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When choosing a memorial, finding the best combination of style and granite color to create a price that matches your budget and still gives you the best value for your money is the most important thing that you can do. Design work is included in our pricing and although it must be considered when you are choosing a style and color it will have less of an effect on the price than will the size of the memorial or the color of the granite. Our Sales people know that durability of both the granite and the design are what creates the value that we all look for. They are trained to help you with the delicate balancing act of matching these qualities to the price that you can afford.
Granite color can have a significant effect on the price of a memorial. Granite prices are affected by availability, demand and quality. Imported granites and exotic colors can cost more due to shipping costs and lack of availability. Higher quality granites can also cost more. The best measure of quality in granite is density. The denser a granite is the less moisture it absorbs. In our Colorado climate moisture absorption creates decay. Moisture in the granite's pores expands and contracts as it freezes and thaws. This action separates one crystal from another and slowly breaks apart the surface of the stone. This and erosion are how mountains are worn down over time, but the denser or harder the material you start with, the longer it takes for this process to happen. This affects the price of granite in that, the harder it is, the longer it takes to quarry, cut and polish. Inscribing and carving design work also takes longer and the overwhelming contributing factor in the price of granite is the labor it takes to produce it, as the material itself is virtually free.
At Norman's Memorials we guarantee all of our monuments to be correct and free of defects when they are set. Also if anything that we set ever settles or becomes loose we will relevel or reset it free of charge. But there are only a small number of granites that are guaranteed against cracking, pitting or discoloring once they are set in the cemetery. Rock of Ages has such a warranty, and we are the only authorized Rock of Ages dealer in Colorado. Rock of Ages offers an extensive line of granites that are covered by this perpetual warranty. For more information on Rock of Ages granites and their warranties please visit their web site, Rock of Ages Granite .
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| Bronze Markers: Bronze plaques with the designs and lettering all cast as part of the plaque and usually mounted on a piece of granite four inches thick and two or three inches larger in all directions than the plaque. We do not recommend bronze for memorials except where required by the cemetery or in a more protected setting than the average cemetery. Bronze, while being the best metal for outdoor use, still oxidizes and is a fairly soft metal that is easily damaged by passing mowers and the trampling of shoes. |
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Flat Granite Markers: Also known as grass markers, these memorials should be four inches thick and they come in just about any size that you desire. The advantage to this type of marker is that they are the least expensive of the styles. The disadvantages are they are difficult to find when there are leaves and snow on the ground, and everything in the cemetery sits on them: grass clippings, fertilizers, ground water. All of these things can stain granite. Also, like your sidewalk at home, the grass tends to grow up and over the top of the marker. Without regular trimming the grass can virtually cover a marker. |
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Bevel Markers: These are small granite markers, which are cut with a slight slope from back to front. They normally have about two inches of drop, as in eight inches in the back and six inches in the front, and come in just about any length or width. The advantages to this style are that they are still less costly because there is less granite; and because they sit above the ground, it is easier to find them in the fall and the winter. There are two disadvantages. The first is that bevel markers still have a fairly flat surface and water and dirt will tend to sit on them. The second is that if mowing equipment bumps into them there is a good chance they will get damaged because the edges are exposed. |
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Slant Markers: These are one-piece markers designed with a very steep slope on the face. The slope helps keep them free of debris in the cemetery. The fact that they are wider at the bottom than at the top makes them very stable and allows for a rough rock nosing along the bottom front with the face sloping away from it. This helps protect the face from damage because if the rough rock surface is chipped it goes unnoticed. The vertical back surface can be damaged, and the face size is somewhat limited with regard to lettering and design work. A base can be used under these markers. |
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Multiple-Piece Upright Memorials: These are memorials that consist of a combination of tablet and base. This design is the most versatile of all the styles and the most protected from damage. A base that has rough rock sides will never show damage, and the upright tablets can be cut into just about any shape or size. The upright portion can also be made with multiple pieces and again, those pieces can be cut into just about any shape. The vertical design of the tablet offers the most efficient use of the monument's surface area for the blending of lettering and design work with the beauty of the polished granite. This design also stays cleaner than any other. Granite for granite, this type of memorial is more costly than the types listed above, but as you can see, there are definite advantages to the multiple- piece upright. |
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