Riegel Restoration
Gravestone Conservation
Kurt Riegel of Riegel Restoration is a nationally recognized authority on the subject of maintaining, repairing and cleaning historic gravestones. He follows established preservation ethics and standards. This includes the careful application of proper materials and the use of proven techniques.
Often there is limited or no funding available for the professional restoration of historic gravestones. Even if funding is available it may be difficult to find professionals who are qualified to undertake this task. Repairs are undertaken by well meaning volunteers or organizations. It's important that this work be done properly.
Riegel Restoration offers training sessions and workshops on the topic so local historic groups and preservationists can properly and safely work on the stones in their care without causing harm.
A gravestone is a historical object that represents the life that someone once lived. It is the one object that people can visit to pay their respect to that person. Without a gravestone, it is hard to memorialize that individual and their contributions to society during their lifetime.
Historic gravestones can also be considered a form of art and can enrich our cemeteries and communities with visual enjoyment.
Often times, over many years, historic gravestones require maintenance and restoration. They fall over, become buried, break into pieces, and become endangered or lost.
Unfortunately it is very common for gravestones to be irreparably damaged by well meaning people who unknowingly use improper materials and techniques to repair or clean them. This will often leave a stone in a state where it will degrade and become unreadable over time. That damage is irreversible and permanent. The stone can never be repaired in the future.
In addition, some enthusiasts have been known to cause permanent damage to historic monuments by using improper methods while trying to read inscriptions.
Only trained experts using proper tools, materials and methods, should perform restoration work on gravestones. We can provide that training.
Please contact us to enquirer about our training and consulting services.
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Kurt conducts a workshop in a secluded cemetery -
Volunteers practicing what they just learned -
Kurt shows how to reset a fallen stone -
Kurt discussing proper stone cleaning methods -
Volunteers practicing what they just learned -
A volunteer rinces off a stone he is cleaning -
A volunteer cleaning a stone -
Cleaning a large stone using using proper tools and techniques -
Granite stone cleaning - Before (top) and after (below) -
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Volunteers practicing what they just learned -
Volunteers practicing what they just learned -
Showing how to pick moss out of letters -
Kurt speaking before a local preservation group -
Kurt speaking before a local preservation group -
Demonstrating a broken and buried stone repair. This is very difficult and specialized work - As found -
Demonstrating a broken and buried stone repair - Stone Exposed -
Demonstrating a broken and buried stone repair - Stone Repaired and up