Consultation

We love to start at the beginning: with a discussion. Whether it be 1 on 1 or with the whole family, at your home, in our office, or even through e-mail, this conversation gives us a better understanding of how to guide you through the ins and outs of creating your monument.

You can expect to discuss:

• Colors, sizes, and shapes
• Pricing
• Shipping and Installation
• Discussion of layout and artwork
• Cemetery information

Layout Design

Our on-staff designers will take the ideas and concepts discussed in the consultation and make them a reality. We can take any custom artwork or imagery and recreate it in a usable format for your monument. The designers will then show you how the imagery, text, and monument all fit together in a layout for your approval. As you have to sign off on any designs, we ensure you are satisfied before we ever move forward with a layout design.

Shop Preparation

Before we begin sandblasting, the stone needs to be prepped. Each stone has its own rubber stencil that is cut directly from the layout file you approved. The stencil needs to be a perfect representation of that layout. Parts of the stencil are removed to expose the granite. The rest is left in place to protect the stone during the blasting process.

Sandblasting

This is where all the creativity and planning become a permanent reality. Using steel grit, we blast the stone, carving away wherever the rubber stencil has been removed. This creates the images and text that make up the unique design for you monument. The sandblast process is usually completed by adding the 3-Dimensional effect of shape carving. We pride ourselves on providing the highest degree of shape carving available. If the artwork allows for it, we do it.

Laser Etching

Improvements in technology have allowed for the imprinting of photographic images into stone. This is done through the laser etching process in which an image is permanently burned into the granite. Entire monument designs can be done using only laser etching, or laser etching can be used in conjunction with traditional blasting and takes place after sandblasting.

Monument Setting

Setting is the term we use in the monument industry for installing your monument in a cemetery. Decades ago, the traditional method for unloading a monument was to push it off the truck and let gravity do the rest. Today, all of our trucks are equipped with cranes allowing for a careful installation. We then leave you with a beautifully crafted memorial that you can be proud of.

Over Time

Monuments are largely impervious to the ever-changing weather and seasons. What can affect a stone is the ground on which it sits. Over time, the ground can shift causing your monument to tip. We can reset any existing monuments if this were to happen.

Another common need is the additional sandblasting of death dates. This is a service we provide in which we use portable sand blasting equipment to sandblast new dates, names, or artwork into an existing stone out in a cemetery. See our Cemetery Lettering services page for more information.