How do your columbaria protect against water and weather damage?
Our columbaria are built with three layers of weather protection to ensure water never reaches the niche compartments primarily in the center of the unit but moves all the way to the sides (left to right). There is a designed air gap on all 4 sides of the center of the niches by design. The top of the columbaria is securely glued, creating a seal that prevents moisture from seeping in. Beneath the tile surface, a secondary aluminum panel acts as a barrier ensuring water cannot penetrate into the compartments. While extremely unlikely, a third protective layer, known as a pane, functions as a rain gutter directing any water away from the niches, efficiently draining it out through the sides. Each niche door is tightly sealed, and the granite tiles provide an additional safeguard, ensuring long-lasting durability against the elements. In addition, the aluminum framing which holds the tiles are tightly designed to encase the edge of the granite tile which limits the ability for water and moisture to get into the columbarium.
Additional weather protection features
Our columbarium’s are well ventilated. The units are designed so air flow can be present in the interior of the columbarium. This allows moisture to be dissipated in the unlikely event that there is moisture present. The units are designed to allow water to penetrate to be directed away from the interior of the niches to protect them. Moisture and water fall through gravity to the bottom of the unit and run out and dissipate. If moisture enters the columbarium, ventilation and air flow removes it and keeps the niches dry. The niches themselves are air gapped and do not come in direct contact with the stone exterior cladding. There are lips on the aluminum exterior framing to direct water away from the niches. The niches themselves do not come in contact with the ground because there mounted directly to the interior aluminum frame and the frame is elevated off the ground.
Our columbaria have been tested through extreme weather conditions and have always performed admirably. Our units have been sold in every type of climate in North America and have held up extremely well.
If you have any other questions regarding our weather protection, please call 1-800-229-4500 or email us at sales@columbariumniches.com. Our engineering staff would be glad to discuss this further.