Grave tiles and curbs - granite or concrete cladding, a flower bed and proper drainage

Parts of a finished grave plot

• Curb (kerb): a stone or concrete frame around the edge of the plot. It separates the grave from its neighbours, holds the soil in place and supports everything else.
• Base: a gravel drainage layer and reinforced concrete on which the tiles are laid. You never see this part, yet it decides how long the cladding will last.
• Tiles: granite, concrete or porcelain stoneware, covering the grave fully or partly.
• Flower bed: a framed area where soil is left for flowers and plants, usually in front of the headstone.
• Decorative chippings: white, black or coloured stone chips used instead of tiles or together with them, which keep grass from coming through.

Materials and prices

A single grave usually covers two to three square metres, and the curb runs to seven or eight metres. As an example, full granite cladding with a granite curb and a drainage layer on such a grave comes to roughly 950 GEL, while concrete tiles and curb come to roughly 450. The exact total is worked out after a free measuring visit.

Granite or concrete

Concrete tiles are noticeably cheaper and, laid correctly, last ten to fifteen years. They are a sensible choice when the family needs to save money, or when the cladding is temporary and the plan is to replace it with granite in a few years' time. Over time, however, concrete changes colour, and its porous surface holds on to moss. Granite tiles last half a century, keep their colour and are easy to rinse clean. When the headstone is granite, most families choose tiles in the same granite or a matching colour, so the grave looks like one complete whole.

There is also a middle way: a granite curb and plinth, with decorative chippings or concrete tiles inside. Such a grave looks good, and the cost stays moderate.

Sunken tiles, and the way we prevent them

In any cemetery you see graves where the tiles have sunk, heaved up or cracked. The cause is almost always the same: the tiles were laid directly on the soil or on a thin bed of sand, with no proper base. After a burial the ground keeps compacting for months, and in winter water freezes and pushes the tiles up from below. This is why our installation works like this:

1. Measuring and checking the ground: the craftsman looks at how far the soil has settled, where rainwater runs and how high the neighbouring graves sit.
2. Curb foundation: a deep reinforced strip is poured under the frame and carries the whole structure.
3. Drainage: gravel and geotextile, so water does not stand under the tiles and freeze in winter.
4. Concrete layer: reinforced and laid with a slight fall so rainwater runs off the grave.
5. Laying the tiles: on a special adhesive, with even joints that are then filled with a waterproof grout.
6. Finishing: preparing the flower bed, spreading the chippings, clearing the area and sending the family a photo report.

The installation itself takes one or two days; the concrete then needs a week to cure, after which the grave can be walked on. We pour concrete only in the warm season.

The right moment to clad a grave

The best time is about a year after the funeral, once the soil has fully settled. Cladding is often done along with the headstone, ready for the first anniversary memorial, which is the most practical approach: one foundation, one crew, one contract. If the family would like the grave to look tidy for the 40th-day memorial (in Georgian, "ormotsi"), we suggest a temporary option: a concrete curb and decorative chippings, which do not get in the way of the soil settling and are easily replaced with permanent cladding by the anniversary.

Tile surface: polished or textured

Granite tiles come either with a mirror polish or with a flamed, slightly rough surface that keeps the look of natural stone. Polished tiles are very beautiful and match the headstone, but they become slippery in rain and frost. A textured finish prevents slipping, so we often use it for the path, by the gate and wherever the family stands. Many people combine the two: polished tiles in the centre of the grave and textured ones where people walk.

Bench, small table and vase

On memorial days the family often stays at the grave for a long time, so a finished grave frequently has a granite bench and a small table, a vase for flowers and a lantern for a candle. These are planned in advance when the tiles are laid, so the concrete beneath them can be reinforced and the supports anchored securely. The lantern shields the candle from the wind, wax no longer drips onto the tiles, and the stone stays clean.

A grave on a slope

Many Tbilisi cemeteries lie on hillsides, and on such a plot tiles cannot simply be laid as they are: rainwater runs down from above, washes the soil away, and within a few years the cladding "slides" downhill. On a slope we first build a retaining wall or step on the lower side to level the plot, and a drainage channel on the upper side. This work costs more than standard landscaping, but without it any tiling, however expensive, will not last.

Looking after the cladding through the year

Granite tiles need no special care: in spring and autumn, wash them with water and a soft brush, clear away leaves and check the joints. In winter do not put salt on the tiles, as it destroys the grouting; sand is better against ice. Concrete tiles need a protective sealant every few years so moss and dirt are not absorbed. If the family cannot visit regularly, our crew can take this work on.

Renovating an old grave

Many families come to us with a grave that is ten years old or more, where the tiles have split, the curb has cracked and grass has pushed through everywhere. In that case we carefully lift the old cladding, leave the headstone in place and protect it, build a new base and lay new tiles. Often we clean the headstone and refresh the lettering at the same time, so the whole grave is renewed.

Finishing a grave in stages

Not every family can pay for a headstone, tiles, curb and railing all at once. So we offer a phased plan: in the first year, a curb and chippings to make the grave neat; the following year, the headstone and tiles; later on, a railing and a bench. The whole plan is drawn on one sketch from the start so that every stage fits the others, and the curb foundation is poured so that both the tiles and the railing can rest on it later.

Frequently asked questions