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Options for Renovating/Rehabbing Wood Signs

July 31, 2017 By Mark Hackley

Options for Renovating/Rehabbing Wood Signs

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-22980-Options for Renovating/Rehabbing Wood SignsGOLD OR NO GOLD

What are options for renovating/rehabbing wood signs? Well, if they have gold leaf, the options are to either save and restore the gilding or repaint with paint only. This customer saved thousands of dollars in cost of gold by repainting the sign with only paint materials.

I received an e-mail in response to a sporadic newsletter I send to customers and prospects requesting an estimate on rehabilitating a wood sign for a local bed and breakfast establishment. The owners of the B&B needed an old sign repainted. The sign needing attention was built in the 1990’s. It was well-built from quality exterior marine grade plywood that was framed with hardwood and mounted to solid wood posts. I remember reading a news article about the sign fabricator, Frank Hawkins, who used to operate a sign business in Fairfield, Virginia near Lexington. Frank was from New England somewhere, maybe Vermont, where signs are well-built and maintained. When I first started in my own sign business back in 1990, I attended a sign carving class in Stowe, Vermont, taught by expert carver, Jay Cooke. I remember thinking that I could share some of the craft I learned with businesses in Virginia, perhaps improving the aesthetics of our area with nice signage. From 1990-2000 when I owned and operated Tree Street Signs in Crimora, I believe I was able to do just that!

GO STEELERS!

Getting back to my story about the B&B sign rehab project: The old sign was framed plywood, hand-painted with gold leaf letters and accent borders. The paint was chalking, fading and peeling a little after 25 years of service, and the gold leaf on the south side was pretty bad. The north side was salvageable, but the side with most sun exposure needed to be replaced. The client was most interested in making the sign background brighter, several times stating they thought the colors of the old sign were just too drab. They wanted a white background with a black and gold color scheme. (Later on I found out they were originally from Pittsburgh, so the Pittsburgh Steelers’ black and gold color scheme was in the back of their mind in this decision.) They weren’t worried about losing the gold leaf as long as the renovated sign popped so people could read it well.

OLD-TIME SIGNPAINTING TECHNIQUES

I’m posting a few pictures of the sign renovation process. First, I made a pattern from the old sign, which had a very neat design. I sanded and bleached the whole sign, both sides. Then I filled in any big problem areas with an epoxy filler. After that, I primed both sides with oil-based Zinsser Primer, and finished with One-Shot Bulletin Enamels. I pounced the pattern with chalk to use as a guideline for the re-lettering process. I used two coats of primer, two coats of white bulletin enamel and then two coats of black and gold enamel lettering. I and my helper, Marshall, installed the sign back onto its 6X6 wood posts after sanding and painting them in the field with Sherwin Williams white latex enamel house and trim paint. Since they were previously painted, the latex house paint will work well on the posts giving them a flexible finish to last a good long while.

The customers were pleased with the work. I recommended washing and waxing the sign every 6 months or so (Fall and Spring). I hope it helps get more attention than the old sign which was severely faded.

 

Mark Hackley owns Augusta Sign Company, Waynesboro, VA

540-943-9818

Filed Under: News and Updates

A Simplified Way to Use Old Electric Sign Cabinets

July 14, 2017 By Mark Hackley

RE-PEEL OR REPLACE?

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-22980-simplified-way-to-use-old-sign-cabinetsLooking for a simplified way to use old electric sign cabinets? I bet I have had a dozen calls about sign face replacement since I restarted my commercial sign company here in Waynesboro, Virginia two years ago. Many people who go into business for themselves will rent or purchase a former commercial building. When they get the building, most times they also get the old signage. Jurisdictions usually make businesses  remove or reverse or otherwise block out the old sign faces in electric sign cabinets until new owners or tenants come along.

BRAND NEW BRAND

So what do you do when you need to replace or repaint the old sign faces? If the cabinets have working circuitry and functional lighting, then the best bet is to replace the faces so they will light up your brand at night. But if the old signs are REALLY old or non-functional, many customers choose a simplified way to use old sign cabinets: they simply replace the translucent plastic faces with opaque metal faces and spot-light their signage later as budgets for advertising grow with the new business.

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE?

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-22980-plastic-signs
“BEFORE”

Here’s a recent example of this exact process. The new insurance company opened in a former flower shop building. He had old electric sign cabinets, some without internal lighting at all, some with non-working electrical components. My customer utilized the simplified way to use old electric sign cabinets by replacing the old plastic faces with metal signs that slide in and out just like the old plastic ones. They were economical compared with buying custom-formed plastic faces and they look very nice. Plus, he has the option to light up later by installing exterior spots.

