Urn vaults are very sturdy containers for cremation urns. You may need an urn vault if you plan to bury the cremation urn in certain cemeteries that require its use.

Generally, urn vaults are available in materials considered non-biodegradable such as stone, marble, stainless steel, bronze, fiberglass, and plastic. Some cemeteries require urn vaults be made of concrete.

Families can spend hundreds of dollars -- even thousands -- on urn vaults made of concrete and other expensive materials, however plastic urn vaults like the Basic Urn Vault Gray and the Fortress Urn Vault - White are available at very reasonable cost and perform the same function.

Why do cemeteries require an urn vault?
Cemeteries require sealing your urn in a vault as a way to protect it from moisture and the elements. Cemeteries also use heavy equipment for performing burials and for grounds maintenance and do not want to be responsible for inadvertently damaging or crushing an urn. For customers that plan to bury an urn, Stardust Memorials recommends purchasing a polymer/plastic urn vault or selecting an urn designed for ground burial such as the Trajan Cultured Marble Urn - Blue.

As more Americans choose cremation, they face many choices on whether to display cremation urns, bury them, place them in columbarium niches, or scatter the ashes.