Jodi, The Association for Gravestone Studies tells us this is not a good idea. If you pour concrete around it, and seal the stone, moisture within the stone will cause it to deterioriate more rapidly, and moisture trapped in the stone will cause the stone to break up during freezing weather. It looks good for a year or two, but in the long term will cause irreversable damage. That's why we use Mastico epoxy to put pieces back together, make new bases if the old one is gone, and allow the stone to freestand where it can shed moisture naturally. Ernie At 08:21 PM 11/5/01, you wrote: >I received this from another list. What do you think? > >Jodi > > > It is said there is nothing new under the sun, but I saw something > yesterday, though it may not be new, it > is certainly new to me. I'll try to describe it for you. > While walking through an old cemetery here in Harvey > County, KS, I ran across five headstones, broken from their bases. > The people who are keeping the cemetery, in very good condition > I might add, have built wooden forms the thickness of the > various broken stones, laid the stones flat at the head of the > grave with the wooden forms around them (with about a 6 > inch space all around the stones) and poured concrete into the > forms flush with the face of the stones. > The stones appear to have been cleaned with mild detergent and a brush. > Once dried, it appears that they have poured a coating of > either automotive clear coat, or the hard acrylic > clear coating found in hobby shops. > The end result is a stone too heavy to steal, a coating to protect the > face of the stone and the preservation of information for years to come. > > This may not be new, but it is novel and certainly crucial to > genealogy researchers in the years to come. > Just thought I would share this with the list, in hopes that it will > generate some protection across the nation for the many > broken or damaged stones. I might add, that the ones > that were in two or three or more pieces, were put together and > once coated, all you see are the break lines but they can't be moved. > > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of >"UNSUBSCRIBE" to INPCRP-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > or to INPCRP-D-REQUEST@rootsweb.com (for DIGEST version)

What is Mastico epoxy? Is it easily purchased? expensive? Marge in MI ----- Original Message ----- From: Ernie & Connie To: INPCRP-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Monday, November 05, 2001 10:21 PM Subject: Re: [INPCRP] Preservation Jodi, The Association for Gravestone Studies tells us this is not a good idea. If you pour concrete around it, and seal the stone, moisture within the stone will cause it to deterioriate more rapidly, and moisture trapped in the stone will cause the stone to break up during freezing weather. It looks good for a year or two, but in the long term will cause irreversable damage. That's why we use Mastico epoxy to put pieces back together, make new bases if the old one is gone, and allow the stone to freestand where it can shed moisture naturally. Ernie At 08:21 PM 11/5/01, you wrote: >I received this from another list. What do you think? > >Jodi > > > It is said there is nothing new under the sun, but I saw something > yesterday, though it may not be new, it > is certainly new to me. I'll try to describe it for you. > While walking through an old cemetery here in Harvey > County, KS, I ran across five headstones, broken from their bases. > The people who are keeping the cemetery, in very good condition > I might add, have built wooden forms the thickness of the > various broken stones, laid the stones flat at the head of the > grave with the wooden forms around them (with about a 6 > inch space all around the stones) and poured concrete into the > forms flush with the face of the stones. > The stones appear to have been cleaned with mild detergent and a brush. > Once dried, it appears that they have poured a coating of > either automotive clear coat, or the hard acrylic > clear coating found in hobby shops. > The end result is a stone too heavy to steal, a coating to protect the > face of the stone and the preservation of information for years to come. > > This may not be new, but it is novel and certainly crucial to > genealogy researchers in the years to come. > Just thought I would share this with the list, in hopes that it will > generate some protection across the nation for the many > broken or damaged stones. I might add, that the ones > that were in two or three or more pieces, were put together and > once coated, all you see are the break lines but they can't be moved. > > > >==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== >To UNSUBSCRIBE, send message consisting only of >"UNSUBSCRIBE" to INPCRP-L-REQUEST@rootsweb.com > or to INPCRP-D-REQUEST@rootsweb.com (for DIGEST version) ==== INPCRP Mailing List ==== This list is for discussion of topics related to the Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Restoration Project only.