Granite as a Foundation
Memorials come in various colors, shapes, sizes and finishes, and each choice affects the overall cost. As a supplier, we purchase granite from one of the largest quarrying and fabrication companies in North America. Together we guarantee that you will receive the best memorial value for your money.
Also, your Birkmeier Monument associate will offer to show you a colored drawing of how the choices you have made will look in the final memorial design.
Here are certain basic facts that will help you understand what you are buying:
Granite Colors
Granites used for memorials come in four basic color categories: red, black, brown and gray. You will also find a wide range of shades and textures depending on the location of the quarry.
Some granite is variegated, meaning it is subject to streaks and swirls of color that are natural yet unpredictable.
Your Birkmeier Monument associate can show you a Color Guide and actual granite samples that will give you an idea of how great this variety is. The Color Guide will tell you the country of origin and whether that granite is variegated. If not variegated, the granite you order will be very similar to, but not exactly like, the sample.
Memorial Shapes and Finishes
There are four standard types of memorials:
Monuments
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These are the traditional two-piece upright memorials you see in your local cemetery. They can have flat, oval or serpentine tops. As a general rule, monument tablets come 6 and 8 inches thick.
The length of monument tablets and bases increases in 6-inch increments. The thickness or width and the height increases in 2-inch increments. Finally, as an industry standard, all dimensions can fall in a range of plus or minus 1/2 inch.
Finish:
The finish is important because the more sides that are polished, the more expensive the monument. Rock-pitched refers to the way the top or end is finished with a hammer and chisel whereby the granite is chipped off so it remains rough or rocky.
Here are your finish choices:
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Polish 2: the front and back are polished and the top and ends are rock-pitched.
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Polish 3: the front, back and top are polished and the ends are rock-pitched.
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Polish 5: the front, back, top and both ends are polished.
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The base is usually polished on top but the sides are rock-pitched. The base can also be finished with a 1½- or 2-inch polished margin around the top sides, or it can be all polished.
Slant Markers
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Slant markers can either be designed with or without bases. A standard slant has a nosing on the top and front end. This is created by rock-pitching this surface as well as the ends. The slanted face is polished and the back is usually sawed smooth, but can be polished or rock-pitched.
Bevel Markers
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Bevel markers are designed to be placed on a concrete foundation so that they sit above the ground. The normal slope is 1½ to 2 inches from the back to the front which is why they are called "bevels." Usually only the top is polished and the sides are rock-pitched although they can be made quite fancy with margins around the top of the sides, rounded tops, and can be polished on all surfaces.
Grass Markers
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Grass markers are designed to be placed on a concrete foundation that has been poured below grade so that the top of the grass marker is flush with the surrounding ground. The top is the only surface that is polished; the sides can be either rock-pitched or sawed.
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