Helping Preserve Family Legacy Since 1956
At Riley-Gardner Memorial we carry the highest quality granite and marble in the industry. All of the monuments that we carry have proven to withstand the outdoor elements and therefore meet our one-of-a-kind guarantee. At each location and funeral home that we serve, there are educated sales representatives who will guide you through the process of memorializing your loved one.
Choosing and Personalizing Your Memorial
When you walk into one of our locations, you can expect a heartfelt greeting from one of our friendly representatives. Time will be spent listening to you tell them about your loved one and finding out how to best serve your memorial needs. Once all options have been discussed, our representatives are trained to assist you in creating a one-of-a-kind monument. Each of our outlet locations are equipped to produce a computer generated proof of your headstone. This proof will be a scaled version of your custom memorial and is key in our mistake proof guarantee. Our representatives and artists specialize in creating all different types of monuments; from general sandblast designs, to laser etchings, to fully sculpted headstones.
Producing Your Memorial
Once these processes are complete, the stone is rolled out into the main production area where a thin layer of glue is applied to the freshly frosted areas. The stencil panels are placed back in the frosted areas from which they were earlier removed, and all of the lines and lettering will then be pulled to leave behind the design which will be cut deeply into the stone. The stone will next be sent through one of our two automated sandblasts. Once this final sandblasting is complete, the stone is pushed into the paint and wash room, where the newly sandblasted lettering and design will be painted. After being painted, the stencil is removed, the stone is washed and pushed out onto the drying rack.
Riley-Gardner Memorial takes pride in producing quality monuments. The production procedures discussed above are known as double processing. Double processing produces the sharpest and longest lasting lettering possible. Not all memorial companies produce this way, and it is very important to know that a single processed stone will fade and flake at a much faster rate.
Sandblast
After you have been presented with the custom design work you have requested and approve the rendering of your memorial we will begin the production phase. Your monument is brought into our manufacturing facility. A special template is cut out of a rubber mat which we call a stencil. The stencil matches the size and shape of the headstone you have selected and will be centered and laid out on the stone. All exposed polished areas that do not receive lettering or design will be covered with patching in order to protect them during the sandblasting process. All of the stencil that makes up the panels around the lettering, emblems, or design work will then be removed and laid aside for later use. At this point, the stone will go into our frosting sandblast where the polish is removed, leaving a bright panel to bring out the lettering and design work. If there are flowers in the design, the stone will then go into our special carving sandblast machine. This sandblast is designed for the artist to shape the flowers with a handheld sandblasting tool.
Riley-Gardner Memorial takes pride in producing quality monuments. The production procedures discussed above are known as double processing. Double processing produces the sharpest and longest lasting lettering possible. Not all memorial companies produce this way, and it is very important to know that a single processed stone will fade and flake at a much faster rate.
Laser Design
Riley-Gardner Memorial has been producing our own laser designed monuments since 2004. Before a lasered monument is created, an image must be input or designed in our computer program. This is a very tedious and time intensive process; however, once our artists have created an image, we can duplicate it as many times as needed. The most common color used for laser etching is Premium Black. Premium Black produces the cleanest laser photos and designs one can find. Other colors, such as Catseye Red and Dark Cloud, have proven to work well with laser; those colors show laser artwork very nicely but are not recommended for laser photos. Laser monuments are becoming more and more common in cemeteries. One question often asked is, “How long will the laser design last?” Laser, like sandblast, puts a break in the polish and exposes the raw stone beneath. The laser heats the stone and removes the polish where sandblast cuts into the stone therefore removing the polish. Unless the monument loses its polish or is re-polished the laser design will last for many years to come.
Installation
Once the above preparations are complete, the final stone product is ready for the installation process. We have crews stationed throughout Texas and Oklahoma so that we know that your newly crafted memorial will be guided safely to it final resting place.
