Consumer Tips

Purchasing A Memorial Tips and Information:

Unfortunately many people have never had to purchase a monument previously and have little or no experience in the process involved in purchasing a headstone and the various cemetery regulations that they have to comply with whilst erecting a memorial to the memory of their loved one. Fingal Memorials has put this section together to help customers be aware of the many pitfalls encountered in our Industry and like any other purchases one has to compare like with like and not end with an inferior product that will not stand the test of time.

Please find some useful information below:

Be an informed shopper:

Headstones are unlike anything you will ever buy in your lifetime. Headstones should never fall down, crumble ,go out of fashion or lose their value,

They are a once in a lifetime purchase and if chosen wisely and erected and purchased from a genuine qualified monumental company they will stand as a tribute to your loved ones in your local cemtery for future generations and the benefit of our children's, children's, children.

Firstly:

Shop around; Compare Quality, Craftsmanship and Price, in that order before making any hasty decisions.

Ask yourself are they the same?
Make sure you are getting the same material, shape and size. Two memorials that look similar can be completely different in materials, size and price. For instance there are a number of grey and black granites on the market at the moment in various qualities, One such granite Sea Grey granite from China is cheap, but has a high porosity rate and will hold water permanantely whilst Rustenberg granite from South African is more expensive and durable than these cheaper inferior granites which will erode the gold leaf or paintwork on your memorial within a few months and the memorial will always look damp and lacklustre in the cemetery. Likewise Fingal Memorials ,only use the best Indian Supreme Black granites, however there are cheaper Chinese Shanxi Black granites on the market which can alter the price radically. Compare ike with like and always ask the monumental sculptor what granite they are quoting you for.

The best showroom you will see is in your local cemetery.
Visit the cemetery before deciding on a monumental sculptor. Compare craftsmanship and quality within the cemetery. Never buy a headstone from anyone who approaches you in a cemetery or hand over substantial deposits to individuals that you meet there, Arrange to call to their office or showroom to inspect their work and pay the deposit, If they fob you off or do not have a showroom/ workshop  you can be almost sure that they are not a genuine monumental sculplting company.

The test of time:

All memorials should be durable and constructed to be long lasting to withstand the elements and stand the test of time, Make sure that you receive a written guarantee from your chosen company that covers the replacement of the memorial should it prove to be defective in the granite used or craftsmanship, and any reputable memorial company will happily supply you with this however it is important to note that this guarantee or warranty is only as good as the company writing it and with the upsurge of memorial companies setting up on the internet as dot com-panies, trading online using throwaway mobile phone numbers, google adwords and company names that have long ago being liquidated or struck off all such guarantees are worthless. So for your peace of mind it is vitally important that the company that you choose to purchase your memorial from will be there if you need them ten, twenty forty or one hundred years from now as these .com or phoenix companies will usually only be in business for a limited number of years.

Cemetery Regulations:

There are various cemetery regulations and restrictions as to heights allowed , kerbing allowed, size of graves etc.  As these have a bearing on your choice of memorial it is important to check these regulations with the cemetery authorities or your local monumental sculptor before choosing or designing or ordering a memorial.

Monumental sculpting is a treasured craft, something grave diggers, builders and cemetery authorities can never recreate that is why it is so important to buy only from a reputable monumental sculptor such as Fingal Memorials for peace of mind and cut out the non compliant cowboys who currently operate within the monumental industry.