The eternal resting place of your loved one deserves a gravestone that will stand unwavering for generations to come. Choosing the right gravestone requires careful consideration of all the available options before making a final decision. Here’s a brief overview of the most durable gravestone materials you can find in Jacksonville, FL.
Granite
Granite is a time-honored choice for gravestones because it resists harsh weather conditions and is super easy to clean. Unlike other gravestone materials, the mineral patterns retain their original colors of white, pink, gray, blue and green. Granite doesn’t fade beneath the sun, nor does it contort from extremely high or low temperatures.
While granite doesn’t deteriorate, it’s bound to accrue some muck from being outdoors all the time. This material tends to attract a translucent white film on top of its polished surface. The good news is that cleaning granite is simple—all you need is a clean cloth, water and dish soap. Granite grave markers that are well maintained can last for up to 500 years!
Bronze
If you want a gravestone that will last for generations, bronze is the way to go. It’s so durable that civilizations have fashioned tools from the copper alloy for thousands of years. You can request a grave marker made entirely of bronze from your Jacksonville, FL memorial works or use it as a decorative accent on other materials. The traces of copper in bronze naturally form a protective layer to seal out the harsh elements.
However, not everyone is a fan of the green patina that inevitably covers bronze headstones. It’s not impossible to restore bronze’s original appearance, but it’ll take a series of chemical treatments and lots of scrubbing. A patina won’t harm the bronze, so whether to keep or remove it is a purely stylistic choice.
Cast iron
Though less common, cast iron has proved to be an effective gravestone material. The versatility of iron means artisans can prepare it using various different methods. For instance, wrought iron isn’t recommended for grave markers because the damp weather conditions of Jacksonville, FL will cause it to rust in a few short years. Cast iron is a much more heavy-duty metal that can retain its appearance for generations.
Marble
The natural beauty of marble has made it one of the most popular headstone materials for centuries. Marble responds well to carving tools and is the easiest to polish. However, a material that’s easy to work with isn’t necessarily easy to maintain. Moisture penetrates the smooth, polished surface over time and gives it the jagged qualities of granite. Loved ones who pick marble must be prepared for the extensive maintenance that comes with it.
When a family member passes away, you want a headstone that’s going to endure the test of time. Considering how expensive headstones can get, a durable material ensures you won’t have to replace it later down the road. The compassionate team at ICS Cremation & Funeral Home will help you make an informed decision that’s both long lasting and easy on the wallet. Send a quick message and we’d be happy to answer your questions!
Categorised in: Headstones
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When selecting a perfect gravestone for a recently lost family member or friend, there are many things you should consider, including memorial material. Choosing the right material for making a monument, grave marker, or headstone to memorialize a loved one is vital.
Here we’ll discuss some of the top materials for making memorial headstones to help you select the one that best suits your requirements:
Granite is one of the most widely-accepted materials for making headstones and grave markers globally, thanks to its increased durability and aesthetic appeal. Granite is an increasingly tough natural stone that comes in a variety of fascinating colors, including jet black, tropical green, blue pearl, classic grey, mountain red, light pink, and more.
Due to its enhanced strength, granite can withstand extreme temperatures, climate changes, snow, sleet, rain, and salt. Most expert memorial makers consider granite as an excellent choice for making monuments due to its greater versatility in terms of possible design options.
Granite is one of the most budget-friendly options among different memorial materials; that’s why some churchyards only allow granite headstones to maintain the same look throughout the graveyard. Granite can also stand the test of times for years to come, making it the primary choice among buyers searching for memorial headstones.
Bronze has been regularly utilized for making memorials and grave markers for centuries. Bronze headstones and monuments are widely used throughout the world because they don’t require frequent maintenance. These memorials are also available in a wide variety of design options.
It’s much more often used for producing flat markers or plaques. Last but not least, bronze is usually twice the price of granite due to the high cost of copper, making it a relatively expensive choice for making headstones.
Marble is a material that can be utilized to produce intricate headstone designs, that’s why most monuments made of marble come in increasingly attractive designs. One of the significant downsides to using marble, though, is that when it gets exposed to acidic rains, inscriptions done on it become unreadable with time. Since it’s a high-maintenance material, people searching for a high-quality product don’t usually prefer marble headstones.
Sandstone is a material that can be carved into various shapes and sizes to make highly-customized headstones and grave markers. It’s available in both light and elegant colors ranging from sandy to grey. Although sandstone is considerably durable in nature, when moisture enters its layers, it soon loses its beauty.
Slate monuments and headstone used to be a popular choice among many people in the past due to its pleasing smooth texture. These memorials were also easy to carve and often highlighted with white gliding or paint. However, they didn’t last very long as slate becomes slightly porous and crumbles over time.
Fieldstones are one of the earliest forms of headstones and memorials. Natural fieldstones utilized for producing monuments were either decorated with a metal awl or left unmarked. Usually, fieldstone grave markers incorporated a symbol as well as the deceased person’s name and age.
Summit Memorials is proud to help you honor the memory of your loved ones with high-quality granite monuments across Alberta and Saskatchewan. Visit our website to explore different granite memorials we offer or contact us now for personalized care.
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