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Losing a loved one is never easy, and making funeral arrangements can be tedious – especially when choosing the right casket.
When making a personal decision for a family member or friend, the choice should reflect the deceased’s personality, values, and lifestyle. Caskets (or coffins) today can be customized in numerous ways and make an excellent tribute to your loved one’s legacy.
An excellent way to begin this process is by comparing basic material types available for caskets. Don’t know where to start? We’re here to help.
Let’s look at wood versus metal caskets and reveal their differences, including price, quality, appearance, and environmental concerns.
When deciding on a casket, it’s vital to keep your price points in mind. While there are some differences in pricing between wooden and metal caskets, there are options for every preference.
Wood caskets can be more affordable than precious metals, but they are not as durable. We’ll talk about the environmental impact of wooden coffins later on. Wood is also more challenging to clean than a metal casket due to its porous nature.
Wooden caskets cannot be painted, which limits colors to glosses and finishes. However, this can provide a warm and natural wood look. Solid hardwood will also cost more than wood veneer.
The cost range for wood caskets ranges from $895 to $4,000+.
The primary material types used for metal caskets are often more affordable than other metals. In addition, metal caskets present a more modern look than hardwood caskets, and they can withstand moisture from rain or snow and protect against weather-related wear.
For an additional $1000, metal caskets can be customized with photos, colors, and words. Take this custom casket for a photographer, for instance. His family gathered photos he took throughout the years that were then wrapped over the entire casket, creating a beautiful memorial to his life’s work.
The cost range for metal caskets starts at $995 and ranges to $3,000+ before customization.
Modern caskets come in a wide variety of different colors and materials. So whether you are looking for something more traditional, like solid wood, or something more contemporary, like standard steel, there is an option for everyone.
Wood caskets have a warmer, more traditional appearance. They also tend to have a more elegant, less flashy appearance. Wood can be adorned with almost any type of external decoration you might desire—various kinds of wood, ranging from dark cherry wood to lighter colors such as oak and ash.
Some of the available hardwood casket materials include:
Metal caskets provide a more modern and austere appearance. Metal caskets are popular not only because of their durability but also because they come in different colors. In addition, metal provides an advantage over wood in this category in that it can be molded and stamped with almost any type of design that one might desire for the eternal resting place of your loved one.
Metal caskets are available in a variety of materials beyond standard steel, including:
Families and people making funeral arrangements may have different goals regarding quality and environmental impact. Let’s look at the difference between wood and metal caskets regarding protection from the outside elements and decomposition.
Wooden Caskets Quality and Environmental Impact
Wooden caskets are built to last, but since they are made of the natural resources of a tree, they will decompose over time. In addition, the wood is not coated with any chemicals, so it will eventually decompose into its base elements like water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, and organic matter.
Metal implements such as hinges, nails, rails, and corner barriers can be replaced by environmentally friendly alternatives such as glues, pegs, joints, and other nature-friendly fasteners and connectors.
Metal Caskets Quality and Environmental Impact
Metal takes much longer to break down and return to ecological basics than wood. The metal casket is the obvious choice if you want protection from the outside elements. It can be coated with various chemicals to prevent rust and corrosion. Some coffins are hermetically sealed with a rubber gasket to provide maximum environmental protection for your loved one.
You can decide the level of protection from natural forces since metal coffins come in various thicknesses ranging from 14 to 24 gauge metals. Crushproof caskets are also available and almost entirely impervious to outside influences.
Both solid wood and steel caskets offer benefits, depending on what people want. Both metal and wood caskets can be a special memorial to your loved one to be appreciated by the guests at their funeral service. Wood caskets tend to be lower in price, but metal caskets offer a modern casket that is durable and protective from outside elements.
The team here at Sky Caskets is here to support you during this time of grief and help you celebrate your loved one’s life. No matter what type of casket you choose, we will work with you to create a day of remembrance and a beautiful funeral service for you and your family.
During this time of grief and remembrance, Sky Caskets is here to help answer your questions. Call us at 800-759-1018 or message us using our online form.
During this time of grief and remembrance of your loved one, Sky Caskets is here to answer your questions and help you in any way that we can. You can give us a call anytime at 800-759-1018 or send us a message using the form below.
