A monument is a sculpted and/or engraved stone erected on a grave. This stone commemorates the life of one or more persons. Monuments are mainly made from granite and include a stone carrying the information, a base and a foundation.

Photos of monuments

The granite comes to us from around the world and varies in colour. The cost of a monument will vary depending on the colour of the granite, the size and shape of the stone, the number of polished faces and accessory products.

There are three categories of colours: pale, medium and dark. A pale granite in raw condition, when polished, retains almost the same colour. As a result, when pale granite is engraved the lettering appears with the same colour, which does not make it easy to read inscriptions if the granite is not painted. Paint on a monument has an average lifetime of 10 to 15 years. In certain cases, it is possible to complete a larger and deeper lettering, which can be easily read even without paint. About half of the medium colours require paint, while for dark colours, depending on the type of lettering used, painting is not required. For most monuments, the base is grey, since people generally like to have a contrast between the colour of the monument and that of its base. Moreover, grey granite is more economical. However, we can match the monument base. Pale colours include grey and pink, medium colours include charcoal grey and brown, and dark colours include black, red, blue and green.

Colours of granite

The size of the monument is according to individual taste and needs. An average monument is 36 inches wide and 6 inches thick, and 24 to 30 inches in height. We can produce monuments of any size. The larger a monument is, the thicker it will be. Typically, monuments more than 3 feet in length and height will be 8 inches thick instead of 6 inches. The base is normally another 3 to 6 inches beyond each side of the monument. A person chooses a stone based on the space required for the information to be engraved.

Regarding the shape of a monument, there is virtually no limit to what can be produced. The shape may also influence the cost of the product.

The number of sides to be polished varies according to taste. Whether a monument has a polished, sawn or rustic (bumpy) finish does not change the stone’s properties, which means that there is no more risk of water infiltrating a monument with rustic faces than a monument with polished faces. This also applies to the risk of fracture of the stone due to freezing. In the language of monument merchants, when there is only the face polished it is a polish 1, if the face and back are polished it is a polish 2, if the face, back and top are polished it is a polish 3, and if all sides are polished it is a polish 5. The base may also be polished only on the top, partly on the sides, or all over.

Regarding flower vases, statues and photo medallions made in porcelain, these are what we call accessory products.

Every raised monument has a base that rests on a foundation. This foundation has an average depth of 54 inches, made in cement at ground level, and on average extends beyond the base by 2 inches all around. This ensures that freezing will not move the stone.

Regarding the content of the monument, the price given remains the same regardless of the number of characters or designs engraved on the face of a monument up to 4 feet in length and height. There is a difference when etching designs are added (designs added by hand « etching »).

Total cost

The total cost of a monument is calculated as follows. The value of the monument is first calculated according to the criteria above with HST added. In addition are costs which we disburse ourselves and for which we charge the same amount (there is no commission or other fees). These disbursements may be administration fees charged by the cemetery for registration and placement of the future installation, and costs connected with maintenance funds required by provincial law which requires a single payment of fees calculated from the dimensions of the monument and its base. In addition, we pay the costs associated with creating the foundation.

Steps to follow for a purchase

For more information or to purchase a monument, just contact us using the details below. We can meet you at our offices or in your home to submit a free estimate, with no obligation. If you would like to pursue it, we will establish your needs and preferences for the content of your monument with a full scale drawing as needed. We then work with the monument on paper until it matches the model you want. Subsequently, a contract is signed and we proceed with the installation. After installation, a guarantee will be mailed to you.

Luc Lamarre

 

Email: luc@lamarrefh.ca

Phone number: 613.679.2802

Fax: 613.679.1356