If you are just starting a business, or buying an existing one and you need to re-brand your brick and mortar location in the western/central Virginia area, give me a call or e-mail to discuss!

Augusta Sign Company has been in business since 2015 and before that, Tree Street Signs was in business since 1990 serving Waynesboro, Staunton, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, and Lexington, as well as many areas in between these cities and many other places within a few hours of Waynesboro.

www.augustasigncompany.com-22980-a-simplified-way-to-use-old-electric-sign-cabinets
“AFTER”

Mark Hackley, Owner

540-943-9818  mark@augustasigncompany.com

Filed Under: News and Updates Tagged With: electric signs

How Installing Interior Signs Made a Big Impact at Window World Office

June 16, 2017 By Mark Hackley

How Installing Interior Signs Made a Big Impact at Window World Office

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-22980-window-worldNeed help installing interior signs out there?? Last week I got a call from the local Window World retail store asking if Augusta Sign Company could install some letters they had removed from a wall during their recent store improvements. They had the letters but they needed a professional sign company to make a new pattern and re-install their brand in the newly renovated space and add some vinyl lettering and window lettering as well.

“Sure,”  I replied, knowing that I could tackle the job in simple fashion as I have lots of experience with making and installing corporate wall graphics. Here are a few pictures I snapped as I completed the project last week in downtown Waynesboro, Virginia…

Augusta Sign Company manufactures and installs interior logos and signs made of flush, computer-cut vinyl, acrylic, metal, and wood at schools, medical offices, corporate headquarters, government facilities, and pretty much anywhere people want to show off their brand to the visiting public!

Mark Hackley owns and operates Augusta Sign Company, currently located in Waynesboro, VA, but keep posted! Augusta Signs will be moving to the County sometime soon to better serve the entire Staunton, Waynesboro and Augusta County area.  540-943-9818

Filed Under: News and Updates

A Great Year for Signs!

December 30, 2016 By Mark Hackley

YEAR IN REVIEW AT AUGUSTA SIGN COMPANY

Restoration of Wood Signs

Augusta Sign Company celebrates it’s first full calendar year in business! Hooray!!

I started and ended the year off doing what I like best: restoring old wood signs. Some of the signs weren’t worth restoring and needed to be replaced, but usually if they were built from woods like cedar, redwood, or mahogany, then restoration was the best option for my customers. MDO plywood signs that aren’t framed may not be good restoration candidates and replacement is usually best. Such was the case with a sign I replaced as a signage subcontractor for a local landscaper. Last January, I replaced the oval panel for the Claybrook Subdivison sign, and restored the wrought iron bracket. Recently I got a call for help from a customer for whom I made a sign in the 1990’s. He needed help reviving the pizzazz that his store sign once conveyed. To restore his florist sign, I re-stained and re-painted the entire 2-sided sandcarved western red cedar sign and brackets.

Permanent Outdoor Signs

Probably of all the signs I design, make and install, 85% of them are for permanent outdoor applications. When I formerly founded, owned and operated Tree Street Signs in Crimora, my motto was “Make a Lasting Impression”. I still carry that motto, and try to steer my customers to utilize only the best quality materials in their signage. That’s why I recommend framing for any sign materials with porous edges. Unframed edges will allow moisture into the panel over time. It doesn’t take Mother Nature very long to penetrate and destroy unprotected edges! For metal signs, I try to make sure the framing and support structures are strong enough to help the signs stand up to the sometimes harsh Augusta County winds and rains and other forces of nature.

If signs are lit, I try to consider how the signage will appear at night. If the sign is made up of dimensional letters on a flat wall surface, I pay attention to the background colors and letter colors to make sure shadowing effects during the day don’t impede readability. If the sign is internally illuminated, I try to make sure the colors are true at night by using high performance translucent vinyls for the graphics. I also select the best brands of acrylic or polycarbonate sign faces manufactured specifically for the fluorescent or LED lighting technologies designed for the particular sign application.

Sometimes a customer can save some money by using reflective graphics materials versus having to incur the expense to run power to an outlying site for a sign. Such was the case with signs constructed for the Augusta True  Value retail store in Weyers Cave, Virginia.

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-signs-for-churches-dimensional-letters-22980

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-electric-signs-22980

Parking Lot Signs

Every month of last year I had lots of smaller fill in jobs doing parking lot signs or other non-main-sign projects. One private school customer had me make banners for its gymnasium, lettering for its school vans, and fire lane signs and striping for the parking lot after the fire inspector recommended them.

