October 25, 2022
By: Adam Reeson
Anyone who owns a house in Regina neighbourhoods like Whitmore Park or Douglas Park can confirm that foundations are very important. Countless homes in parts of the Queen City look OK from the outside, but major structural problems can be seen on the inside if the foundation is deteriorating.
Cemetery headstones are no different. Great thought and expense can be put into creating a beautiful gravestone, but if the foundation isn’t up to the task of supporting it, major problems are possible over the long-term.
Strip Foundations
Individual foundations settle at different rates, which can be a maintenance headache for cemetery staff.
That’s why many urban cemeteries now pour their own concrete strip foundations instead.
These “sidewalk” style foundations help keep an entire row of stones level and also makes alignment with each plot quick and easy for the headstone installer.
Foundation Pads
When a concrete strip foundation is not provided by the cemetery, an individual foundation pad is necessary to properly support upright and pillow headstones.
These foundations are typically pre-fabricated and 3 or 4 inches thick. Traditionally, individual foundation pads were made of concrete.
Today, most reputable monument companies have switched to granite foundation pads instead to ensure permanent durability.
Flat Marker Foundations
We are often asked if a foundation is required for flat grave markers. The short answer is, “it depends”. If the flat marker is being installed at the head of the grave, then we recommend a granite foundation pad be installed underneath.
However, flat markers are often used to memorialize a person who has been cremated and buried with a relative. In this situation, the marker is installed on top of the grave as opposed to the head. To ensure the cemetery caretaker can efficiently cut the grass, most cemeteries require that the marker be set flush with the grass without a foundation.
The bottomline is that foundations are important to ensure your loved one’s headstone remains structurally sound indefinitely. To get started creating your loved one’s gravestone, give us a call and I’ll assist you with every aspect of the purchase.
From the ground up.
For Frontier Monuments, I’m Adam Reeson
