CHOOSING A WOODEN CASKET
Wood, one of the oldest building materials known to man, is a renewable resource and as such is an excellent material to use when designing caskets.
When choosing a wooden casket, there are numerous things to consider. You can go with something as simple as a plain pine box or something as elegant as a wooden casket made of cherry or mahogany. There are even “green” caskets available which are constructed of layers of cardboard and wood veneer.
If a solid wooden casket is your preference, there are many species of hardwood trees to consider. Some of the more common types of hardwood available when choosing a wooden casket are cherry, maple, oak, ash, mahogany, walnut, and poplar. Most people choose a particular hardwood based on the appearance of the wood, for example the grain and the color. Hardwood is any wood derived from a leaf-bearing tree and does not refer to the hardness of the wood’s surface. Oak and ash are examples of open grain hardwoods and maple and poplar are considered close grain. Wooden caskets are available in many tones from light to very dark.
Another thing to consider when choosing a wooden casket is the price. Woods can be grouped into three main categories: premium, standard, and common. In the premium category are included cherry, walnut, and mahogany. The standard category includes woods such as ash, maple, oak, and elm. Poplar and cottonwood are examples of the common woods. The least expensive hardwood caskets are fashioned from the common woods like poplar and the prices of the wooden caskets will go up from there.
If you like the look of the solid wooden caskets but do not want to pay the prices charged for these products, you may want to consider a casket built of wood veneers that is available at a more economical price. These wooden caskets offer the warmth and beauty of the solid wood at a fraction of the cost.
Carol Fishback
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