In the United States, standard caskets for adults have a length between 80 and 83 inches. Industrially manufactured oversize caskets are up to 96" long. Hand crafted caskets can be even longer.
In the US, the dimensions of standard caskets for adults are:
- outside dimensions:
80" - 83" (length)
26" - 29" (width)
20" - 24" (height)
inside dimensions:
77" - 79" (length)
23" - 24" (width)
Oversized caskets are available as well.
The standard length of American casket varies between 80" and 83". Over the time, the standard length has increased because the average size of people has increased. The longest oversize caskets from serial production currently have a length of 96". Longer caskets must be hand crafted.
While standard American caskets are up to 83" long and 29" wide on the outside,
special oversize caskets like those manufactured by the Goliath casket company (Lynn, IN) are up to 96" long and 52" wide.
Only hand crafted caskets can be larger.
Only those caskets are air (and water) tight which are "sealer" caskets, meaning that they are provided with a rubber like sealing gasket between the lid and the base of the caskets. Usually only metal caskets can be sealer caskets.
"Glass sealer" caskets (protective caskets with an inner glass lid) are an older type of "sealer caskets" (caskets providing an air and watertight seal). Later (for example in the Gulf War) the remains of soldiers were shipped back in glassless "gasket sealer" caskets.
One can find caskets for sale at mortuaries and funeral supply stores, for example Costco. Caskets are also for sale at Sears, Walmart, and Caskets By Design.
Only those caskets are air (and water) tight which are "sealer" caskets, meaning that they are provided with a rubber like sealing gasket between the lid and the base of the caskets. Usually only metal caskets can be sealer caskets.
Usually yes - as long as one compares caskets of similar design, similar thickness of wood and similar interiors.
For metal caskets usually a crank. With old style wooden caskets, the lid often has to be unscrewed.
Hands on History - 2001 Caskets was released on: USA: 23 October 2004
Metal caskets are available in carbon steel, copper, bronze, and stainless steel. Carbon steel caskets are available in different gauges, ranging from 20 gauge (the thinnest) to 16 gauge (the thickest)
Luxury caskets often have a double lid, sometimes even a triple lid (the innermost being made of glass). In rare cases, caskets are even double walled (triple walled would be absolutely unusual), which means that the outer casket contains a complete inner casket, which can be taken out. Double walled caskets are much more heavy than double lid caskets, of course.
You can purchase caskets at most funeral homes and without knowing where you are it is difficult to list the funeral homes you can check with. You can also purchase caskets through casket companies with the assistance of a funeral director or on your own. A couple of companies you can check are the Natural Burial Company at http://www.naturalburialcompany.com/ and Dignified Caskets at http://www.dignifiedcaskets.com/
While the metal strength and durability of steel caskets is measured in gauge (ga.) - indicating the thickness of the metal - the strength of copper and bronze caskets is usually measured by the weight of the wrought metal sheets from which the caskets are welded together. The sheets used in standard solid copper or bronze caskets have a weight of 32 ounces per square foot, while more expensive caskets use 48oz sheets. Most 32 oz caskets have an empty weight between 200 and 300 lbs, most 48oz caskets between 250 and 350 lbs. In rare cases, 64 oz copper sheets or 96 oz bronze sheets are used for luxury caskets. Exceptions confirm the rule: the measurement in ounces per square foot is not used for top of the line copper and bronze caskets: copper deposit caskets (not welded from copper sheets, but made by a time consuming electrolytic process) usually have a wall thickness of 1/8" (3mm) and an empty weight of approximately 600 to 800 lbs, while cast bronze caskets (which are cast from molten bronze like bells) usually have a weight between 1,000 and 1,200 lbs, which equals that of solid bronze caskets made from sheets with a weight of at least 96 oz.
findadeath has photos of celebrities in their caskets. There are also some death scene photos as well. Also try celebritymorgue.