Vinyl Signs and Graphics

Lots of times I will make simple vinyl signs on my vinyl plotter or have signs digitally printed on sheets of vinyl and applied to various substrates. I printed the Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group brand on high performance 3M vinyl and applied it to 3mm ACM. The customer used the sign for a new office in Waynesboro.

Banners

Banners are another good filler type project at Augusta Sign Company. Throughout last year I made banners for many customers. Banners typically last about two years outdoors, so they are not the best material option for permanent signs. Yet, if you’re a start-up business or non-profit with limited capital for signs, banners can be a good option to get your name out there for a few years. If your banner is not being used for temporary advertising, you’ll probably need to investigate whether a sign permit for the banner is required.

www.augustasigncompany.com-22980-banners

www.augustasigncompany.com-car-dealer-signs-signage-banners-window-lettering-promotions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vehicle Lettering

When I owned and operated Tree Street Signs in Crimora in the 1990’s, I did my share of vehicle graphics. Lettering the vehicles for service contractors with fleets of commercial trucks was a large portion of the workload. Now that I downsized with Augusta Sign Company, my shop can only facilitate small vehicles. The fleet of cars I lettered for Valley Vital Care fit perfectly in my 14′ X 30′ garage. I can also handle decals and magnetic signs easily from my smaller shop, and have done many of these for customers over the past year. In warmer months from spring through the fall, I can also letter larger trucks and vans in my side lot, and I also utilize my customer’s places of business to install vehicle graphics year-round on larger units.

Signs for Churches

I remember being hesitant about jumping back into the sign business full-time after it had been about 15 years of just doing signs on a part-time basis. During my period of hesitancy, one thing pastors and counselors would tell me over and over was, “You can make a mission of your business.”

Maybe that’s what I am doing. I often enjoy sharing my faith story to customers. It’s no wonder that many of my customers last year were churches. I made or restored signs for at least 10 or 12 churches last year! God is good!

I hope you have a blessed New Year!

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-va-22980-church-signs-banners-promotions

Mark Hackley is owner of Augusta Sign Company in Waynesboro, Virginia

Contact: 540-943-9818  mark@augustasigncompany.com

 

Filed Under: News and Updates Tagged With: Signs Waynesboro VA

Building Letters for Natural Bridge State Park

October 11, 2016 By Mark Hackley

www.augustasigncompany.com-waynesboro-lexington-va-Building-Letters-for-Natural-Bridge-State-ParkAugusta Sign Company provided building letters for Natural Bridge State Park. The Natural Bridge in Virginia, one of the geographical wonders in our area, recently changed hands and is now a public park versus having private ownership.  A parent of one of my teacher-wife’s kids has an electrical contracting business, Roscher Electric, and he contracts for the Natural Bridge Park. A little bit ago, he contacted me to tell me the park needed new wall letters after the name change took effect, and wondered if I could provide them. Since my company is an eVA vendor, I submitted a quote and was awarded the job.

Wall letters come in many forms. The simplest method to add your brand to a wall is to hand paint the lettering right onto the building surface. In my day, I have provided direct hand-painted graphics for walls of AutoZone stores, Sam’s Clubs, Virginia Frame Builders, and others. These projects entailed lettering on various surfaces from cinder block to stucco, to corrugated metal siding. A step above flush wall graphics is dimensional wall graphics.

Dimensional wall lettering can be made of solid or molded materials, usually plastic or aluminum, but can also be cut file1-1from wood and other materials like stainless steel, etc.  When a customer orders a set or sets of wall letters, I first take a measurement of the space requirements, check local code for area allowances, and then submit several design options. In the case of the Natural Bridge letters, the customer wanted to keep the same 12″ letter height and typestyle of the previous letters.

When the letters are complete, a mounting pattern is also provided so the installer can set the letters correctly on the surface, in the case of Natural Bridge, the letters were set in wood. Many times the surface is brick, stucco, or corrugated metal, each application having specific choices for mounting the letters, but usually letters are stud mounted with non-rusting metal studs set in clear silicone filled holes.

Roscher Electric got my letters and did a great job on the sign installation down at Natural Bridge! Thanks goes out to them for the referral.

 

Mark Hackley owns and operates Augusta Sign Company, Waynesboro, VA  22980  540-943-9818. Contact him for all your signage needs!!

Filed Under: News and Updates Tagged With: building-letters

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1619 Middlebrook Road
Staunton, VA 24401
540.943.9818
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