A beautifully carved headstone for our deceased near and dear ones shines as the last piece of memory in the cemeterial ground. After the burial of the deceased person, these stones are placed over the grave of the departed soul. On these headstones, the name, date of birth, date of death, and sometimes personalized messages are artistically engraved on it. These can be personalized as per the need and wish of the family members of the dead person. Headstone, commonly known as a tombstone or a gravestone is used by people of the Christian, Islam and Jewish community. It is the task of the monumental mason to create, maintain or make necessary changes in the headstones.
Materials used for headstones:
Several materials are used by the monumental masons to create the gravestones for the deceased person. But the decision of the material to be used for a headstone exclusively depends upon the friends and family members of the deceased. All kinds of carvings and letterings can’t be done on each and every material. Some materials are required to be maintained on regular basis to avoid the damage of the carvings or paintings or drawings. Now, let us discuss the materials which can be used for the purpose of creating headstones.
Granite – Granites have a long life and don’t need regular maintenance. Therefore, most of the people prefer granite over the other stones. Granites are available in various colours and texture. The work of lettering, carving can be easily done on granites. Any type of epitaph can be made using this type of stone.
Marble – Headstones made of marble is beautiful to look at. But it needs extra care and regular maintenance to keep it intact withstanding the ravages of time. Without proper maintenance, the inscriptions on marble can become total ambiguous. Though marble looks very attractive it is a bit costly and tough to maintain.
Limestone - Carvings can look beautiful on limestones. But the stone requires frequent attention for maintenance.
Slate - Slates are a bit vulnerable, therefore, all kinds of carvings can't be done on it especially the ones which require the stone to be thick. The headstones made with Slates needs great maintenance to preserve the longevity of the work.
Sandstone - Coarse texture of the sandstone allows inscriptions to be engraved beautifully. It is durable enough and doesn't need regular maintenance.
Bronze - Metallic gravestones like bronze is sometimes seen as an option too. The inscriptions look beautiful on the metal.
Types of tombstones:
You can choose from an array of headstone options for your deceased dear ones. Based on the position of the stones and the kind of works that can be done on the headstones, they can be classified into three categories-
Flat headstones - They are usually placed on the grave in a slanting way and thus look flat on the ground. Apart from stones, metals are also used for making the flat tombstones.
Upright headstones - As the name suggests, these gravestones are positioned upright over the grave on a base made of concrete. For the creation of these headstones’ granite, marble, sandstone and limestone are used. This is the traditional form of the tombstone.
Kerbed headstones - These are the full-length gravestones lying flat on the ground. They should be at least four inches thick.
Tips for maintaining the gravestones:
Though the gravestones are mostly made of stones but being exposed to the environment, it can erode and get completely destroyed. Therefore, regular cleaning of the headstones is required. Apart from the application of epoxy down the line of crack, clamping can be done for giving new life to the old gravestones.
Mark the last journey memorable of your near and dear ones with the right selection of a classy tombstone. If you are in a dilemma to choose the best headstone for your deceased loved one in the state of grief, you can hire the best burial ceremony service provider to accomplish the task on your behalf.
Comments