April 2, 2025
How Long Does a Memorial Last?
When you carefully select a memorial design for your loved one, you want to know that it will stay standing, and remain a tangible and meaningful link to your loved one that can be visited for generations.
In this article, we explain what impacts the life of a memorial and how to ensure the memorial you choose lasts a lifetime and beyond.
Why do some memorials last much longer than others?
How long your memorial lasts will depend on several factors: weather, location, material it was made of, and whether it is looked after once it has been installed.
Headstones with carved inscriptions that are still legible have been found in graveyards around the world, dating back to the 1600s! Visit a local cemetery and you’ll no doubt be able to see memorials from decades ago still in good shape. In cemeteries in countries across Europe, you can see gravestones hundreds of years old still with legible inscriptions.
However, other burial sites might have monuments that have cracked or broken, are weathered and with barely legible inscriptions, even if they are relatively recent.
Memorial materials
The material used plays a big part in how long a memorial will last. Stone is naturally porous, which means water and other particles can penetrate it and wear it down. Different types of stone have different levels of porousness. The less porous the stone the longer it will last.
Sandstone was once a popular material for headstones and it is easier to carve than a material like granite. However, being a soft stone means it is not as resilient to weathering.
Limestone from Oamaru was popular for early New Zealand headstones. Lichens like to grow on limestone as they feed on its calcium content, and old limestone graves are often dotted and stained with black lichen.
Marble was popular in America in the 1800s because of its aesthetics. It is no doubt an attractive stone, but when used as an outdoor gravestone it will start to weather and discolour after around a decade if it is not cared for well.
Bronze was used often for creating headstones in the 10th and 11th centuries and became very popular in Egypt at this time after it was discovered marble was too soft to last a long time. It is still one of the most popular memorial materials around the world.
Ceramic photos can be added to your granite memorial to give an extra personal touch to the memorial. The lifespan of a ceramic photo is estimated to be 100 years.
Granite is one of the strongest rock types in the world. Its durability and strength have made it a highly popular memorial material. Not only is it strong, but it can be polished to a very attractive shine, and can come in a range of colours. Robinson Memorials stone masons use granite exclusively to make memorials because of these reasons.
Natural processes that impact the life of a memorial
Even the most hard wearing stone, such as granite, can get worn down by rain, wind, the growth of plants such as moss or lichen, and pollutants like dirt. Rain is slightly acidic and this will eventually create a chemical reaction that wears down the memorial stone. The location of the cemetery will dictate the weather conditions that your memorial will be exposed to.
Caring for a memorial
In New Zealand, the owners of a burial plot are responsible for caring for the headstones, while the cemetery will maintain the grounds. Regular cleaning will help remove dust and grime, but must be done carefully so as not to damage the memorial surface.
We recommend that professional headstone and memorial cleaners be used, but if you wish to maintain a memorial yourself, make sure you clean it gently with a lot of water. Don’t use any cleaning products and definitely don’t use a water blaster! A water blaster will damage the surface and allow water to enter the porous stone interior.
If a memorial is cracking, pieces are falling off, or it has started sinking into the ground, this may be a sign that it needs to be removed and taken to a professional to be repaired. Talk to our friendly team if you have any questions about the lifespan of a Robinson Memorial headstone, or if you want to know more about preserving the memorial of a loved one or ancestor.
