Frequently Asked Questions

Usually that depends upon the cemetery. You would need to discuss that with your funeral director or the cemetery of your choosing. Most cemeteries would be okay with a casket that is not sealed. The main reason people choose a sealed casket is to protect the remains of your loved one. However there is no permanent seal on a casket. All sealed caskets use a rubber gasket that will break down over time. This can be delayed by placing the casket in a sealed vault.

No, wood caskets do not have a gasket. If you were to seal a wood casket, it would crack and split due to the locking mechanism when it is cranked down tight. If you are interested in a casket with a gasket, a metal casket is the only option.

Yes. You can buy from an online casket company and have it taken to the funeral home. The funeral director cannot tell you he will not accept a casket from an outside source. It is against the law. According to the Federal Trade Commission a casket can be bought from a third party company and then taken to the funeral home for your intended use. The funeral home cannot charge you more because you are buying a casket elsewhere.

The best thing to do is to talk to the funeral director about his services. By law they have to give you an itemized price list of each service and it cannot change after you buy your own casket. After you have a price list then you can mention to him that you would like to buy a casket on your own. No funeral home can charge a fee for the customer using a casket bought elsewhere through an alternate source, nor require a family member to be present at the time of delivery, nor even make a funeral service...

Some casket handles are Stationary and some are Swing.  Both do the job intended but depending on those carrying the casket as to weather they have a comfortable fit.  Stationary handles are about a inch to an inch and a quarter while the Swing handles are larger at an inch and three quarters to two inches.  So depending on hand size the grip may be better on the Swing for some pallbearers.