# Staking tombstones



## jerzeydevil77 (Oct 1, 2009)

I have the same issues every year and I think this year I may have a solution. I'm planning to take a piece (or two) of lath, I'm gonna staple velcro to it sharpen one end and stake it in the ground about 6". Then I plan to stick the velcro to the back of my tombstones and hope it stays. If not I plan to Krazy glue the velcro to the tombstone and let it dry. If that doesn't work I don't know what to do. I also plan to use the green metal poles that you put up a chicken wire fence with, (available at Lowes for around $5. ea.) and hang a wire, then drape camo netting over the wire as a back drop to my cemetery. Hopefully it will 1 cut down on wind, 2 catch anything that starts to blow away (that and the fence around the front). Good luck, and I'll let you know how it goes on my end.


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## Dr. Dark (Aug 6, 2009)

I drilled 3/8" holes in the bottom of my tombstones, and then pound 3/8" rebar into the ground, and slide the tombstones over the rebar. Never had any problems!


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## stroms7 (Aug 30, 2006)

gorrilla glue PVC to the back of your tombstone then use the rebar method!
45mph winds here last year and I had no issues.


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## tinafromidaho (May 8, 2008)

on most of mine I have the little fence sections you can buy in the garden section everywhere they are between 6 inches or 18 inches wide and made of metal with two prongs that stick in the ground then I just use fishing line and tie the tombstone to it. They aren't that pretty from the back but they stay in the ground. 
That said, I have more tombstones this year and plan on using the small pieces of rebar and use two per stone, one on each side of the back staked in the ground and tied with fishing line.


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## Halloweeeiner (Sep 20, 2007)

What I do is, I hot glue the pvc to the back of the tombstones and then I gorilla tape over it... then I put it over the wooden dowels... haven't had any problems past 2 yrs

I use to have the same problem OT, but I made a post about it 2 years ago and HF really helped me out! good luck


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## FirstSpartan (Aug 7, 2008)

for my store bought tombstones I glued a piece of plywood on the back, hammer in a wooden garden stake into the ground then screw the two together.
for homemade tombstones I use a wooden base so I can attach a corner bracket then use 8" barn nails to hold them down.


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## Bubbels (Nov 30, 2008)

My latest batch of tombstones are made of wood in a 3-dimensional fasion. They stand up on their own and no wind is going to knock them over. I can't wait to share them, as soon as the wife uploads pictures. ><

Anyhow, sorry!  I just had to brag about my free standing tombstones.


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## lucky13 (Sep 4, 2009)

Gorilla Glue
Shims
3/4 Pipe Strap
Wood Screws
3/4 PVC pipes

1. Glue together two shims with gorilla glue and let dry with weights on them.
2. Arrange shims on tombstones, cut down ones that need be smaller (remember it has to be wide enough for at least one pipe strap.
3. One by one lift shim and with one of the screws, scrape and poke the tombstone where the shim will be adhered to. Your removing some of the paint so the glue adheres to the foam and not the paint.
4. Glue shim and weight, repeat with all your tombstones.
5. Cut your PVC to height for each tombstones (I named my tombstones and write the names on the PVC pipe)
6. Cut the bottom of PVC into a stake
7. Using one of the PVC pipes, lay it on the tombstone, place the straps over top the pipe and secure with screws. You can now slide the pipe out and repeat. If the pipe doesn't slide out just loosen the screws. 

Sorry about the picture quality, but I hope they give you the idea of what they look like. This whole project cost about $20 depending on how many tombstone you have and if they need only two straps and one PVC pipe or four straps and two PVC pipes. Hope this helps! Oh one last thing you can do this to homemade and store bought, but be careful I was rushing and drove a screw right into the circuit board of our animated tombstone  we can still open it up but it doesn't function anymore.


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## 13mummy (Aug 26, 2007)

I drilled holes in the bottom of my tombstones and use rebar, I find it's the easiest and quickest solution. Plus it really works.


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## NewbieHaunter (Sep 6, 2007)

Ive done mine this way for the last 3 yrs and havent lost one yet 
the PVC is just hot glued on the tombstone


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## jerzeydevil77 (Oct 1, 2009)

Dr. Dark said:


> I drilled 3/8" holes in the bottom of my tombstones, and then pound 3/8" rebar into the ground, and slide the tombstones over the rebar. Never had any problems!


