Selecting a Casket is a Big Job

Choosing a casket can be overwhelming.  If selecting the right casket is your responsibility this task can seem intimidating and extraordinarily expensive.  Since the casket will be the final resting place for your loved one for all of eternity, paying more than one can afford is sadly often the case. 

It is important to remember that choosing the right casket is really your choice and there are plenty of options.  The slogan “Buyer Beware” is most important when a major purchase involves human emotion.  Keep in mind that the choices are immense in all price ranges, so extra time, thought and research should be done when choosing a casket.

Casket Options are Almost Limitlsss

The term “casket” or “coffin” can be used interchangeably, but historically were meant to differentiate a design shape that is either tapered at the top with 6 sides or rectangular.  The design of a casket can range from elaborate and ornate to traditional and simple, there is really limitless customization and personalization that can be incorporated into the design of the casket. 

Keep in mind of course that the more customization done, the more expensive the casket will be, but it is completely your choice.  The “Funeral Rule” protects a person’s right to choose who to buy a casket from (separate from a funeral home such as an outside retailer) and may exercise this right as protected under US Federal Law 16 CFR,Part 453.

Most caskets are made with a seal and in the United States many cemeteries require a vault in addition to a casket for burial.   A vault is used on the exterior of the casket to support the weight of the soil when buried, ideally preventing a collapse. It is important to remember when buying a casket with a warranty, regardless of the type of material chosen for a casket, that there is no way to  preserve your loved ones body over time.

Wooden Caskets

Using wood in the making of caskets or coffins to bury our dead is perhaps the most common material used in the Western world. In the past, the village carpenter of a town would make the casket and handle all of the funeral arrangements.  Often they were limited in type of wood available for the casket material in a given geographical location.  Today, we have a wide variety of choices, not only with various hardwoods, but a huge selection of craftsman and retailers to choose from.  The most widely used types of wood in the making of a casket include Mahogany, Cherry, Walnut, Maple, Oak, Ash, Poplar and Pine.

Metal Caskets

Metal caskets are used as an alternative to wood and each type of metal used has advantages and distinct appearances, such as steel,  bronze, copper and stainless steel.

All metal caskets are sealed with a protective coating, similar to the kind used on automobiles. The cost associated with a casket made from metal is always based on weight – the thicker the metal the more expensive the casket.  Metal caskets are very commonly used in California and this is the type of  casket we have selected for our packages.

Alternative Materials

Alternative materials to wood and metal caskets are increasing with interest in more ecology friendly ways to bury loved ones. Fiberglass, bamboo, willow, banana leaf, and mushroom suits have been used in lieu of more traditional materials. Using biodegradable materials is not only growing in popularity not just from ecologists, but in densely populated metropolitan cities around the globe resulting from a lack of vacant cemetery space available.

In general pricing for caskets is largely based on the type of material chosen and any additional personalization, but one can expect to spend anywhere from $1,000 up to $30,000 and more.  As an example, Micheal Jackson’s casket cost $30,000 – perhaps you will select a more modest one. 

Funerals Your Way
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