What causes deterioration?
Moss
Moss is a simple plant that typically looks like a velvety green carpet. Instead of true roots, moss has shallow root-like structures that don’t need soil to grow.
This means that moss can attach itself to just about any outdoor surface; all it needs are sunlight and water.
Moss releases spores that blow through the air, spreading the growt
Moss is a simple plant that typically looks like a velvety green carpet. Instead of true roots, moss has shallow root-like structures that don’t need soil to grow.
This means that moss can attach itself to just about any outdoor surface; all it needs are sunlight and water.
Moss releases spores that blow through the air, spreading the growth to everywhere the wind blows. Moss’s root-like structures can cause pitting on many surfaces, such as brick, concrete, and wood.
Lichen
Lichen can come in nearly any color of the rainbow, but it’s often green, white or gold. You can recognize lichen by its scaly texture.
Lichen can grow in sun and shade, and will grow on any type of monument material. It can make carvings impossible to read, and can even harm some surfaces.
Black and Green Algae
Black and Green Algae
Green algae is green or bluish and can have a “slimy” texture. It grows in moist, shaded areas, and can turn headstones an unsightly green.
Black algae has a protective capsule that makes it able to thrive in sunny areas, as well as in the shade. The protective capsule is also what gives black algae its dark color.
Black algae causes black,
Green algae is green or bluish and can have a “slimy” texture. It grows in moist, shaded areas, and can turn headstones an unsightly green.
Black algae has a protective capsule that makes it able to thrive in sunny areas, as well as in the shade. The protective capsule is also what gives black algae its dark color.
Black algae causes black, brown or gray streaks or splotches that can seriously mar the appearance of headstones and monuments (see photo above).