How Weather Affects Outdoor Memorials and Cremation Urns
Understanding how weather affects outdoor memorials and outdoor cremation urns is key to choosing the right type of memorial for your departed loved one. The constant cycles of temperature changes, rising and falling moisture levels, and the physical impact of rain and wind all affect these memorials.
The image of a mossy, broken, or faded headstone is central to many an old-fashioned story, and this trope is true for a simple reason: wind, rain, snow, ice, and heat all eventually degrade any material left outdoors for long periods.
Some materials weather better than others; let’s examine your options for outdoor memorials and outdoor cremation urns so you can make the right choice for you and your loved one.
Why Weather Matters for Outdoor Memorials
You need to take the weather into account when selecting your outdoor memorial because it will erode certain materials much more quickly than others. Outdoor memorials are precious, priceless items, and it is essential to choose a durable, lasting material so you can honor your loved one’s memory for decades to come. To be clear, weathering is a phenomenon that will eventually affect any memorial; it’s simply a matter of how long it takes and how severe the changes are.
Materials That Withstand Outdoor Conditions Best
Stone and metal are the most common materials used for outdoor memorials and cremation urns.
- Granite is the most durable of your stone options. It is a tough, but beautiful stone, prized for its ability to withstand the elements for decades. Granite is an ideal choice for any outdoor memorial.
- Marble is another classic stone choice for outdoor memorials and is prized for its beautiful appearance. However, marble is more porous than granite and will show discoloration and wear (relatively) more quickly. Marble is best used in sheltered outdoor areas, such as an outdoor columbarium.
- Stainless steel can withstand discoloration for many years, resists moisture, and is an excellent choice for any outdoor memorial.
- Bronze and brass are also popular choices for cremation urns. These metals, especially brass, will develop a patina over time due to weathering; however, this coloration is often considered attractive and desirable and can take many years to develop.
What about materials to avoid? Wood is typically not recommended for outdoor memorials, unless you are growing a live memorial tree. Wooden urns will quickly deteriorate outside, especially in moist, warm environments. Wood is also vulnerable to stress changes due to temperature fluctuations.
Other materials, like glass and ceramic, can be used with care; however, they are breakable and very fragile. Ceramic can be vulnerable to cracking in outdoor conditions, especially during freeze-thaw cycles, if moisture enters small surface imperfections. Temperature changes can cause ceramic and glass to break if left outside. Wood, ceramic, and glass are typically materials used indoors or in sheltered outdoor environments.
How Temperature and Moisture Affect Cremation Urns
As temperatures change, they affect the physical structure of cremation urns. Heat causes materials to expand, even seemingly robust materials like metal and stone. This results in the urn's physical structure degrading, albeit slowly. This degradation is sped up when heat is followed by rapid cooling, which causes the material to contract. Even if these cycles occur slowly over seasons and years, natural temperature fluctuations will weaken cremation urns.
Moisture is the other player in weathering. In damp climates, it’s common for plant life to grow on stone memorials if they are in sheltered places. Rain itself will slowly wear away stone and discolor metal. Marble and other softer stones, like limestone, are vulnerable to discoloration from minerals in rainwater.
Temperature and moisture also work together to wear down cremation urns; as materials expand in warmer temperatures, moisture will seep in, become trapped, and start to break down memorials from within.
Maintaining Outdoor Memorial Stones and Planters
While some aging from weathering is inevitable, with some basic yearly care, your outdoor memorial can remain beautiful for years and decades to come. Caring for your outdoor memorial or cremation urn is simple: every 6-12 months, gently wipe away dirt and debris, then clean with a soft cloth and water.
Do not power spray, scrub, or use harsh chemicals on your outdoor memorials. Though we applaud your enthusiasm, any of these actions will cause premature wear, strip off protective layers, and are unnecessary.
Tips for Long-Term Care of Outdoor Memorial Spaces
Caring for an outdoor memorial space can be a meaningful way to stay connected. Simple tasks like cleaning or tidying can be woven into each visit, offering quiet moments of reflection. Larger projects, such as yard work, may be shared with family or friends, creating opportunities for connection. When needed, professionals can help maintain the space. Most importantly, allow yourself to enjoy time there, even if it isn’t perfectly kept.
Learn How The Living Urn® Helps Families Create Lasting Outdoor Tributes
Here at The Living Urn®, we are committed to helping you create lasting, meaningful outdoor memorials for your loved ones.
- Our patented BioUrn planting system is America’s number one way to become a tree after you pass. With our RootProtect additives and easy-to-use design, we make it simple to plant cremation ashes with a young tree and create a true living urn.
- Wondering where to plant a memorial tree? The Living Urn’s Memory Forest program partners with leading cemeteries and memorial gardens, which provide protected, tranquil spaces to plant these special trees, where they can grow with care.
- We offer beautiful and long-lasting granite memorial stones, perfect for gardens or by a memorial tree. Personalized with engravings, these stone plaques are a way to mark a loved one’s resting place. Our line of ceramic cremation stones can also be placed outside at memorial sites.
- Many people are choosing to lay their loved ones to rest in nature through the practice of ash scattering. The Living Urn offers a range of ash scattering services. We can do the planning for an entire scattering ceremony, perform the scattering for you, or help you plan a service for a departed loved one.
Laying your loved one to rest outdoors or creating outdoor memorials is a lovely way not only to honor them but also to create a space for remembrance, reflection, and comfort for yourself and others.