How to Install a Gravestone Marker
Installing a gravestone marker properly is important to prevent the headstone from leaning or falling. A properly-installed gravestone marker requires a concrete foundation. Depending on the size, it may also require rebar. The dimensions of the foundation are designed in proportion to the height and width of the gravestone. With a few simple tools and materials, a gravestone foundation requires less than an hour to lay. Once the foundation's cement cures, setting the gravestone marker is simple. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Specifications of gravestone
- Tape measure
- Shovel
- Hand tamper
- Sand or gravel
- Rebar
- Rebar cutter
- Wire
- Pliers
- Instant self-leveling concrete mix
- Wheelbarrow
- Trowel
Instructions
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1
Measure the length and width of the gravestone's base. Add 2 inches to each measurement. Dig the hole 18 inches deep for a headstone weighing 1,000 pounds or less. Dig a 36-inch hole for a headstone that weighs between 1,000 to 2,500 pounds. A 48-inch hole is required for a headstone between 2,500 and 6,000 pounds.
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2
Compact the bottom of the hole with a hand tamper. Compact until the bottom no longer gives. For soil that will not compact, dig out 6 additional inches of material from the bottom and add 6 inches of sand or gravel in the bottom.
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3
Cut one piece of rebar for every foot of depth equal to the length of the hole, minus two inches. These are the "A" rebars. Cut one piece of rebar for every foot of length. Cut these equal to the depth of the hole, minus two inches -- these are the "B" rebars. Round up if the measurement is not divisible by 12 inches. For example, an 18-inch depth requires two "A" rebars, even though it is not 2 feet deep. For every 2 feet of width, multiply the "A" and "B" rebars by two. A hole that is 18 inches deep, 16 inches wide and 3 feet in length requires six "A" rebars and six "B" rebars.
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Divide the "B" rebar by the width in feet. For example, for a 16-inch-wide hole, divide the "B" rebar by two -- remember to round the dimensions up to the nearest foot. This calculation determines the number of "B" groups. Lay the groups of "B" rebars on the ground. Place the rebar of each group parallel to one another. Divide the width of the hole by the number of rebars in each group. For the example above, the sum of the division equals 8 inches. Space the rebars in each group 8 inches apart.
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Divide the "A" rebars evenly among the "B" rebar groups. Divide the depth of the hole by the number of "A" rebars in each group. This calculation determines the spacing between the "A" rebars. Place the "A" rebar of each group across the "B" rebar of each group perpendicularly, spaced according to the calculated amount. Wire the "A" rebar to the "B" rebar at every intersection. The effect is one grid of rebar for every group. Place the grids in the hole.
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6
Empty the self-leveling instant concrete into the wheelbarrow. Mix in the correct ratio of water into the cement as specified by the manufacturer. Agitate the mix with a shovel until the concrete is evenly saturated. Fill the hole halfway with concrete. Adjust the rebar grids until they are plumb up and down. Do not lean them against the wall of the hole. Fill the remainder of the hole with concrete and allow it to settle, level and cure.
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7
Center the gravestone marker on the foundation. To do so, lay the marker behind the headstone and push it forward until the bottom corner overlaps the foundation by 1 inch. Lift the top of the headstone up until the base rests on the foundation. When the headstone is centered, 1 inch of foundation extends outside each side of the marker's base.
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References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
