If you have concerns about choosing a columbarium manufacturer that is not located within close proximity to your cemetery, rest assured that most cemeteries in North America aren’t located anywhere near a columbarium manufacturer. Quality columbarium manufacturers never worry about the shipping distance, because all of their products eventually have to be loaded on a truck and delivered to the cemetery.  Whether it is thousands of miles away or across the street, all experienced North American columbaria manufacturers know how to load their products onto flatbeds and ship them across the country. Therefore the most important thing to focus on when selecting a columbarium manufacturer, is to choose the company with a solid reputation in the industry for quality, craftsmanship, great designs and excellent customer service.
Once the columbarium is built, it is lifted onto a truck or a large flat bed shipping trailer. A tarp or plastic film is placed overtop of the granite surface in order to protect the columbaria from bugs and dirt while enroute. The load is strapped down and secured. The moment the columbaria are loaded on the truck, they are ready to be delivered anywhere in North America. From Vancouver, Washington to Bangor, Maine, from Northern Canada’s Yukon to Dallas Texas, an experienced columbarium manufacturer knows how to deliver products anywhere on the continent. Consider that once the columbaria are on wheels, they can be delivered to your cemetery within a few hours or maximum, a few days. So there is no need to be concerned about the shipping distances. These units are designed to be shipped.
For large commercial projects with thousands of niches, a series of columbaria deliveries may be required. The new cemetery section may need to be closed off as it will be deemed a construction site for a few days. This will allow for crews and cranes to operate safely as they adhere to civic or state building code regulations. For these larger commercial installations, time is spent on the installation of each columbarium section and finishing details are then applied in order to create that seamless appearance of continuity and flow.
For freestanding columbaria that are completed on all sides, these units are designed to be set in place within hours of arrival.
Once the columbaria arrive at the cemetery, Sunset arranges for a crane to lift the columbaria off the flatbed trailer and set each one in place.
Some cemeteries have large a large canopy of trees to clear. It is quite fascinating to see the reach of those tall cranes and how a skilled crane operator can maneuver around the branches. If your cemetery has a large canopy trees you will be quite surprised how a large crane can maneuver overtop of the foliage and place the columbaria on the exact site.
Depending on the model, the columbarium installation is fairly straightforward. To allow for the strapping to be removed underneath the base of the family columbarium, the smaller family columbaria are set on small shims and then gently tilted in place.
The larger heavier columbaria with the roofs intact are even easier to install. They are set on 4 bags of crushed ice. Yes that’s true! (4 bags of crushed ice.) A blow torch is then used to melt the ice at an even pace on all 4 sides. The plastic bags are then cut away with a cutting blade and …. Voila! The columbarium is set in place.
Some of our larger designs have specially engineered anchors that can hold the massive weight and allow for the unit to be set in place without shims or ice. No tricks required then. The roof is then placed on top with crowning glory.
Once the columbarium is set, it’s not moving anywhere. All that remains, is to simply clean the granite surface with a little glass cleaner and paper towel and the columbarium is ready for visitors to enjoy. For most installations, once the crane arrives, the process can be completed within hours of arrival. The disruption to the cemetery operations is designed to be kept at a minimal.
But take note, for some communities, this may be a grand event. Sunset has experienced some large crowds of onlookers interested in seeing the installation of the columbaria. The arrival of the cranes and seeing a huge granite columbarium dangling on a cable hovering over the tree canopies can make for some spectacular cemetery PR. So keep in mind that you may attract some attention with this delivery.
So when deciding on a North American columbarium manufacturing company, the columbarium shipping distance should never be a worry. Instead focus on purchasing the best engineered interior niche core design, and the highest quality columbarium possible. Look for a company with a solid reputation in the industry for customer service and experience. Centre your attention on developing an impressive columbaria garden that will attract families and visitors who see the value in beautiful designs and finely crafted columbaria.
