PROVOST MONUMENTS

28 BANGOR ROAD ~ BENTON, MAINE 04901

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: How soon should a stone be purchased after a loved one dies?

A: This is entirely up to the family and what their desires are.

Some families want to have the grave marked as soon as possible. It bothers them to have their loved one buried at the cemetery with no marker

In the case of a tragic loss, the process of picking out a stone can be very difficult to even start. So the family will wait a month or two so that they can begin to heal. Sometimes it takes several years.

In either case, at Provost Monuments you will always be treated with respect and compassion. We will spend as much time as you need to choose a fitting memorial for your loved one. Or, if you choose, we will leave you alone, you can walk around our display and decide what you would like without any guidance.

Very often families will tell us that we made the process much less difficult than they thought it was going to be.

Q: What information should I bring with me?

A: If not easily recalled, proper spelling of names and the dates of birth and death should be written down. Cemetery lot information is helpful, including the number of graves in your family lot as well as where loved ones are buried. If picking out a family stone, some thought of where on the lot you will want the memorial placed. Will it be centered on the entire lot or maybe set just for one or two specific graves? If you bring a basic layout of the lot we can give you suggestions as to what might be most meaningful to your situation.

Q: How much does a stone cost?

A: It depends on the size and color of the granite. Our single grass markers start at $465

Our policy is to make this process as easy as possible for our customers. Our prices are clearly marked and in most cases the price includes engraving and setting on your lot.

Q: How do you clean a monument or marker?

A: Both monuments and markers need to be cleaned periodically. The granite that we use today is much harder than the marble and slate used years ago. In most cases, with a good cleaning, granite will return to its original beauty. If given a good bath each year with Comet, a stiff (not wire) brush and a lot of water, they will stay clean forever.

The example photo above needed a professional cleaning. We use a chemical product designed specifically for granite and a pressure washer. We can not, however, sell this product to the public. (This photo was taken prior to us replanting the existing flowers).

For those of you that would like to clean your memorials we offer the following suggestions. Please read all instructions and follow them carefully.

1: It is best to do this on a cloudy or even drizzly day. DO NOT attempt to clean any memorial in the hot sun.
2: Wear proper safety equipment, rubber gloves, long sleeve shirt and long pants & safety glasses.
3: Do not attempt to clean any stone that is not securely set and do not ever use a monument to steady yourself or pull yourself up.
4: Use a plastic putty knife to scrape away any heavy moss or likens.
5: Thoroughly saturate the stone with Clorox bleach starting at the bottom and working up to the top. Let the Clorox soak in reapplying as needed to keep the stone continuously wet for about ten minutes.
6: Begin scrubbing the dirty areas applying more bleach when needed to keep the entire stone wet. Scrub until all areas are clean.
7: Begin rinsing with clean water scrubbing all the while to dilute the Clorox that has saturated into the stone. You will need at least 10 gallons of water for an average size monument; more is better. Continue rinsing until all bleach is gone. This process works on white marble but the rinsing step is even more important as any bleach left on the marble can discolor it.

Please note: this process will ruin your clothes and kill the grass and plants around your stone. We actually remove and replant flowers that are right next to the stones we clean.

If this all seems like a lot of work, we will be happy to give you a quote for a professional cleaning.

Lastly, Provost Monuments, is not responsible for any damage or injury that this process may cause, whether to the memorial or to the person or persons attempting it.