Production of monuments of artificial stone. Tombstones from concrete: service life and price

As you know, the market has a lot of options for monuments. For this, a variety of materials are used, from very simple and common, to rare and even outlandish. And if it is practically impossible to process granite without special equipment and stone-cutting skills, then manufacturing of monuments from concrete is within the power of almost anyone, the main thing is to know the features of the technology and do them all, since strength and durability are very, very important.

In the photo: the forms for the manufacture of concrete monuments are diverse, it is important to choose the option that suits you the most

Features of the preparatory phase

At this stage, you should cook everything you need when working.

Consider what should be at hand so as not to be distracted during the manufacturing process:

First you need to find forms for concrete - for monuments, modern plastic options are best. Its smooth surface provides excellent polish-free appearance. You can only get a mold for a plate, and make the base yourself, or cast it in a special design, it all depends on personal preferences and capabilities.

The market offers many different forms for the manufacture of monuments with their own hands.

To increase the strength and durability of the structure, reinforcing elements are also necessary, as the most often used reinforcement 10-12 mm thick or a metal circle. The size of the elements depends on the configuration and mass of the monument and is calculated individually in each individual case.
High-quality cement is also needed, it is best to purchase the M500 brand without additives (the bag must be marked D0). The strength of the product obtained directly depends on cement, so it is not worth saving on it in any case.

The presence of GOSTs on the packaging is an additional certificate of product quality

You can use marble chips as a filler, then you need to purchase this material in the required quantity. It is worth considering that the price of high-quality chips is quite high, so many use the option with a special dye for concrete, it is added either to the whole solution, or to that part that will be used for the outer layer.
Another important component is plasticizer, with its help the mixture becomes plastic, and air is much better removed from it, which is especially important if you do not have a vibrating table and compaction will be carried out manually.

The plasticizer allows air to freely leave the solution

Important! Do not forget that the cleaner the sand, the stronger the artificial stone will be. It is best to rinse it, it is very simple to do: pour it into a container, add water and stir, the sand will settle. And clay particles and other impurities will remain on top, dirty water is drained, and the procedure is repeated 2-3 more times.

Workflow stages

As you know, monuments to the grave of concrete are exposed to many unfavorable factors, therefore technological process must be observed very scrupulously. Let's consider its main features (read also the article “Concrete Care - How to Make the Material as Strong as Possible”).

Solution preparation

The mixture is prepared as follows:

If the work will be carried out manually, then a large convenient container is needed, but it is better to use a concrete mixer, so you can ensure a higher quality of the mixture.

Concrete mixer greatly facilitates the work

First, sand and cement should be mixed, most often a 1: 1 ratio of components is taken for the front layer, then the plasticizer and dye are diluted in water, so the additives are guaranteed to be distributed throughout the volume of the solution, so much water is added that the composition has a thick sour cream consistency.
For the inner part, the solution is prepared in the proportion of cement to sand 1: 3, in addition, you will need well-washed crushed stone, the amount of which is determined experimentally during the preparation of the mixture.

Advice! The amount of solution depends on the dimensions of the product, it is worth remembering that the thickness of the upper layer should be at least 1 centimeter, the rest is an internal aggregate with crushed stone.

Shaping the Product

This process can be divided into several stages:

Stage 1 The mold for concrete monuments is processed so that the mortar does not adhere to it and the surface is perfectly smooth. It is best to use a special compound or silicone grease for this, which is sold in car dealerships. How to use the composition, prompt instructions on the package. 2nd stage The first layer is applied with a thickness of 1-2 centimeters, and the solution must be carefully compacted so that it fills all the fragments of the form. The appearance of the monument depends on this, so the work should be carried out very carefully. Stage 3 Several reinforcing rods are placed on the first layer for reinforcing the structure, while remembering that the lower ends should protrude for further fastening, it is better to do this immediately, as diamond drilling holes in concrete and cutting reinforced concrete with diamond in circles - time-consuming activities, and it is better to avoid them. 4th stage After the concrete has been compacted, several reinforcing rods are laid and the outer layer is laid, which should be carefully leveled with a trowel. Most likely, it will have to be sanded, so the better the alignment is carried out, the less work will be in the future. The final stage And finally, the completed form must be left in a dry room at a temperature of 15-20 degrees, the product can be removed after two days and left for 4 weeks, constantly moistening the surface for maximum strength.

