Make A Headstone Out Of Granite And Mortar

Granite blocks are usually about 3 ft wide 3 ft high and 10 ft long weighing about 20 250 lbs.

Make a headstone out of granite and mortar.

This article provides tips you should know when searching for a headstone and 15 unique headstones that stand out. The major factor if you are allowed to put and or make your own headstone would be the cemetery that you choose. Jun 20 2012 headstone diy headstone make your own headstone. Consider laying these markers horizontally digging out an inch or two in the ground to lay them in.

Granite headstones are used to mark who in buried in a grave. Check with the cemetery first. I am going to do this for a few people who have no headstone in the black cemetery in jasper texas. Modern granite monuments are usually constructed from two pieces of granite.

Spray the letters and numbers with nonstick cooking spray to help them release more easily from the mortar mix. Some cemeteries will allow any type of headstone many don t for aesthetics. Whether you re creating headstones for a themed event to memorialize a loved one or like the arizona pioneer cemetery research project apcrp to preserve a piece of history this is a hands on project that requires someone who is adept at working with mortar. The upper headstone section or die sits on top of a base stone.

Typically a person s name and birth and death dates are included on a headstone. Typically starting at a couple hundred dollars to a few thousand granite headstones are one of the more expensive costs of a burial. A natural slab of granite is going to range between 6 and 7 and the man made products are considered a 5. After the granite block is cut loose workers either loop a cable around the block attach the cable to a large derrick that lifts the granite block onto a flatbed truck that transports it to the headstone manufacturer.

Lay out the stamp letters and numbers you want to use. Placing them upright will invite cattle and wild life to use them as scratching posts and they will topple over time. American headstones company understands this and that is why they make sure to incorporate as much detailed information on their website as possible so that it will make purchasing the headstone that much easier. Total expenditure once letters trowels and wood have been purchased is under 6 00 for the bag of mortar per headstone marker.

This compound is similar in texture to window glazing putty or a very thick dough. Customizing a headstone is inexpensive but it requires some skill and time. The actual task of cutting polishing and carving granite is more difficult because the molecules are packed tighter than marble but it s worth the investment in a headstone that will last.