Should I Buy a Vault or Concrete Grave Liner?

Here in the Houston area most cemeteries require an outer burial container to be installed at the time of burial. 

Outer burial container can mean a few different products. With this blog post I hope to shed some light and help you navigate which of these funeral products best suits your needs and wants. These products serve multiple roles 

1. They help protect the casket. Sometimes the weight of the dirt on top of the casket can put extra strain on the casket and there have been cases where particle failure has occurred (the dome potion of the casket caves in). 
2. They help protect the cemetery grounds. Graves are dug with heavy machinery nowadays, so these concrete boxes are placed into the grave site to help protect the integrity of the ground. This helps keep the cemetery looking beautiful for years into the future. 

Concrete Grave Liner

Sometimes called a C-Box, this is normally the minimum requirement for cemeteries within the city limits. I have seen this policy relaxed once you get out of town a little bit where they might not be as strict and the availability of these large products is scarce. These burial containers do not seal. meaning that water and debris are able to enter from around the lid, and through the drain holes. This is NOT a burial vault. But this is the most economical option for outer burial containers. 

Burial Vault

Burial vaults are considered to be an upgrade from the base model C-box. Vaults come in a variety of materials like concrete, steel, bronze, copper, and also come epoxy lined. Vaults do in fact seal, and do help keep out water and debris. I do recommend that a vault be used if the family would like to preserve and protect the casket though it is not required.