I've tried this in the past only to have a strong wind force the rebar through my tombstone. Total bummer! Be careful. Then again I think I live where the wind begins, ha ha ha!


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## MichaelMyers1 (Jan 12, 2008)

This is kind of WT-but last year I was desperate! I used the real estate type stakes and the wind kept blowing them over. So.....I taped them. Plain old clear packing tape. Wrapped around the front and the back twice. And to be honest, at night you couldnt even tell that they were taped. Not sure what the plan is for this year, maybe tape again lol!


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## Mr Grimsley (May 8, 2008)

I'm with FirstSpartan on his 2nd technique. I don't get too much wind here but there can be some decent gusts. I'm making all new tombstones this year and will be fastening plywood on the bottom with Liquid Nails like his and then using tent pegs or nails to secure that to the ground. I'll be spreading leaves all over the ground anyhow so that'll cover the plywood.

I believe the rebar / pvc tubeing method may be a little more effective but this route will be fine for my purposes.


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## Kenpilot (Jul 9, 2007)

*Rebar*

I'm going to add another vote for the 1/2inch PVC over rebar method. Been doing it for 3 years with no problems. Just have to be careful when drilling thru your tombstone not to poke a hole thru the front of it. Good Luck!


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## LukeSkiewalker (Sep 21, 2007)

Another vote here for 1/2" PVC over rebar method. Has worked great for me for the last three years: http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/63909-tombstones-how-do-i-keep-them-blowing-away.html

Here is a pic of mine


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## Tumblindice (Aug 19, 2008)

I used the hot glue pvc over rebar method after seeing it here on the forum and had no problems last year.


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## FirstSpartan (Aug 7, 2008)

Mr Grimsley said:


> I'm with FirstSpartan on his 2nd technique. I don't get too much wind here but there can be some decent gusts. I'm making all new tombstones this year and will be fastening plywood on the bottom with Liquid Nails like his and then using tent pegs or nails to secure that to the ground. I'll be spreading leaves all over the ground anyhow so that'll cover the plywood.
> 
> I believe the rebar / pvc tubeing method may be a little more effective but this route will be fine for my purposes.


We had 45 mph winds yesterday and those tombstones were all in the path. None budged  I was originally going to go with tent pegs as well but I couldn't find any that were cheap. The 6 - 8 inch nails I used were more than enough to keep them in place and they cost 18 cents each.


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## granamyr (Oct 3, 2005)

Gorilla glued 5" of pvc to the back, used gutter nails as stakes...the nail head can even go over the top of the pvc, holding it down some. Also painted the pvc black to make it blend in more if TOTS go thru the graveyard...


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## Bilso (Oct 7, 2009)

I'm new to decorating for halloween (that's the UK for you), and i bought some polystyrene tombstones the other week which almost float. So i have no tried an tested methods for keeping them in place but i was going to use bamboo canes duct taped to the rear of the tombstone, then staked through the ground. It keeps my tomatoe plants in place so i'm hoping for the best.


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## magicmatt (Aug 17, 2005)

Home depot has cheap metal that works. It is in the hardware section where they keep the angle aluminum and sheet metal. It is shiny, but i don't remember what it is called. It is threaded all the way down. I got a 3/8" piece two feet long for under two dollars. I cut it in half and used the two pieces for my large foam tombstone that michaels had several years ago.

I used a 1/2" diameter one bent into a "U" to hold down a character that keeps falling over. He has a cross shaped base, so that worked really well.


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## CraigInPA (Sep 11, 2007)

I've had the pvc gorilla glued to the back and rebar into the ground method on my stones the last two seasons. Yesterday we had 60, yes, SIXTY mile an hour winds. Not a stone was down in the yard, and not a stone was damaged.

Craig


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## Sivart Yabb (Dec 5, 2003)

I must be crazy, but I drill up into my tombstones, then take a predetermined length of pvc covered with liquid nails and then slide it up into the hole. The pvc tube protects the foam. Then I have steel rod I hammer into the ground for stakes and slide stone down on the rod and there you go- non moving tombstones.
Granted there is a little more to it than that, but that's how I do it in a nutshell.


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## The Crow 1994 (Sep 18, 2003)

We've been using liquid nails (foam safe variety) to attach pvc to the back of the tombstones and placing it over rebar for the last 5 years and have never had a problem.


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## politicalcronie7 (Aug 31, 2009)

i use insulation spikes you get them at home depot and there metal thin spikes i use 3 or 4 of them and they work


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