There are those who simply don’t want to be buried in the ground, and for them there are two options: cremation or a mausoleum. While the immediate drawback to the mausoleum is expense, there’s another less-talked-about drawback that those who are considering a mausoleum might want to consider: exploding caskets. That’s right — exploding caskets. An unpleasant truth about decomposition is that a body produces gases as it decays. If it’s sealed in an airtight casket, sometimes the gases can build up to the point where the casket bursts. The lid can be dislodged, and it can even knock the marble front off of the crypt. If you seal a casket tightly — which is the standard for many — the odors of decomposition are less likely to make it to the noses of visitors. However, the casket is more likely to explode. If a casket in a crypt is propped open a bit, it won’t explode, but the decomposition process will happen faster due to air being allowed to desiccate the body. That, of course, means the release of odors that can upset visitors. Fortunately, there’s a happy medium — “burping” caskets that let some gas escape to prevent explosion. This doesn’t prevent smells from escaping the crypt, though. If you should decide on a mausoleum, you would be smart to spend some time familiarizing yourself with the rules and regulations and make sure you’re comfortable following them.