Silicone grease is convenient to use - it is sold as a spray

Concrete monuments made in this way will serve for decades, not inferior to analogues of artificial marble.

Conclusion

Making a reliable monument is not so simple, but with some effort you can achieve a good result. The video in this article will tell you some more features of this type of work (see also the article "Concrete base: practical recommendations and tips").

Features of the preparatory phase

At this stage, you should cook everything you need when working.

Consider what should be at hand so as not to be distracted during the manufacturing process:

First you need to find forms for concrete - for monuments, modern plastic options are best. Its smooth surface provides excellent polish-free appearance. You can only get a mold for a plate, and make the base yourself, or cast it in a special design, it all depends on personal preferences and capabilities.

To increase the strength and durability of the structure, reinforcing elements are also necessary, as the most often used reinforcement 10-12 mm thick or a metal circle. The size of the elements depends on the configuration and mass of the monument and is calculated individually in each individual case.
High-quality cement is also needed, it is best to purchase the M500 brand without additives (the bag must be marked D0). The strength of the product obtained directly depends on cement, so it is not worth saving on it in any case.

You can use marble chips as a filler, then you need to purchase this material in the required quantity. It is worth considering that the price of high-quality chips is quite high, so many use the option with a special dye for concrete, it is added either to the whole solution, or to that part that will be used for the outer layer.
Another important component is plasticizer, with its help the mixture becomes plastic, and air is much better removed from it, which is especially important if you do not have a vibrating table and compaction will be carried out manually.

Important! Do not forget that the cleaner the sand, the stronger the artificial stone will be. It is best to rinse it, it is very simple to do: pour it into a container, add water and stir, the sand will settle. And clay particles and other impurities will remain on top, dirty water is drained, and the procedure is repeated 2-3 more times.

Workflow stages

As you know, monuments to the grave of concrete are exposed to many adverse factors, so the process must be observed very scrupulously. Consider its main features ().

Solution preparation

The mixture is prepared as follows:

If the work will be carried out manually, then a large convenient container is needed, but it is better to use a concrete mixer, so you can ensure a higher quality of the mixture.

First, sand and cement should be mixed, most often a 1: 1 ratio of components is taken for the front layer, then the plasticizer and dye are diluted in water, so the additives are guaranteed to be distributed throughout the volume of the solution, so much water is added that the composition has a thick sour cream consistency.
For the inner part, the solution is prepared in the proportion of cement to sand 1: 3, in addition, you will need well-washed crushed stone, the amount of which is determined experimentally during the preparation of the mixture.

Advice! The amount of solution depends on the dimensions of the product, it is worth remembering that the thickness of the upper layer should be at least 1 centimeter, the rest is an internal aggregate with crushed stone.

Shaping the Product

This process can be divided into several stages:

1st stage	The mold for concrete monuments is processed so that the mortar does not stick to it and the surface is perfectly smooth. It is best to use a special compound or silicone grease for this, which is sold in car dealerships. How to use the composition, prompt instructions on the package.
2nd stage	The first layer is applied with a thickness of 1-2 centimeters, while it is necessary to carefully compact the solution so that it fills all fragments of the form. The appearance of the monument depends on this, so the work should be carried out very carefully.
3rd stage	Several reinforcing rods are placed on the first layer to reinforce the structure, while remembering that the lower ends should protrude for further fastening, it is better to do this immediately, since diamond drilling of holes in concrete and cutting reinforced concrete with diamond wheels are laborious , and it is better to avoid them.
4th stage	After a few more reinforcement rods are laid, and the outer layer is laid, which should be carefully leveled with a trowel. Most likely, it will have to be sanded, so the better the alignment is carried out, the less work will be in the future.
The final stage	And finally, the completed form must be left in a dry room at a temperature of 15-20 degrees, the product can be removed after two days and left for 4 weeks, constantly moistening the surface for maximum strength.

