FAQs

We are a small family owned business. The machinery we use has been lovingly taken care of, with some items dating back to 1910. We take pride in the work we do and are proud to say that our team have a combined experience of over 100 years within the industry.

Providing we have all of the information required, our team will provide you with a quote on the same day.

The first stage of the process is for us to provide you with a quotation. In order to proceed, we require a 50% deposit to place your material on order and to book in a templating date.

Our team will then process your order and begin creating your worktops. The remaining balance will be due before we secure a fitting date, once your worktops are ready.

Templating is a process in which we create a replica of your required worktops. The templates will contain the exact sizes and locations of any cut outs, along with any other details in your requirements. In order to template, your base units need to be fitted in their final position and your walls need to be plastered.

Please note: it is very important that nothing is moved or altered in anyway after templating, as your worktops will not fit.

Yes.

We do recommend using a skilled Mason who is used to working with the material; but if you would prefer to provide us with a template only, we will then shape the pieces for you.

Quartz generally comes in slab sizes that are 3.2m x 1.6m, whilst Granite slabs do vary slightly. Any pieces of worktop over this size will require a joint.

Granite is a 100% pure natural stone that is quarried from all over the world (commonly India & China). The large blocks of granite are cut into manageable slabs which are sent on to fabricators like ourselves. As granite is a natural rock, the overall finish of the material can vary significantly from one piece to another.

It is not uncommon to have two pieces of the same material, from the same quarry, to look entirely different. Each slab is unique in colour and finish and we therefore would recommend that you visit our supplier to select the exact slabs, if you have a specific requirement. Generally, granite will require regular sealing to prevent staining and water ingress.

Quartz worktops are a man-made, engineered stone and generally contain around 93% natural quartz, along with polymer resins and pigments to bind everything together. Because of this, quartz worktops are totally non porous and will never require sealing.

Generally granite and quartz are very heat resistant but not entirely heat proof. Of the two, granite is more heat proof.

We  recommend the use of a trivet for hot pans in order to prevent thermal shock (where a crack appears in the material due to the sudden temperature change).

We offer several different edge profiles. Our most popular is the standard flat polish with pencil rounds or the flat chamfer. We also offer ogee edging, full bullnose, triple pencil round and shark nose.

Our expert team will guide you through the process so there is no need to worry. If you wish to proceed with our quotation, we request payment to place the memorial on order. We will then provide you with a memorial proof for approval showing the intended layout of the inscription, along with a permit application form for signature. We will then submit to the Cemetery/Church on your behalf.

Once we are in receipt of the approved permit and the memorial, our masons will begin creating your design and arrange to fix this in place.

We can provide you with a quotation for a wide variety of memorials shown from our brochures immediately. However, for bespoke requests we will need to request a price from the factory.

As an example, a bespoke request would include a different coloured material or a request to remove certain feature from the memorial.

A kerb set quotation will always be treated as ‘bespoke’ to ensure that the size quoted for is within the cemetery’s requirements.

After the burial of your loved one, the recommended ground settlement period is at least 6 months. This is to give the best possible chance of preventing the grave sinking, and the risk of the memorial subsiding is minimal. If there is a concrete plinth in place in the ground, then a memorial can usually be fixed immediately.

Some materials are brought in from over seas. Many Granites are imported from India or China, and Carrara marble is imported from Italy.

Other materials we commonly use for memorials are Sandstone from Derbyshire and Slate from Cumbria or Wales. These stones are a genuine, natural rock that are cut direct from the earth and shaped in our workshop.

We always use the highest quality trade enamel and gild. Our methods are systematically in place to ensure longevity. However, the location and type of material can have an impact on the longevity of the inscription.

Our memorial fixers hold licenses gained through BRAMM (British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons).

The memorials we fix in place all adhere to the latest regulations under the National Association of Memorial Masons, under their code of working practice BS 8415 guidance.

This involves a NAMM Anchor Pin System, which comprises of two small dowels either side of the head of the memorial to secure this to the base and then one large stainless-steel pin bored through the centre of the memorial and base, directly into the ground.

These regulations ensure that the all of our customers are provided with a memorial that is of good lasting quality and fit for purpose – requiring as little structural maintenance as possible.

At the time of placing your order for a new memorial, our team will ask if you intend on adding a future inscription and if required, we will ensure adequate space is left.

When the time comes, your Funeral Director will usually arrange for us to remove the stone before burial. The stone will then be stored at our workshop and we will contact you in due course to arrange the additional inscription.

Usually, we will need to submit a permit application to the Cemetery/Church for these works. Once approval has been received, we will be able to arrange for your memorial to be completed and re-fixed.