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House Signs Fixing, Methods For Stone Signs
By Steve Walker
Screw Fixing your house sign:
This is the most common method of fixing a house sign or house number and it is probably the simplest, but there are one or two things you will need to take into account.
Choice of screw is vital, use either solid brass or preferably stainless steel.
Ordinary steel screws will rust very quickly, brass coated screws will eventually corrode and even galvanised screws will rust if the galvanised coating is scratched, as it surely will be!
The risk from rusting or corroding screws is not just the sign crashing to the ground, but that many house sign materials are susceptible to staining. Slate and stone will stain from rust, and marble will positively love to absorb rust or corrosion stains. Even granites may stain somewhat, though not quite as badly as other materials, but why take the risk?
Building your house sign into a wall:
Many house signs are built into stone or brick walls, if this is this case you must specify that you do not want your house sign drilled!
There are few problems to worry about with this method, however if your house sign is made from Yorkstone or Marble be sure to use a clean washed sand as the minerals in some sands may stain and discolour your house sign, avoid dark red sands and look for red mineral patches in the sand. Likewise watch out for your friendly bricklayer throwing his fag ends into the cement, nicotine stains are deadly! Slate and Granite house signs are largely immune to this problem as water does not easily pass through the material.
Hidden Fixings for House Signs:
First of all, hidden fixings are normally only available on house signs of 20mm or thicker, if you want a hidden fixing, please ask whether your house sign is suitable.
This method of fixing a house sign seems to frighten some people but it is in fact very easy!
Our hidden fixing house signs are hung on one or two stainless steel pins fixed into the back of the house sign at a downward angle.
The single pin fixing , used on the smaller house signs are simplicity itself to fix.
Simply drill a hole in the wall at a downward angle and hang the sign into the hole. This is suprisingly secure, the hole does not even need to be drilled very accurately (as long as the house sign is centred!)as the drill hole can be much bigger than the pin. For a more secure fixing simply glue the sign into place. Fixing a larger house sign needing two pins is just a bit trickier, as levelling the house sign can take a few minutes more, but this is not difficult, and a bit of packing under one of the pins will usually do the trick.
Sticking your house sign to a wall:
Sticking a house sign or house number in place with adhesive is not an option for large heavy signs but for your average size of house sign will avoid the necessity of drilling either the house sign or the wall..
Just sticking your house sign to the wall may not be as ridiculous as it sounds, as long as you can keep the house sign in place, and level until the adhesive holds, it should be no problem. Try holding the house sign in place with small pins or hold it up on a timber prop. Modern adhesives are fantastic and you could use any of the gunned gripfix or silicon types to fix your house sign, just be sure that it is suitable for exterior use.
One tip, wash the back of your house sign before trying to fix it to remove any dust.
About the Author
Steve Walker has been a craftsman in stone and marble for 40 years, he has practised as a stone mason, letter cutter, restoration carver, marble mason, and fireplace designer/manufacturer.
He is now the sole owner, and craftsman of
http://www.stoneengravings.co.uk/ StoneEngravings, Engraved Natural Stone House signs.
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/47679.html
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