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 The
quarry...
Granite is one of the hardest stones known to man and is
naturally formed deep below the surface over thousand of
years. Granite can be found in almost any area of the
world. There are many uses for granite such as: counter
tops, pillars, monuments, building materials, flooring, and
many other uses. Not all granite found in the world is monument
grade. Granite is widely found in the United States in
Georgia, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Vermont, and many other
states. Some of the granites used in the U.S. are
imported from China, India and other countries.
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The process...
of extracting
the granite from the ground begins with making a channel
around the
block to be quarried with a torch or water jet.
Excavators then drill a line of holes along the bottom
edge which is then packed with a primer cord or blasting
material. The granite is blasted so it can be loosened
and then “lifted” from the vein of granite. The
extracted granite block has an average size of 30 feet
in width and height and a depth of 10 feet. The workers
will drill another series of holes in the block to
further reduce its size using wedges and shims to break
off more manageable pieces. The blocks are then lifted
out of the pit or loaded on a fork truck and then
removed depending on the quarries design and set up.
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 The
finishing facility (granite shed)...
The quarried blocks
are loaded on a truck and transported to the finishing
facility; the facility may be close in proximity or
may need to be shipped over seas. Once the granite block
is delivered to the granite shed it is then sawed into
slabs with very large diamond saws. The granite slabs
are then placed under large rotating machines that use a
series of diamond pads to polish the surface of the
granite giving the piece a mirrored natural shine.
Once the polishing
phase is complete several options are available
depending on the specifications placed on the order
submitted by companies like "Hollisters Monument Co.".
 The
finished product may consist of a rock pitched (a rough
natural finish), polished, sawed edge (smooth satin)
finish, or a combination of any of the
above. Other processes that are done at the granite shed
include the drilling of vase or cremation holes, which
is done with a coring machine. There are special diamond
contour wire saws and many other specialty tools as
well.
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Our monument
company...The
finished product is ordered from granite sheds
 according
to our customers specifications. The monument will be
crated and shipped to Hollisters Monument Co. for final
preparation.
A rubber stencil will be created and cut from a computer
plotter with the appropriate design and
lettering previously approved by the customer. The
rubber stencil is placed on the monument so the
 sandblasting process
can be preformed. Hollisters use a double process
which gives the product a sharper, crisper finish; Hollisters Monument Co. also
 sandblast the lettering and
design to the proper depth to obtain the best contrast
for viewing. A litho-chrome shadow is usually used in
the design and lettering to enhance the view. The
monument is then stripped of the rubber stencil and
prepared for delivery to the cemetery.
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 Installation...If
you choose Hollisters Monument Co. as the installer of
the monument, (some cemeteries do there own installation
or the customer will pick up and set it themselves) the
monument will be loaded along with the other components
on the installation truck for transport to the location.
To complete the process the foundation is dug and the
monument is placed and secured to the foundation.
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