Headstone Repair

Let me be right up-front on this: Headstone repair should not be undertaken by people who are unfamiliar with the processes that need to be performed.  Headstones are very heavy, and if the repair is not done correctly the headstone can be further damaged and/or YOU CAN BE INJURED!  Anyone attempting headstone repair should be trained in the techniques involved, but lacking a training program the repair should not be undertaken without familiarizing yourself with the required techniques by watching YouTube videos done by experts in the that field.

Headstone repair includes three basic areas of work:

  • Leveling the headstone (often called 'resetting').

  • Repairing broken headstones (using a specialized epoxy).

  • Re-securing multi-piece monuments.


Tools & Supplies For Headstone Repair
  • Garden Spade (straight end)
  • Digging Shovel (pointed end)
  • Pry bar (48")
  • Wooden blocks (2x4s of various lengths; also 1x2s of various lengths)
  • A hand saw (just in case a wooden block needs to be shorter)
  • Ratcheting Bar Clamps (12" full open; Qty=4)
  • Carpenter's level (24")
  • Lawn & Leaf plastic bags (used for grounds cleanup, and also to cover the headstone when the repair time must extend overnight to the next day)
  • Small tarp or empty buckets (to hold sod and debris removed from the grave site)
  • Akemi Akepox Epoxy 5010 2-part epoxy adhesive.  It's crazy-expensive, but it's the adhesive that is needed to repair gravestones that are exposed to the weather 24/7/365.  (Buy on Amazon)
  • 2 buckets of pea gravel (may need more than two - depends on the job)
  • 1 bucket of sand (may need more than one - depends on the job)
    The gravel and sand are used in a 2:1 ratio (2 parts gravel to 1 part sand) and is used to elevate the ground under the headstone/base in order to raise and level it.  Jonathan Appell in his videos mixes it by estimation, in the ground, as he uses it, but I think mixing it ahead of time would produce a more uniform mixture, and, perhaps, longer-lasting results, but then again he is the master and I am the student in this situation, so we'll see.

This page was developed by Herb Klug       Updated September 3, 2022       Contact me at herbk98@gmail.com