Popular Materials for Custom House Signs
Once you have good ideas and inspiration on the design you want and are happy with it, it is time to think about the type of material you will use for your house sign. When choosing raw materials for your house sign, it is important to have a thought how your going to make it, install it, and how to display it.
It is essential that you do some research into the pros and cons of each type of material which includes stones, woods, metals, glass and acrylics. This will ensure that you make the most out of the chosen material and will make it last throughout weathering, wear and tear. We have listed the different types of materials that are commonly used and make beautiful and signs for businesses.
Custom Stone House Signs
Selecting stone as your house sign material is an excellent choice stones are one of the most popular choices because they do not weather in the British weather unlikely most metals, plastics and wood.
Maintenance is simple, brush away the leaves and debris from time to time, and occasionally slap on a little paint within the engraved text or images, and your sign is suitable for many more years.
Stones have been around for many years, and they take thousands of years to become worn.
Most reputable house sign companies will use the following stones
Custom Metal House Signs
House signs made from metal can look very good, mainly when you use a premium metal such as cast iron, copper or brass, but you should know that metal signs require strict upkeep maintenance otherwise the metal starts to rust, erode or tarnish.
Most metal signs will come with a paint job because if they get directly exposed to the elements such as sunlight, wind, rain, temperature, they become reactive (oxide) due to their composition makeup.
Metal signs can last for many decades as long as you look well looked after. Most reputable house sign companies will use the following metals aluminium, brass, bronze, cast iron and stainless steel.
Custom Plastic House Signs
Rarely used for domestic purposes, acrylic plastic works very well with contemporary buildings and modern businesses, mostly because plastic house signs can be shaped and illuminated in ways other materials can not.
Just like glass house signs, plastic house signs can be manipulated to various shapes and bends, it can also come in any colour or a mix of colours, and like glass, it can also be transparent.
The bad thing about plastic is it’s awful at weathering, the British Weather most weather conditions around the world will shorten the life of the product. The Sun is plastics number, one enemy because when exposed to sunlight for a long time, UV light brings about photodegradation of the material and the colour is lost.
Custom Glass House Signs
House signs made using Glass works great for modern buildings and can have effects that are impossible to replicate in any other sign material apart from plastic. Glass and crystal is better at reflecting the UV, and therefore the colour can last for many years, correctly done stain glass can last for a lifetime and longer!
Glass is an excellent material but very few houses signs companies use it, the ones that do, are extremely expensive, most people opt to use plastic as its more affordable. Glass is also used to make Mosaic House Signs.
Custom Wooden House Signs
House Signs made from Wood makes a great sign material, it’s cheap depending on the wood used, and wood and can be styled in many ways. There are two types of ods, hardwood and softwood. Hardwood is more durable than softwood but equally can last if maintained correctly.
Out of all the materials, wood requires the most on-going maintenance, a single crack or hole can allow in mositure, termites, microorganisms and even fungal decay, all of which will significantly reduce the lifetime of your sign.
Wood makes a great custom house sign, but you make an effort to ensure that you are provided with proper instructions from the seller and how to perform maintenance to your sign, and how often!
Most reputable house sign companies that sell wood signs will opt to use a high grade wood such as: Accoya, Balau, Chestnut, Douglas Fir, English Cherry, English Oak, Idigbo, Iroko, Opepe, Sapele, Sycamore.