can have some ill effects through damage. We decided to devise a standard that speaks to do no harm methods for accomplishing this. As our website grows, we hope to find a more suited area for this important information.

Reading Stones – how to read grave markers without damage