Services

We can help you choose a new headstone for your loved one or organise additional lettering to an existing headstone. Renovation to existing graves that will get them looking almost new again or simply ensure that historic family grave sites are not forgotten by carrying out a none invasive cleaning and restoration. We also have specialist employees with expert skills in the manufacturing of Bronze plaques that can be fixed onto natural boulders or used as commemorative plaques that don't have to be used in cemeteries. We have a range of accessories that can be complement any of the above services from Statues to Flower Vases and Ceramic photos.

New Headstones

We have New Zealand's largest and most comprehensive range of Headstones held in our 8 properties, all located at 36 Battersea St they are in a range of 13 colours and totaling approximately 7000 units. This in fact could possibly be the largest single stock holding of headstones in the world, which ensures one thing; choice. At Decra Art we don't sell you what we have we help you choose the memorial that is most fitting for your loved one if not from one of our 7000 units we will manufacture whatever shape or style that may be required. Headstones come in many shapes and sizes, however there are some basic styles that we start from and these could be all you need.

• Plates are solid headstones that stand upright and are the same thickness from top to bottom, and are available in any shape or size.
• Desks are solid headstones that stand upright and are generally 50% wider at the bottom from to back than the top of the headstone, and are available in any shape or size.
• Recumbents are also solid headstones however they do not stand upright the lie flat with an incline that has the back sitting higher than the front.
• Panels and plaques can be used to have the same look at Recumbents however their elevation at the back if they are indeed required to be elevated is achieved with the use of concrete and plaster.
• Straight Bases are used to sit the headstone on in the Cemetery this can consist of one or two pieces.
• Splay Bases are used instead of a straight base they have a sloped section in the front of the base that can be used for wording.

Additions

It is with pride and experience that we are able to offer almost perfectly matched lettering with any additions to existing headstones. Whether we are working with a 30 year old hand cut inscription that needs to be matched or a 1 year old computer cut inscription we ensure it is almost impossible to separate the new inscription from the old one. It is our preference to bring the existing headstone in to have the additional lettering added, however there are sometimes cultural reasons, religious reasons or due to the original method of installation the headstone is unable to physically come in, if any of these should be the case we can complete the additional lettering on site.

As part of our additional lettering service we repaint the original wording while we paint the new inscription making the whole stone look as if it had just been made, if the lettering is not painted but coloured with 23 1/3 carat gold leaf we will advice if any or all of the original wording requires re-gilding. We also spray all existing concrete and plaster bases with a slow release neutral non-bleach based cleaners.

Bronze Plaques

Where most companies in New Zealand out source their bronze plaque production Decra Art chooses to do everything but the casting here on site. The process begins with layouts to be sure finished product look as and says exactly what our client hopes, then we create a full size pattern of the plaque and get it cast. We then have a roughly cast piece of bronze that requires finishing which involves grinding, smoothing and blasting, we then blacken it and grind out again to achieve the perfectly finished Bronze Plaque. Again with our specialist staff we are able to create any size bronze plaque with very detailed relief art work examples of this can be seen throughout Christchurch as most of the Heritage and council commemorative plaques have been produced by Decra Art. The Bronze plaques can be fixed to buildings, seats, sculptures or boulders and of course Bronze Plaques are at home in cemeteries too.

Restoration and Renovation

We undertake all types of restoration and repair work, no matter how big or small it is often an important part of remembering our loved ones to be able to ensure their resting place is kept in the condition it deserves. To simply keep headstones looking well presented and tidy we offer a repainting and cleaning service which brings the lettering back to new, we can also clean the concrete and plaster bases with gentle water cleaning and spraying with the slow release cleaners, this can also be done to historic grave sites whilst ensuring we follow council guidelines for looking after headstones in historic cemeteries. It is a sad reality that some cemeteries fall prey to vandals, if this happens we are more often than not able to carry out any repairs required to bring the headstone back to new and if the location of the headstone means it may be likely to receive further attention from vandals we can take additional steps to stop it happening again.

There is also full rebuilding of deteriorated graves and headstones sometimes the concrete work does actually break away this can be because of the lack of availability of good quality memorials or simply poor workmanship. However we can clear the grave site, take the headstone back and to our factory and re do the concrete and plaster work from scratch either exactly as it was originally or to a simpler more modern design. Another common task carried out is filling in the grave area if it has concrete walls or kerbing around the grave this is generally done when it is decided that there will be no further burials in the plots.

Pre-arrangement

For some people it is re-assuring to know that their affairs are in order before they pass away, we offer a pre-arrangement and pre-payment scheme where by all money received is held in a trust account until the until the person the headstone is for has passed away, this allows them to organise and choose their own headstone and even be involved in the wording etc. The headstone will require no further payment which in effect makes it inflation proof.

Accessories

We have an extensive range of the following accessories that help with the finishing touches in creating a beautiful monument for your loved one.

• Vases, we have our standard aluminum vases in gold, silver, bronze and black as well we have range of plastic vases in three different styles, standard, tulip and trumpet and are available in the same colours as the aluminum vases with the addition of white.
• Ceramic Photos, another very common accessory that truly helps personalise the headstone for your loved one, these come in just about any size and are reasonably priced considering they will almost last forever and we purchase from the very best suppliers here in New Zealand and Italy.
• Reconstructed Marble Statues, from various angels to religious themed statues we import these from Italy also and the detail achieved is quite amazing.