What to Consider When Choosing a Cremation Vault for Burial

Today, many Americans are choosing cremation over traditional burials.

In most cases, cremation is carried out as per the wishes of the deceased or due to religious beliefs.

After the cremation of your loved one, the ashes will be placed inside an urn. Depending on the funeral home, you may also get to have a customized urn for your loved one’s ashes.

Usually, cremation urns are given back to families and friends of the deceased, to either be taken home or to scatter the ashes in a place that was important to the person who passed away. But you may also choose to have the urn buried, and for this, you should consider getting a cremation vault for burial.

Also called cremation urn vaults for burial, these are burial vaults made specifically for cremation urns that are used to protect the urn after it’s been buried. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at what you should look for when choosing a cremation vault for burial.

Why should you choose a cremation urn vault?

Before we discuss what you need to look into when choosing a cremation urn vault, we’ll explain why you should consider having one to house your loved one’s cremation urn.

Some cemeteries may recommend choosing a burial vault for cremation urns because the soil in the cemetery grounds can sometimes shift, and this could potentially damage the urn. The vault ensures that the urn is protected if the soil shifts or the grave caves in.

In addition, cremation urns aren’t very durable on their own, so a cremation vault can help keep the urn intact for many years.

What should you look for when choosing a cremation urn vault?

Deciding on a good cremation urn vault can be difficult because there are many factors that need to be considered. Here are a few things you should consider when choosing the ideal burial vault for your loved one’s cremation urn.

1. Materials

If you’re looking for a burial urn that can last a long time, you need to take into account the materials used. Usually, concrete and hi-tech polymers are used to construct cremation vaults. Not only are these materials very strong but they can also keep out moisture.

Unlike cremation urns, these vaults aren’t usually decorated. This is because the vault will only be involved in the burial process, while the urn may be displayed during funeral services.

You should also consider choosing a vault that can withstand at least 3,300 pounds per square inch of pressure to ensure that your loved one’s urn is protected from the weight of the soil after burial.

2. Size

The dimensions of the cremation urn vault you choose are also very important. Depending on the cremation urn options available and the wishes of your loved one, the size of the urn may vary.

Therefore, you need to choose a cremation vault for burial that the urn can comfortably fit inside. In addition, if there is going to be more than one cremation urn involved, for example, if the burial is for two loved ones, you will need to pick a vault that can accommodate more than one urn.

If you’re unsure about the right dimensions to choose for your loved one’s funeral urn, you may want to speak to a funeral home that offers cremation services for guidance.

3. Customization

While cremation urn vaults aren’t involved in funeral services, adding some customization to your loved one’s cremation vault may bring some comfort to you and your family.

You could choose to have plaque fixed onto the urn vault. The plaque can have the name of your loved one engraved on it. You may also choose to have something more meaningful, like a line from your loved one’s favorite movie or lyrics of a song they liked.

To make the cremation vault more personalized, you could have a picture of your loved one added to the vault, along with other mementos that meant a lot to them in life.

Speak to a funeral home about a cremation vault for burial

Choosing an urn vault for your loved one’s ashes can be difficult to do when you and your family are still coming to terms with your loss. If you’re not sure of how to go about picking the ideal urn vault, speak with a reputable funeral home with experience handling Pittsburgh cremation services to help you make your decision during this difficult time in your life.