Concrete monuments made in this way will serve for decades, not inferior to analogues of artificial marble.

Conclusion

Making a reliable monument is not so simple, but with some effort you can achieve a good result. The video in this article will tell you some more features of this type of work ().

Ritual offices are now quite widespread. However, all of them, in the vast majority, are small, with a small number of attendants and a very small rented room.

Of course, they fulfill the tasks of organizing a funeral in all aspects. However, such organizations are not able to allocate resources for the independent manufacture of monuments. In view of the rent of a small territory, this task becomes beyond the reach of small funeral services agencies. And it’s easier to order a variety of goods from different manufacturers, thereby expanding the offered range.

These firms go in one of two ways. They either offer ready-made, purchased goods. The customer can inspect it personally and choose the appropriate option. Or they themselves order tombstones and gravestones, having previously agreed upon the order with the client. This option is especially convenient for non-standard orders. But still, production is more profitable than sales. And the production of monuments is quite a profitable business.

No matter how good the business idea of \u200b\u200bmaking monuments, market research is a necessary stage. First of all, you need to assess the saturation of the market. How many similar agencies already exist in this city. What is the life expectancy of the population. Perhaps existing firms can barely survive in fierce competition. Then the beginner is surely doomed to failure.

But where there are ten firms, maybe eleventh place is enough. In this case, you need to evaluate the localization of offices of this type. We'll have to choose a place where there are fewer or not at all, given, of course, all the important factors. Do not also forget about the specifics of such a production. Plates can be marble; granite or concrete is possible. There are also metal gravestones. Each company for the manufacture will choose one thing. This does not solve competition in general, but adds niches for the development of various areas of this kind of business. Because even the equipment for the production of monuments will be different.

Monuments made of galvanized steel and metal

The cheapest kind of monuments both in price and in manufacturing costs. And the production of such gravestones cannot be large-scale. It's all about the unprofitability of this type of activity. In private, they can be produced by factories working with tin products, the production of bathtubs, buckets. As well as masters in working with metal and welding. But these are isolated cases, exceptions to the rules. In addition, metal gravestones are more capricious in everyday life, corrode over time, and are short-lived.

Marble, granite, natural stone as the main material of monuments

In this case, one can observe a completely opposite situation. These are very expensive monuments. And the equipment for the production of monuments of this type and the processing of necessary materials is very expensive. Buying such a monument, rather, is a sign of status, prestige. And it cannot be massive.

In addition to tombstones, such a company can also manufacture memorial boards and various decorative elements. But this does not change the situation much. In order for the business idea of \u200b\u200bthe production of monuments to justify itself, the population and status of the city must be appropriate. It is very good if it will be a regional center. And, of course, it will not be superfluous to assess the situation for the presence of such firms, their number and popularity.

Monuments from concrete

This option can be safely called the golden mean. In the funeral services market, this type of activity is sufficiently developed and will not require catastrophic investments. In addition, these monuments are decorated with decorative elements made of marble or granite. And the quality of production makes them durable and durable.

Equipment for the production of monuments

A positive point is the low cost of equipment for the production of monuments from concrete. Its price is not much more than 50 thousand rubles. And it consists, in addition to forms, of such elements.

A vibratory molding table is a key element. It compacts concrete in the mold thanks to its bite. A simpler element is a vibrating screen. All undesirable elements, fractions, lumps are removed using it from dry cement. This is a very important stage of production. Since poorly sifted cement will lead not only to poor-quality appearance of the monument, but can also cause its destruction due to the formation of cracks.

