Ned to repair headstone

John M · Apr 3, 2018

Vase on my grandparents headstone got knocked off at some point a couple of weeks ago. I just found out yesterday, so I havent had
time to go by and look at it. Anybody had to repair something like this, and if so, what did you use? Ticks me off, just buried my
grandmother last week.

Graveyard1984 · Apr 3, 2018

Yes i work in a cemetery. We use a rock setting puddy your local moment company should have some. Take you a empty water bottle with just a small amount of water cuz the puddy has to stay wet till you use it.
When you get to the cemetery wipe the base off and the bottom of the vase. Turn the vase upside down take your puddy and roll it out and put it on the bottom of the vase not very thick tho.
Before you sit vase onto the base put 3 or 4 pennies on the base flip the vase over make sure your drain hole is facing away from the head stone.
Gently install the vase and hold pressure on for a couple minutes and trim the puddy that pushes out with a knife.
Put marbles in the vase to help it drain
Wait a couple of days before you install the flowers.
Hope this help

fixt · Apr 3, 2018

Woman had a concrete yard thingy with wings on it that got knocked over and broke a wing off. It was a pretty heavy piece with a fairly clean break.

I used Gorilla glue and it has held up for over 10 years now.
Be sure to wet the surface per directions if you try this. When its almost cured you can wipe down the joints to make them flush and it makes an almost invisible repair. Be generous with the application to fill the concrete pores.

I didn't think it would last on such a seemingly fragile area but it has held up very well. Its some good stuff.

Hobo,NC · Apr 3, 2018

I used RTV its stuck pertly good... On the ones that have no provision for a vase I drove a long rod in the ground and made a vase out of PVC... The vase is 3" pvc attached to 3/4" pvc I slip it over the rod.. I painted it to match the head stone it sure beats trying to keep an arrangement strapped to the top of the stone...

Michael Soldan · Apr 3, 2018

I am going to suggest construction glue available at any supply yard. This stuff sticks virtually anything to anything and it stays that way. One of the ads shows a piece of 2x4 glued to a cement block,they try to separate them and totally destroy the piece of wood and the cinderblock.

David G · Apr 3, 2018

Nice to hear from you.

My grandfather retired to digging graves and repairing headstones after he retired from field tiling, I spent much of my early childhood hanging out with him as he did the maintenance. It brings back memories for me. He also knew every berry patch on the way to the cemeteries, so we would stop and pick berries.

D beatty · Apr 3, 2018

If you can find it in your area look for a product called Bonstone. It is used by cemeteries to restore monuments and headstone repair.

John M · Apr 3, 2018

Thank you all for your suggestions. One of the things that needed to be done was to have her date of death cut in. Mom talked to the guy who is doing that this morning and he agreed to fix the vase. Again, thanks!

LarryH · Apr 3, 2018

we get ours from a local monument co

Danny Prosser · Apr 3, 2018

Hey Graveyard1984 I got a question maybe you can answer. My family cemetery has graves back to the 1840's and some of the head stones are broke and some are mossed over and just dirty. What would I use to clean them and what would I use to but them back together? I want to clean and fix them and paint the info with black enamel paint and seal them before they are to far gone. I don't mean to highjack this post but I'd love to get this done before my mother passes away. Thanks for your help and guidance. By the way I have no idea what type stones they are.

Rich'sToys · Apr 3, 2018

(quoted from post at 09:10:05 04/03/18) Thank you all for your suggestions. One of the things that needed to be done was to have her date of death cut in. Mom talked to the guy who is doing that this morning and he agreed to fix the vase. Again, thanks!

That was going to be my suggestion--let the pro's handle it.

Sorry for your loss.

Frank 41 · Apr 3, 2018

I have helped my buddy after he has repaired them with epoxy. I don't know for sure where he got it but it was around $100 for the quanity he used. Your stone companies would have it also. He has jacked them up by himself and I have helped with my loader. Bleach will clean up the moss. I would like to catch the a------- that break them over and turn someone like my old first sergeant loose with them out in the hot heat making things right.

Graveyard1984 · Apr 3, 2018

Dawn dish washing liquid and a stiff brush
We use a product called
tenax
Domo10
It a 2 part mixture is what we use to glue rocks back together

hd6gtom · Apr 3, 2018

John they do make a special glue for that app. I know the True Value store in 1 southern Iowa sells it. I don't know the name of it.

fixerupper · Apr 3, 2018

Is the vase threaded in the bottom for a threaded stud? If so find a stainless steel threaded stud the right size and length, the ones I've worked with are 5/16" coarse thread, and thread into the bottom of the vase. Then drill down into the base stone or concrete, drive a threaded insert in the hole and thread the stud into the insert. It's the only sure bet way to hold the vase for the next 150 years or more. I have fixed four vases on two stones this way. Silicone and epoxies will give way eventually in the freezing and thawing we have in Iowa. Marilyn and I are getting our stone set pretty soon and when we were making arrangements for the design I grilled them on how the vases will be set. He said he epoxies the vase stud into a hole in the headstone base. I would rather see it threaded into something solid but that's the way he does it.

Ned to repair headstone

John M

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Graveyard1984

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fixt

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Hobo,NC

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Michael Soldan

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David G

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D beatty

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John M

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LarryH

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Danny Prosser

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Rich'sToys

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Frank 41

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Graveyard1984

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hd6gtom

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fixerupper

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