Here are questions that are commonly asked by our customers about the replicated natural Recognition Rocks™ we offer.
These unique and practical landscape accents are quickly becoming the preferred way to showcase a bronze plaque up to 11" (W) x 8 1/2" (H) in size at flag poles installed at parks, school and college campuses, churches, public plazas, corporate offices and other locations.
They are the common sense alternative to the cost and difficulty of acquiring, moving and installing a real boulder weighing hundreds, or thousands, of pounds for that purpose. They are ideal for dedicating flag poles in honor of a special event or achievement, individual or corporate donor, volunteers, civic group or veterans organization!
• How are the replicated rocks manufactured and shipped?
• How many years will they last outdoors?
• Do the monuments require special care?
• Is there a manufacturer's product guarantee?
• How are the rocks colored?
• What choice of natural colors are available?
• Do the rock prices include the custom bronze plaque?
• Who determines the plaque layout?
• Is it possible to see a proof of the plaque layout before it is cast?
• How many days before we receive my order? How will it be shipped?
• Our ceremony is in two weeks. Can we receive the rock sooner?
• Should we worry about possible theft of our replicated rock?
How are the replicated rocks manufactured and shipped?
The rugged castings are hollow, approx. one-inch thick, and open at the bottom. They weigh between 80-100 lbs. (but are exact replicas of rocks that weigh 500-1,000 lbs.) and are manufactured from construction-grade GFRC cast stone to withstand freeze-thaw conditions and 9,000 psi (pounds per square inch) of pressure.
They are shipped with your plaque already installed via FedEx Ground in 350-lb. test, double-walled corrugated boxes using an industrial foam-in-place packaging system.
How many years will they last outdoors?
Due to modern high-performance polymers and other scientifically-developed, construction-grade admixtures, our GFRC cast stone replications are designed to last for generations--even in freeze-thaw conditions and in the face of mowers, watering and trimming--and typically wear in the same manner as, or superior to, natural rock.
The Recognition Rocks™ are actually one of the few products that will look better with age as the elements (i.e., rain, sun and snow) give them an even more lifelike, weathered appearance with each passing year.
It’s important to note that a national expert in the restoration of historical monuments made from marble and granite such as the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery (who represents the firm that did most of the artifact restoration for the HMS Titanic) has estimated GFRC cast stone products will last 100-150 years before requiring any restoration work. In fact, he said that is about the same duration after which monuments made from other materials such as marble and granite need work.
Do the monuments require special care?
The replicated rock monuments are made to last outdoors for generations without any special maintenance or care, whether located in high humidity, extreme heat or freeze-thaw conditions.
Is there a manufacturer’s product guarantee?
A 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is offered for the lifetime of each Recognition Rock™ if the craftsmanship is found to be defective in any way (with the exception of naturally-occurring adjustments in color). Customers with a valid defective craftsmanship claim will receive an immediate replacement with an identical product once the product is returned and the claim is confirmed.
How are the rocks colored?
Since detailed latex molds for the Recognition Rocks™ are tediously taken from actual boulders found in nature, our customers expect that the color process used for them match the realism of the replica castings.
Their demand for quality is met by skilled craftsmen who enhance the GFRC cast stone with permanent natural shades using a proprietary coloring process which requires no special maintenance in the future. (In fact, as previously mentioned, customers are usually pleased to learn the three basic colors of the memorial rocks will actually appear more lifelike over the years with the helpful affects of the natural elements such as the sun, snow and rain).
What choice of natural colors are available?
There are three natural colors to choose: Slate Gray (popular in the Midwest and East Coast areas of the United States), Sandstone and Red Rock.
Click here for a detailed view.
Do the rock prices include a custom bronze plaque?
Yes, our prices include a handsome bronze plaque sized either 11" (W) x 8 1/2" (H) or 7 1/2" (W) x 5" (H) depending on the amount of space you need for your text.
Typically, up to 10 lines of text with as many as 46 characters on each line can fit on a 7 1/2" (W) x 5" (H) plaque. Up to 18 lines of text with as many as 70 characters per line will fit on a 11" (W) x 8 1/2" (H) plaque. Although these number of lines are potentially available on the two sizes of plaques, it's not necessary that all lines be used if you prefer to have less text appear on your plaque.
Remember, each letter, number, space and punctuation is a character that should be counted in this per-line total. The more characters and words on each line, the more the individual characters must be reduced in size to fit the final layout.
The manufacturer reserves the right to determine the style, size, capitalization and layout of the text provided according to the plaque space available to ensure the most professional appearance possible unless a specific request is received for a particular layout at the time of ordering.
Once the plaque is cast by the foundry (usually 15-20 business days), it is pre-installed by the Recognition Rock™ manufacturer into a chiseled recess before being shipped together to its final destination.
Click here for a detailed view.
Who determines the plaque layout?
We reserve the right to determine the style, size, capitalization and layout of the text provided according to the plaque space available to ensure the most professional appearance possible unless a specific request is received from a customer for a particular layout at the time of ordering. Most importantly, we are not responsible or liable in any way for misspellings or errors in fact contained in the information submitted by customers.
Is it possible to see a proof of the plaque layout before it is cast?
Absolutely! Just make your request known at the time of ordering and a proof of the text layout for the plaque will be provided for your approval. After we receive your authorization the plaque will be sent to the foundry for casting.
How many days before we receive my order? How will it be shipped?
Once your order is received, please allow 15-20 business days for production of the bronze plaque, installation in your rock and 3-5 business days for shipping depending on its final destination in the United States (longer if elsewhere).
Since they can weigh between 80-100 lbs., all of the rocks are carefully packaged in 350-lb. test double-wall corrugated boxes using an industrial foam-in-place system to protect them during transit. They are then shipped via FedEx Ground.
Our ceremony is in two weeks. Can we receive our rock sooner?
Absolutely! Customer sometimes ask that their rock be shipped before the plaque has had time to be cast by us. In that case, it is possible for the rock to arrive in as early as 6-8 business days from the order date when requested by the customer.
If a ceremony is scheduled and a customer wants to have a temporary plaque visible in the chiseled inset of the rock for the event, at no charge a computer-generated replica bronze plaque on photo paper--mounted on FoamCore® and sealed with acrylic spray--can be shipped along with the order. The temporary plaque will have the exact same text as the original which will arrive separately within the normal 15-20 business days.
Should we worry about possible theft of our replicated rock?
Once customers see how realistic the 80-100 lb. replicated rocks look, they often agree it's unlikely anyone is going to bother with what appears to be a natural 800 lb. natural rock that would require incredible effort to move.
However, if they feel it's necessary, we will suggest the use of the heavy-duty metal eye bolt manufactured underneath each rock for anti-theft purposes. To use this feature, the customer should purchase four items from a local hardware or home improvement store: 1). An inexpensive key or combination lock, 2). A small sack of "just-add-water" quick-drying cement, 3). A five-gallon plastic bucket if they don't have one, and 4). A three-foot-long piece of sturdy 2/0 or 3/0 straight link chain (75 cents-$1 per foot).
They then dig a hole directly below where the rock will be finally placed, use the lock to secure one end of the chain onto the metal eye bolt, mix the cement in a bucket, fill the hole with the cement slurry, push as much of the remaining length of chain into the cement, and rest the rock over the hole where the chain can dry in the cement and serve as an anchor.