The last important element of the equipment is, of course, a concrete mixer. High-quality concrete preparation, mixing of all its components fully affect the quality of the final product. Its price reaches 15 - 16 thousand rubles, which is slightly more expensive than a vibrating sieve.

Like a vibrating table, a mechanical sieve and concrete mixer cannot be replaced with manual work. Physically, a person will not be able to achieve the same results, and a loss of quality entails a reduction in the price of products and even loss of customers.

What are the forms for tombstones. These are special matrices into which concrete is poured. They are mainly made of plastic and fiberglass. Nevertheless, they are expensive. To get started, you have to buy at least ten pieces so that the products are diverse. Further, as the business expands, the assortment can be replenished with new forms. Some customers wish to purchase an exclusive model. In this case, the form will have to be made to order, which, accordingly, will affect the price of the product.

As a result, the production of concrete gravestones is the most profitable business, in comparison with other options. In addition, other concrete orders are also possible. You can fill the cells in the cemetery. This will help to eliminate the need for weed control and increase the resistance of the grave to natural phenomena. It is also possible to make full-length monuments or just custom-made busts. Of course, you need to take care of high-quality equipment and a variety of forms, their differences from the range of competitors. But in general, this is a business that definitely has a future.

On monuments and tombstones, you can organize a highly profitable business, given all the possible pitfalls. First of all, you need to study the level of competition in your region. Sometimes even one manufacturer in a small city can cover all the demand. But often such companies specialize in the production of one type of monument. Therefore, it is important to first study what the business of competitors is based on, and then choose your own direction.

Types of Monuments

First of all, monuments and plates can be of various shapes and sizes:

memorial complex - in this case, in addition to the monument itself, a fence, a small table, seats are installed;
sculpture according to individual sketch;
concrete or stone cross with or without photograph;
standard rectangular plate with a photograph, name and period of life.

Based on the material used, the monuments are:

Metal. Usually galvanized metal is taken. Has a low cost, respectively, gives a low profit. Usually organized as an additional production.
Stone from the rocks. Production requires high costs for the supply of raw materials, equipment. It is impossible to organize any kind of additional production. Therefore, it makes sense to open such production in big cities.
Stone made of artificial stone. Raw materials - granules of natural stone bonded with polyester resin. Usually, marble chips or polymer granite are purchased for this. Then the production time of the product is significantly reduced, since such a material is easier to process. The advantage of this production is that outwardly the products practically do not differ from natural stone products.
Concrete Often complemented by stone elements. Inexpensive production, which allows you to simultaneously manufacture other overall elements. The quality of products is not inferior to other types of raw materials.

We make a business plan

A business plan should include the following steps for starting a business:

company registration;
opening stores of orders;
study of production technology;
organization of production;
study of product installation technology.

Regardless of the form of business organization, individual entrepreneur or LLC, it is necessary to indicate OKVED 26.70.2 (cutting, processing and decoration of stone for monuments) when registering. If you decide to master the manufacture of concrete products, you must specify OKVED 26.66 (production of concrete, gypsum and cement). For taxation we select UTII.

It is better to organize a store for sales or an acceptance point directly at the cemetery. It is possible in residential, office quarters of the city, where there is a large flow of people. It is necessary to purchase office equipment here: furniture, catalogs, office equipment, a sign, a tablet with a work schedule.

The industrial premises should occupy an area of \u200b\u200b70 square meters. m. An ideal option is to rent space at the factory, but your own garage is also suitable. It is important that equipment, raw materials are placed there.

Equipment for concrete products

To pour molds from concrete, you will need such equipment:

concrete mixer, which will cost 11.5-16 thousand rubles .;
vibrating screen to sift sand, cement, which will cost 10-14 thousand rubles;
vibration table costing 47-55 thousand rubles;
molds for manufacturing: from 12 pieces of various shapes, configurations, costing 10-20 thousand rubles. piece (you can save by buying not a hard, but a plastic product for 2-4 thousand rubles. piece).

