What Size Urn Do I Need?
Cremation
urns
come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and with so
many options one may wonder what is the appropriate size
cremation
urn
for their loved one. In deciding on the right size urn to
purchase there are a couple of considerations to be made.
Displacement of Cremated Remains
First and foremost consider the displacement of
the cremains (cremated remains) of the person the
cremation urn will be for. The displacement of cremains varies from one person
to another and may not be relative to a persons body weight or height,
yet here are some guidelines that may help with your decision.
Adults: Typically most of our cremation urns will be able to accommodate the entire cremains of an adult. When
the crematory returns the cremains to the family they are contained
in what is referred to as a "temporary cremains container"
or "temporary cremation urn" which is usually made of
plastic, rectangular in shape and has a hinged lid on the top from
where the cremains are placed. The most common dimensions for this
type of container are approximately 8" tall x 4-1/4" deep
x 6" wide. The capacity of a container with these dimensions
is about 200 cubic inches give or take a couple of inches depending
on the thickness of the container walls.
The best way to determine what the displacement
of an individual's cremains are is to open the top of the temporary
cremation urn (or if you feel uncomfortable doing this have a close
friend or relative do it) and measure the distance from the very
top edge of the container to the top of the cremains (usually stored
within a plastic bag in the container to prevent separation). For
every inch of distance between the top of the cremains and the top
of the temporary cremation urn that distance translates to approximately
25 cubic inches and should be subtracted from the total volume of
200 cubic inches to arrive at the approximate displacement.
Example:
Temporary cremation urn displacement =.............................200.0
cu. in.
Lets say the distance measured is 1.5" which translates to
...(-37.5 cu. in.)
Total cubic inch displacement =.........................................162.5
This figure may vary if the temporary cremation
urn's dimensions are different from the ones given, but most temporary
cremation urns fall within the dimensions provided.
Infants & Children: Infants and children usually
require far less space than an adult. Typically an infant 1 year
and younger will displace under 30 cubic inches. With children it
varies due to the size of an individual and can be determined using
the method prescribed for adults.
Placement of a Cremation Urn in a Columbarium
or Niche
A columbarium or niche is modular in design consisting
of many compartments or niches which open from the front and measure
just large enough to accommodate one or two cremation urns and a
few mementos. Usually located on cemetery grounds the columbariums
can have marble, granite or even glass fronts for viewing the cremation
urns.
If placing the cremation urn in a columbarium
or a niche within a cemetery one must also consider the interior
dimensions of the niche. Some of the urns we carry may not fit in
every niche, it is important to make that determination prior to
purchasing one as to avoid any returns. Every one of our urns has
the dimensions and cubic inch displacement information provided
on the product pages
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