Burial Vaults
The burial vault has become a necessary part of the
interment process over the course of time. Years ago, burial vaults
were not used as extensively as they are today because traditionally
the casket was put in the grave and covered with soil. As cemeteries
grew in numbers and the public demand for better cared for cemeteries,
the burial vault is an important tool for the overall maintenance and
beauty of the cemetery.
Burial vaults serve mainly 2 functions in the interment process:
- Protection of the casket
- Protection of the cemetery
Burial vaults are usually offered in many different styles and
materials. These characteristics determine the protection factor for
the casket. The most common burial vault used is made from concrete.
Typically, the least expensive burial vault is a concrete liner topseal
usually containing some steel reinforcement. The protection factor for
caskets with this type of burial vault is the minimum. The reason for
this is that concrete is porous, allowing the ground water to
eventually seep through to the casket.
The next type of burial vault produced that offers a greater protection
factor for the casket is a polystyrene lined concrete vault. This type
of vault has a polystyrene (a plastic material) liner in the bottom
portion of the inside area of the vault as well as the inside of the
lid. This helps prevent the water from entering the vault and giving
greater protection to the casket.
One of the best protection burial vaults in today’s market is the fully
jacketed polystyrene concrete vault. This type of vault has three
barriers for protection from ground water….a polystyrene protection on
the outside, a concrete protection in the middle and a polystyrene
protection on the inside.
All of these burial vaults can be offered with some type of
personalization. Many are offered with stainless steel, copper and
bronze sheeting that enhance the appearance of the vault as well as the
casket. Some cemeteries will leave the burial vault above ground during
the service so it will be seen by those in attendance.
The main purpose of the burial vault is to simply prevent the grave
from settling over time and help prevent sinkage. By eliminating the
settling of the grave, the cemetery will have a uniform appearance and
the maintenance of the cemetery will be less.
We also offer a variety of steel vaults
Steel Vaults are designed specifically to help protect the casket from surrounding elements in addition to its function of supporting the soil above the casket and vault. Vaults are manufactured from various metals (steel, stainless steel, copper and bronze), concrete and composite products. Metal, composite and some concrete vaults are manufactured using the "air seal principle." This can best be tested by inverting a glass (a clear water glass will do) in a fish bowl filled with water. The water, because of air pressure in the glass, will be unable to penetrate into the glass very far. "Air seal" vaults are designed with a base that extends upward into the vault so that water and other elements will be kept away from the casket.