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House Signs Materials, Your Range of Choices
By Steve Walker
A house sign is a clear statement to every visitor to your home. Whether your home sports a smart contemporary house sign or a quality traditional style of house sign will be seen, in a small way at least as a reflection of the type of people you are.
For those considering buying a new house sign or number the variety and choice of materials available can be bewildering I hope this short list of house sign materials may be of some help.
1: Cast Iron house sign: Cast iron is one of the most traditional and popular type of house sign types. Foundry cast from molten iron poured into a pre-formed mould to make a heavy one piece sign.
The main disadvantages of using cast iron as a house sign is its tendency to rust and corrode if exposed to the elements. It is therefore important to keep the painted finish in good condition.
However should you come into possession of a cast iron house sign suffering in this way, it is quite straight forward to wire brush and re-paint the sign and restore it to its former glory.
Be careful though, cast iron house signs may be brittle, so handle with care!
As long as the painted finish is maintained the solid cast construction means the house sign will have a long life with no risk of the letters dropping off.
2: Cast Aluminium house sign: Similar to cast iron but obviously much lighter, usually cast in one piece from a mould, may be more susceptible to corrosion than a cast iron house sign if the painted surface is not maintained.
Should an aluminium house sign need restoring it may be a bit more of a problem as the finish of the metal will be scored and degraded if wire brushed.
However as long as the painted finish is maintained the solid cast construction means the house sign will have a long life.
3: Cast bronze. Cast bronze house signs are manufactured in a similar process to cast iron. The letters are often polished against a black painted background. Exposed bronze signs weather into an attractive patina.
The solid cast construction means the house sign will have a long life.
I personally would not advise cleaning a bronze house sign as I think the weathered look is part of the charm.
4: Cast Resin house signs: Cast resin house signs are generally made with an ornate backing plate usually cast from resin in one piece. The brass or resin letters and numbers affixed.afterwards. Often made to imitate metal house signs simulating black cast iron or bronze.
Cheaper types of these house signs may be prone to fading in the sunlight or the letters dropping off.
5: Ceramic house signs: Backing plate made from glazed pottery, should be frost proof, quality will depend largely on method of decoration, cheaper versions will be surface lettered with transfers, some with brass characters.
6: Natural Slate house signs: Slate house signs are generally rustic house signs with deep engraving painted or gilded. These signs should be offered with a good choice of artwork.
May degrade in sunlight but only after years of use, and can be effectively sealed against the effects of weather.
7: Granite house signs: Highly polished super hard natural rock. Granite house signs should be made with deep engraving. Granite itself is highly resistant to corrosion and weather. Painted or gilded lettering on these house signs will last many years but may need touching up every decade or so. Unpainted deep engraved granite house signs will last a lifetime with very little maintenance.
8: Natural Marble house signs: Relatively unusual, offers a wide choice of colours. Can make beautiful contemporary house signs. Not as resistant as granite but will last many years in a sheltered location.
9: Natural Stone: Natural York stone is probably favourite, if left alone will weather to a beautiful finish. House signs normally available from stonemasons as a bespoke job. Should be deeply engraved so that the inscription remains visible even after years of exposure.
10: Hand carved stone. Support your local craftsman! Not a cheap option but you will have a unique house sign. There are still some stone carvers about, few people can afford a one off, hand carved stone house sign, but if you can it will be seen as a strong statement by every visitor to your home.
11: Timber house signs. These are available in a huge variety of styles and qualities. The lifetime of the house sign will depend on the type of timber and sealer. Engraved versions should have a longer life than transfer printed types.
Before buying discuss the life expectancy of wood house signs with the manufacturer. Consider a house sign that will age gracefully! Cheaper timber house signs often look horrible very quickly.
12: Hand carved timber house sign. High quality signs, craftsman made. Same comments really as carved stone!
13: Hand made Pottery. Often ornate and original house signs, normally obtained from local potters. Enquire about frost proofness from the potter. Hand made house signs are well worth considering as a minor art work.
14. Hand Painted house signs: Available on a range of backgrounds and hand painted by local artists. Again, buy these house signs for there originality and the quality of the art work.
I hope this list, though I'm sure not complete will give you food for thought. There are so many choices of house sign, try to choose a material that will suit the character and style of your home, this may allow you to do a focused housesign search on the web.
About the Author
Steve Walker has been a stone and marble mason for 40 years, working in almost every type of stone marble and granite. He is now the sole owner, craftsman and teaboy of
StoneEngravings House signs – http://www.stoneengravings.co.uk
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