Should We Use An Urn Vault? 

The primary purpose of an urn vault is to protect a cremation urn from the elements after it has been buried as well as prevent it being crushed by the weight of the earth or heavy cemetery equipment. The question is: Do you really need an urn vault?

• First of all, you only need a vault if you are doing a ground burial. 
  
  
• Secondly, the need for an urn vault depends on the material the urn is made of and whether you are burying in a cemetery that requires it (which many do).

Cultured marble, real marble, and most metal urns are going to hold up well over time without urn vaults. Wood urns are not going to hold up unless protected from moisture. Glass and fired ceramic urns are moisture resistant but prone to breakage. However, if glass and ceramic urns are protected with an urn vault, they would last for a very long time.



Families who plan to bury an urn in a cemetery are often required by cemetery rules to enclose and seal the urn into a vault. The issue is not only moisture but also the possibility of the cremation urn being damaged by the weight of earth or cemetery equipment. You may wonder -- if the point of burial is for remains to return to the earth, does it matter if the urn degrades? Cemetery administrators think that the urn vault rule is important not only to protect the contents buried below, but also to keep the ground level for safety above. Without a burial vault, the ground can sink as the urn biodegrades causing an uneven surface for those visiting or caring for the burial site.