Our monuments are crafted from a minimum of one-inch thick reinforced concrete (GFRC) replicated rock and are hollow and open at the bottom. Their rugged, natural beauty is surpassed only by their strength. Large enough at 60-110 pounds to be considered a true "monument," yet small enough to be relocated elsewhere if necessary (with the exception of the much heavier "Estate Size" Monuments), each model is manufactured to withstand 9,000psi (pounds per sq. inch) of compression pressure and freeze-thaw conditions to make for a lasting memorial for future generations.
Due to modern high-performance polymers and other construction grad admixtures, our GFRC cast stone replicas are designed to last for decades with only minimal maintenance and care, including climates with freeze-thaw conditions. In fact, over the months and years they actually will take on an even more natural appearance with the benefit of the elements (i.e., sun, rain, snow). A national expert in the restoration of monuments made from marble, granite and other traditional materials has estimated reinforced concrete monuments such as these will last 100-150 years before requiring any restoration work (the same amount of time that applies to material such as marble and granite monuments).
For climates with freeze-thaw conditions, a penetrating concrete sealer purchased from a local hardware or home improvement store must be applied to the rock or tree (after gently washing it with mild, soapy water to remove dust and veering the plaque area) every 5-6 years for protection against moisture and freeze-thaw cycles.
Our Memorial Monuments are manufactured with an internal moisture-proof, 240 cubic-inch urn, easily accessed and hand-tightened from underneath to add the satchel of ashes or cremated remains (also called cremains) in the privacy of one's home (simple instructions are included with each monument shipped). The lower-priced Personal Monuments (those without an urn) are used for a wider variety of purposes: to honor, commemorate, or celebrate something or someone. A Personal Monument can also be used for memorial purposes…as an attractive and more natural alternative to a headstone.
All our monuments are professionally hand-colored by a team of artisans and can be ordered in sandstone, gray-brown, light granite, or slate gray. These acid-stained colors are 1/8" deep, but can be scratched if done with force. If you notice any scratches in your monument after it arrives or after unpacking or placing it in your landscaping, a touch-up kit with a special glaze and instructions can be shipped to you. Remember, real stone has many imperfections. Minor scratches from unpacking or installing it will likely not be noticed, especially over a period of time after the natural elements (sun, rain, wind) lend their own unique weathering to it.
Yes, they do! With the exception of the "Estate Size" Monuments designed for larger plaques, all Memorial and Personal Monuments include a custom bronze plaque (sized 3 1/2" high x 7 1/4" wide) which can accommodate up to six lines of personalized text with up
to 43 characters per line. Once the plaque is received from our bronze foundry, it is pre-installed on your monument before being shipped to its final destination.
Each 3 1/2" x 7 1/4" bronze plaque will accept a maximum of six lines (typically a name, date of birth-death, and special verse or quote). Although six lines are available, it's not necessary to use all lines if you prefer to have less text appear on the plaque. The maximum number of characters per line is 43 (each letter, number, space and punctuation is a character that should be counted in this per-line total). Remember, the more characters you want included on each line, the more the individual characters must be reduced in size for the final layout.
Yes, but keep in mind that there is a limited amount of space for larger plaques on all our monuments. We will be able to help you choose the monument that has the appropriate amount of space for your plaque depending on its final size (usually as determined by the amount of text on the plaque). We can also provide you with the cost premium for a larger plaque once we review the desired text and determine the plaque size needed. Our much larger "Estate Size" Monuments are ideal for oversize plaques popular with community organizations, civic clubs and corporations to recognize, honor or celebrate significant events or the lives of special individuals or groups. Just as realistic, but easier to place than heavy natural boulders that require expensive equipment to install them, "Estate Size" Monuments can be shipped anywhere and provide an attractive accent to any landscape when placed outdoors in a community plaza, a public park, in front of a landmark or corporate office, or at a cemetery or cremation garden.
Yes, you can! It can be e-mailed to you for final approval prior to being sent to our bronze foundry for casting. Please note we are not responsible or liable in any way for misspellings or errors in fact contained in the information submitted by our customers. Most importantly, we reserve the right to determine the style, size, capitalization and layout of the text you provide according to the plaque space available to ensure the most professional appearance possible.
Yes, you can! There is an additional charge to have the internal moisture-proof, 240 cubic-inch urn extended to accommodate two sets of cremated remains. If ordered this way, the additional length of the double urn will extend below the monument itself which will require some excavation of the soil so the urn can fit partially below ground level. You also have the option of ordering two separate urns. This option is not available on our smaller monuments as the inner dimensions of the monument do not allow for two separate urns. A customer ordering a companion or double-sized urn will often require a larger bronze plaque with more space than our standard 3 1/2" x 7 1/4" plaque for the additional names, verse, etc. If this is the case, please ask us to provide a quote for the additional charge for the larger plaque. There is a limited amount of space for larger plaques on each monument. We will be able to help you choose the monument that has the appropriate amount of space for your plaque depending on its final size (usually as determined by the amount of text on the plaque).
Once your plaque proof is approved, please allow 5-6 weeks for production and pre-installation of the bronze plaque and shipment of the monument to its final destination via FedEx Ground or UPS.
Occasionally our customers request that their monument be present for a special gathering or ceremony before the 5-6 weeks it normally takes to receive an order, cast and install the bronze plaque, and ship it to its final destination. It is possible for us to ship a monument so a customer receives it as early as 5-8 days from submitting an order, but the plaque itself will not arrive from us until 4-5 weeks later with an epoxy adhesive and instructions on how to use it to permanently affix the plaque. (Note—please ask us about any additional charges to ship the plaque and adhesive if ordered this way.)
With the exception of the larger "Estate Size" models which are shipped on pallets via common carrier, all monuments are carefully packaged in 350-lb. test double-wall corrugated boxes using an industrial foam-in-place system to protect them during shipping. They are then shipped via FedEx Ground or UPS (which usually do not require that someone be home to sign for the package). If you are home at the time of delivery, it is your responsibility to check for damage before signing for or accepting your monument in the unlikely event something happened to it during shipping. The "foam" can be removed by breaking or carefully cutting it away from the monument piece-by-piece and disposing it. If you ordered a monument with an internal urn for cremated remains, remember to look for it sticking up from the packaging foam where it has been wrapped and placed for you to find and hand-tighten into the monument according to the instructions provided.
Follow the directions below if you are ordering a Memorial Monument with an internal cremation urn and want to install your loved one's ashes, or cremated remains (cremains), inside it:
The replicated rock monuments are made to last outdoors in your garden or landscaping for generations to come without any special maintenance or care.
We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for the lifetime of our monuments if our craftsmanship is found to be defective in any way (with the exception of naturally-occurring adjustments in color). Customers who contact us directly with a valid defective craftsmanship claim will receive an immediate replacement from the manufacturer with an identical product once the monument is returned.