Setting The Stones

The lower sections of the stones are set into the concrete bases, leveled, and supported until they are dry.


The stones are set using a soft mortar compound designed to fail before damaging the stone. This way, should the mortar fail, the stone will not be damaged and can be reset in the same base.


Again, special care is taken to get the right stone in the base marking the correct grave.








Once the lower sections were dry and workable, the top sections were mounted.





If needed the stones are pinned using a section of stainless steel threaded rod. The stainless steel will not rust. The ferrous metal pins used in the olden days would most times rust, swell, and cause fractures in the stones, eventually causing the stone to fail and end up on the ground. Or worse, break into several pieces.





We use a stone epoxy in addition to the rods to rejoin the pieces. The rods are epoxied in, a few dabs of epoxy is placed on the stone surface, and it is clamped into place until it is dry.





When dry, the clamps will be removed and, the crack in the stone where it is joined together will be in filled using a historic pointing mortar to keep the moisture out.