Basic Maintenance Tips For A Loved One's Mausoleum

Mausoleums create a safe and protected area for your loved one's remains, but they can degrade over time. The following simple maintenance procedures can help it stay in good shape for decades.

Start at the Door

Many mausoleum doors are made of brass, a metal that requires plenty of careful maintenance procedures and some simple cleaning. For example, you need to buy a bronze cleaning solution that contains nine parts paraffin oil to one part lemon grass oil. Apply it to your door with a soft brush to remove surface dirt and lacquer. Reapply a new coat and let it sit to keep dirt off.

Later on, you need to regularly clean the door with non-ammonia-based cleaners to keep it free from dirt and filth. Inspecting and cleaning it once very six months should be more than enough.

Other tips to consider when cleaning or inspecting your brass mausoleum door include:

• Inspecting the lock for damage
• Removing vandal paint with isopropyl alcohol
• Filling scratches with an automotive polish

Inspecting the Walls

Mausoleum walls are often made out of concrete, and while it is a rather hardy substance, it may still crack over time. Cracks in concrete occur for a wide variety of reasons. For example, the plastics in the material may have settled while it dried. Other times, excessive water may have been added to the original concrete mix. These cracks will occur shortly after the mausoleum is installed.

However, if concrete cracks formed a few years after the mausoleum was installed, weathering damage, such as that caused by extreme weather, may be the culprit. Unfortunately, preventing damage may be out of your control, but you can usually easily fix it. Fill in these cracks with putty or replacement cement to spot-fix the problem.

The cemetery or mausoleum director likely has repair supplies that they can let you use, sometimes free of charge. Other times, they may do the repairs for you, at no cost.

Clean Air Flow Vents

While mausoleums are designed to be difficult to enter, they aren't air-proof: small air vents. These simple vents create a steady airflow that helps dehydrate the bodies and prevent serious damage. However, these vents may get blocked with sticks, gunk, or even animal nests from time to time.

Check these vents out every few months to make sure they aren't blocked. Often, you may be able to remove items by hand or use a small broom to brush it out. However, if bees or other stinging insects have made a nest inside, you should call a pest control expert.

Performing these simple activities will help ensure your loved one has the mausoleum they deserve. However, if you need to perform more complex maintenance procedures, it might be wise to talk to a professional (such as Hartman W A Memorials LLC) first.