Casket and Coffins

The choice of the consumer will most likely depend upon the available budget and perhaps reflect their philosophy and/or religion in regard to burial of the dead. Some people believe that the deceased should be laid to rest in luxury with no-expense spared. Conversely, there are those who believe that the soul or spirit was the essence of the deceased and view burial as being relatively unimportant.

The types of caskets available for burial are numerous, however the most popular are listed here:

Cloth Covered Caskets

The least expensive casket prices usually reflect the quality of the merchandise offered. Cloth covered caskets' base material is usually composed of corrugated fiberboard & pressed wood; on occasion, soft woods may also be used. Exterior cloth coverings are then used and then the finished interiors have bedding as well as a lining.

Veneer Caskets

This is a less expensive type of casket than one made from a solid wood, yet it will still be pleasant to look at.

Non-Gasketed Steel Casket

The thinnest type of steel that casket manufacturers employ (20-gauge) is used in the construction of these caskets. Spot-welding is utilized to keep the bottom of the casket in place and is also used at the corners. This is a good choice for people with a preference for metal-caskets but are on a tight budget, although they are usually limited to a 'square-corner' design so the aesthetic options are small.

Gasketed Steel Caskets

These caskets utilize a continuous-weld at the seams, corners or at seams where the sides meet the ends during manufacture. The type of steel used can be 20-gauge (the thinnest), 18-gauge or 16-gauge (the latter being 67% thicker then 20-gauge, 18-gauge having 33% greater thickness than 20-gauge). To ensure the integrity of the casket, epoxies or similar substances can be used, as they will also minimize the likelihood of outside elements permeating the interior of the casket. In addition to this, the bottom of the casket may be seam-welded.

The 20-gauge caskets will almost certainly be square-cornered in design. However, caskets made from 18-gauge or 16-gauge steel will be able to offer a choice of designs with round corners, square corners or even round-cornered urn designs.

Hardwood Caskets

A hardwood casket can require between 130 to 150 board feet of lumbar in its' construction. Perhaps it is because of the effort required to gather the materials, or maybe due to the sense of history and timelessness associated with hardwood caskets, but such caskets seem to carry a certain dignity with them. This is also reflected in the quality of design and craftsmanship. Such caskets may have satin or gloss