.......dealing with headstones....

[chris hennelly]

...........so,anyone deal with fragile gravestones and associated risks?

have a tree reduction with graves below to do and considering a raised scaffold platform to contain sections lowered down,access is v.poor,about 8 feet wide to tree...........

[Tom D]

We've, done a few grave yards over the years, on several occasions I have moved headstones with the tractor and put them back afterwards, I figure this shows more respect than breaking them...

[Scott Walker]

We've, done a few grave yards over the years, on several occasions I have moved headstones with the tractor and put them back afterwards, I figure this shows more respect than breaking them...

 

As above, we've always managed to move them make sure you take a before pic so you put the stones back in the rite place.

 

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Arbtalk mobile app

[Grass hopper]

Yep same here we just get them moved on the day.

[Gray git]

Measure how high they are then find some old tractor tires that are slightly taller than the offending stone and rachet strap 2 together either side of the stone to protect it from accidentally dropped bits. Works well if you can't lift and shift em.

If you do shift em make a note of who is buried where as getting it wrong is highly embarrassing

 

sent while pretending to do something important on my mobile.

[sean]

Had to fell a load of conifers in an old Jewish cemetary in North London once.....we photographed loads of graves and then constructed ply wood shelters over groups of them when needed.

[Mr. Squirrel]

I take a pic, label and move all breakable ornaments safely out the way. If there's bigger wood coming down some thick ply with hinges at the top so that they open like a birthday card, over the head stone, have always done the trick for me.

[StephF]

A friend of my'ns son, 6 years old was killed by a large grave stone that fell on him while they were walking on a footpath through grave yard. A group was set up as a result of the tradgedy that used to go and test how stable the stones were all over the country. People might think that was very random accident, but a lot of old headstones are very unsafe. It destroyed my friend and her husband. she had a severe mental breakdown and took years to recover.

[Perkins]

A lot of really old headstones are too brittle to move, so we stack small straw bales either side, hammer fence posts in at the corners and put straps around. 9 times out of ten we never even hit them, but it's worth doing just in case.

[Tucky]

We do a lot of grave yard works for the local council and tbh by rigging carefully and often small we rarely have any issues. I certainly wouldn't advise moving them as the old stones are so brittle you'll break more than you save.

Tucky