Please note that with an individual sketch, the form must also be made individually to order. This will cost another 23-27 thousand rubles.

Equipment for stone products

This option requires the purchase of the following equipment:

hand tools;
hoist and hydraulic trolley;
shelving;
wheels for fine and coarse grinding;
polishing and engraving tables;
circles for cutting metals and stones;
polishing machine;
edging machine;
angle grinding machines;
hammer drill;
engraving tool.

For marble, granite chips, extremely rigid forms must be included in the procurement plan. Sometimes they are replaced by formwork. Be that as it may, the purchase of a welding machine and a grinding machine should be included in the business plan. For the latter, the room should be equipped with a drain hole with cleaning. To apply engraving on a stone, you need to buy a special computer machine, which costs from $ 4 thousand. It is better to hire an engraver to work on it.

Optional equipment

If your business plan provides, among other things, the provision of services for the installation of monuments, you must purchase:

cement mortar;
wooden bars;
pipes with a diameter of 4-5 cm;
a shovel;
hammer;
level.

Monument Manufacturing Technologies

The concrete mixture is prepared from three parts of sand, part of cement and plasticizers. To give the product a specific color, you can use the appropriate iron oxide pigments. Separate technologies allow the use of several pigments of different colors.

When processing stone, it should be borne in mind that granite is much harder than marble. To reduce the cost of production of monuments, you can not buy machines, but buy blanks that are already polished.

To make a slab of marble chips, 3 parts of water and cement, 5 parts of marble are taken and all this is mixed in a concrete mixer for no more than 5 minutes. Then the mixture is poured into a mold, placed for 5-7 minutes on a vibrating table. After which 2 days the plate is dried at a temperature of 16-20 ° C, and then incubated for another 2 days. Only after this can you begin decorative processing.

Case calculations

When calculating the profitability of a business, include the rental of premises, the cost of blanks for monuments, and the cost of engraving in the business plan. On average, the cost of engraving is from 10 to 50 rubles. The blank for the monument will cost 4 thousand rubles. This will include a stand and a flower garden. Total production of the monument with engraving will cost about 20 thousand rubles.

The payback plan depends on how effectively the marketing policy is built. For example, an engraving machine can pay for itself in 3 months if five orders for engraving portraits are fulfilled every day. The average cost of such work is a thousand rubles.

It is believed that the provision of funeral services is a very profitable business. Its integral part is the production and installation of monuments and tombstones. One of the most common materials for them is concrete and polymer concrete. To start production, simple equipment is needed: a concrete mixer, a vibrating table and molds of different sizes for monuments made of concrete. But technology and marketing have their own subtleties that an entrepreneur who has decided to engage in this business needs to know.

Content:

Where to start your monument business
Necessary equipment for the production of concrete monuments
Technology for the production of monuments
How much can you earn on concrete monuments
How much money is needed to start a business
What OKVED is necessary to specify when opening a business for the production of monuments
What documents are needed to open
What tax system to choose for the monument manufacturing business
Is permission needed to open a monument business?

Where to start your monument business

Before starting your own business, you need to do a market analysis of similar products in the region. If this is a small city, then one or two workshops for its needs are quite enough. Products related to the funeral procession have their own specifics, so new products may remain unclaimed. If this niche in the region is still free or the entrepreneur has found guaranteed sales channels, then you can safely proceed to the organization of the production of monuments from concrete.

Necessary equipment for the production of concrete monuments

The main thing that will need to be purchased is equipment. A key element of the entire production line is the forming vibratory table. It is designed to seal the working mixture and molding products. Molds for the production of concrete monuments are installed on the table, liquid material is poured into them. The countertop makes movements, as a result of which the contents of the form are compacted. This method allows you to get a strong and durable product. This is the only machine that cannot be replaced by manual labor. The remaining devices are bought for the mechanization of manual labor and production efficiency. You can buy it from 50 thousand rubles.

