The Quarry
Granite is one of the hardest stones known to man and is naturally formed deep below the surface over thousand of years. Granite can be found in almost any area of the world. There are many uses for granite such as: counter tops, pillars, monuments, building materials, flooring, and many other uses. Not all granite found in the world is monument grade. Granite is widely found in the United States in Georgia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, and many other states. Some of the granites used in the U.S. are imported from other countries.
The Process
The process of extracting the granite from the ground begins with making a channel around the block to be quarried with a torch or water jet. Excavators then drill a line of holes along the bottom edge which is then packed with a primer cord or blasting material. The granite is blasted so it can be loosened and then “lifted” from the vein of granite. The extracted granite block has an average size of 30 feet in width and height and a depth of 10 feet. The workers will drill another series of holes in the block to further reduce its size using wedges and shims to break off more manageable pieces. The blocks are then lifted out of the pit or loaded on a fork truck and then removed depending on the quarries design and set up.
The Finishing Facility | Our Shop
The quarried blocks are loaded on a truck and transported to our facilities. Once the granite block is delivered to us, it is then sawed into slabs with very large diamond saws. The granite slabs are then placed under large rotating machines that use a series of diamond pads to polish the surface of the granite giving the piece a mirrored natural shine.
Once the polishing phase is complete several options are available depending on the specifications placed on the order. The finished product may consist of a rock pitched (a rough natural finish), polished, sawed edge (smooth satin) finish, or a combination of any of the above.
Monument Service
The monument will be created at our own shop for final preparation by our craftsman. We do all our own work, and nothing is sub-contracted out.(We are not just a sales office, we are the stone cutters) A rubber stencil will be created and cut with the appropriate design and lettering previously approved by the customer. The rubber stencil is placed on the monument so the sandblasting process can be preformed. We then sandblast the lettering and design to the proper depth to obtain the best contrast for viewing. The monument is then stripped of the rubber stencil and prepared for delivery to the cemetery.
Installation
We do all our own installations to ensure the finished product is done correctly and safely. It's very easy to just appoint someone to deliver a monument to a grave however it is far more in depth than that. (some cemeteries do there own installation or the customer will pick up and set it themselves) The monument will be loaded along with the other components on the installation truck for transport to the grave-site. To complete the process the foundation is dug and the monument is placed and secured to the foundation. We do not walk away from the monument until it is inspected and double checked.