A vibrating screen must be present at the site. Sometimes cement comes in poor quality. Foreign objects, large hardened pieces, paper, polyethylene and so on may be present in it. It is unacceptable that all this fall into the working mixture. Extraneous inclusions can significantly spoil the appearance concrete products and affect their uniformity. As a result, the monument may generally be unsuitable for sale or crack during installation or operation.

Any of these events will result in losses. Manual screening of cement will significantly slow down the process, and sooner or later it will become economically disadvantageous. The cost of this equipment is from 10 thousand rubles.

A concrete mixer or concrete mixer allows you to make a concrete mortar homogeneous and also significantly reduces production time. The optimal model will be with a capacity of 130-165 liters, and its cost is in the range of 11.5-16 thousand rubles.

Technology for the production of monuments

The most significant part of the initial investment is always spent on the purchase of templates for monuments made of concrete. One or two can not do here, they get at least ten. This amount is optimal for the formation of a sufficient range of products, but this is also at the first stage. In the process, you will need to observe new trends in the design of monuments, and buy new models. The cost of one form is from 10 to 20 thousand rubles. They are usually made from:

Polystyrene;
Fiberglass.

The wall thickness usually does not exceed 2-3 mm, and the durability allows 300 fillings per day. Modern forms for concrete monuments are lightweight and easy to transport and store. Fiberglass products are easy to repair in case of damage. Any scratch or cut can be cleaned with fine sandpaper. They do not require additional formwork and keep their shape well.

The advantages that the product gives the right shape:

Obtaining glossy smooth concrete surfaces resistant to moisture, temperature drops and other natural phenomena.
The ability to simulate natural stone.
Metal frame construction extends the life of plastic molds. They can be used for many years.
The working surface retains its original appearance and properties. It does not require cleaning, washing and additional processing.
For lubrication before filling, you can use a mixture of conventional diesel fuel and oil and do not purchase expensive factory mixtures.
After removal from the mold, the product does not require additional drying, grinding, painting and fitting.
You can cover the monument with a special varnish for stone.
After three days, the product is completely ready for sale and installation.

An important point when choosing a shape for monuments made of concrete is the presence in it of a place for ceramic-metal plates of standard forms. If these elements are not made according to typical sizes, further implementation of the product may be difficult.

A concrete mixture is usually prepared at the rate of 1 part cement and 3 parts filler. To better mix concrete particles, plasticizers are added to the mixture. It is possible to stain the product in different colors: burgundy, black, brown and even white. As pigments, iron oxides are used. Today, there are ways that allow you to use several colors to simulate natural stone. Unusual solutions make products competitive.

How much can you earn on concrete monuments

The production of concrete monuments is considered cost-effective. The prime cost of one monument usually does not exceed 150 rubles, and the market price in the ritual bureaus starts from 4000 rubles.

How much money is needed to start a business

The main production equipment is a special table, the cost of which is in the range of 50-60 thousand rubles. Another type of equipment is the so-called vibrating screen - 10 thousand rubles. A portable concrete mixer will pull 15,000. It is also necessary to purchase at least a dozen casting molds, which will require 200,000 rubles. Taking into account the lease of a land plot and a mini-office, the initial costs should be estimated at no less than 300-350 thousand rubles.

What OKVED is necessary to specify when opening a business for the production of monuments

To register this activity, we select the code from section S: 96.03 “Organization of the funeral and the provision of related services”, as well as 26.70.2 “Cutting, processing and decoration of stone for monuments”.

What documents are needed to open

For this type of activity registration of individual entrepreneurship is sufficient. With documents proving the identity of the business owner and assigning him a tax number, you must contact your tax office. There is a procedure for issuing a new IP with the issue of a registration certificate. A document is also issued on the chosen form of taxation and a certificate of registration with the PF.