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Using Dimensional Wood Signs-Advantages and Disadvantages

January 12, 2024 By jalexspringer

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STRATEGIZE WITH WOOD

Using dimensional wood signs as part of your organization’s marketing strategy may be a successful approach of blending the distinctive character of carefully handcrafted custom wood signage with your own distinctive image and brand. If your brand would benefit from the ambiance of natural, stained, or painted dimensional wood signage products carefully designed and finished in Virginia, you may want to consider the advantages and disadvantages of wooden signs.

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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

If you picture your building or office as a “box”, then thinking outside the box relates to your exterior signage attached to the outside areas of your building or campus. The wooden signs that I manufacture are typically 1.5” thick cedar panels with lettering/logos/emblems carved into the outside face of the boards. They can be fabricated at any size, and sized to fit the area in which they will be attached to the wall or ground-mounted support in the case of free-standing monument and post and panel type signs.

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In the case of wall-mounts, signs can be mounted flush to the wall or can also be hung perpendicular to the wall using scroll brackets. For free-standing signage, the wood signs are typically attached to some type of post system or low-wall of masonry or wood. Sometimes the wood signs are set into recesses in masonry structures for a permanent impression. Sometimes to save cost, flush vinyl graphics can be substituted for recessed or raised graphics (see Claybrook sign, a few snapshots down.)

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As mentioned earlier, the major up-side of exterior wood signs is connecting with customers. If your brand is aligned with “natural”, “earthy”, “down-home”, “old-fashioned”, “high-quality”, “rustic”, or “hand-made” messaging, then wood designs can help promote that overall feel. You may wonder how a wood sign can project both a high-quality and rustic image simultaneously: it depends on the finishing of the end product. Hand-painted and polyurethaned precision carved lettering and branding can produce a nostalgic feeling that signals a high-quality brand in the customer’s mind.

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Consider a quaint New England town with hand-carved wooden signs adorning the picturesque streetscape! A dentist office, a law firm, a gift shop, a bed and breakfast, a book store: they are all inviting you to come in and experience top-notch service and attention. Another advantage to v-carved wood signs is, if utilizing 23 karat gold, they can really catch your eye and draw attention. There aren’t many sign lettering options that surpass the quality of signs with real gold leaf.

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The biggest potential down-side of exterior wood signs, especially in areas south of the Mason-Dixon Line, is exposure to the elements: humidity and UV exposure being the two biggest threats to the longevity of wooden signs in Virginia, where most of my customers operate. The cost of regular maintenance is a definite consideration when planning to purchase a wood branding image. Cleaning the signs each spring and fall can extend the overall impact of your investment and lengthen their effective lifetime, and repainting or re-finishing wood signs on a three to five-year maintenance schedule is recommended. The initial cost of designing and building wood signs is also greater than using alternative signage materials, but the value of visual impact may be higher than other material options.

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INSIDE THE “BOX” APPLICATIONS

Wooden signs are great for outdoor applications, but don’t overlook their suitability for interior signage projects as well! I have not regularly promoted interior usage, but have worked on a few projects where the customer determined the look of the natural wood fit the identity of their product better than other traditional wall lettering options like dimensional metal letters and flush vinyl graphics. A few years ago I worked with Jon Styer, who at the time was the brand administrator for Eastern Mennonite University, to create an interior wall sign for the university’s coffee shop. An awesome graphic designer, Jon was able to blend the natural aura of stained cedar with a clean, clear, glossy acrylic cover that formed the background for the vinyl branding. It was a neat approach that utilized wood, plastic and vinyl lettering. Usually a sign is made of one or the other substrates, but this case blended all three signage materials into a great looking sign that was spot lit from above.

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YOU MAKE THE CALL

If you’re looking for a way to incorporate natural or painted wood signs into your business or organization, please reach out to Mark Hackley, owner, Augusta Sign Company, serving a large geographic area of Central Virginia seeking quality signage products and services. Using wood signage for branding certainly has advantages and disadvantages, but perhaps Mark can help you determine if wood is a good fit for your signage needs. And how much does it cost to go with wood versus less expensive urethane and aluminum composite options? Mark will be happy to meet with you to discuss!

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Contact Mark Hackley, Augusta Sign Company- 540-943-9818; [email protected]

Filed Under: News and Updates Tagged With: Carved Wood Signs, interior signs, Sandblasted Signs, VA, Virginia, Waynesboro, Wood Signs

How My Sign Company Made The Sign for Horseshoe Hill

March 8, 2022 By Mark Hackley

One afternoon I received a call from a property owner in Keswick, VA wanting a sign for her driveway entrance. After meeting with her at her Charlottesville office I was able to prepare a sign design based on what she had in mind: a small, simple, yet elegant oval sign to greet friends as they entered her property, a beautiful 42 acre lot in the heart of Albemarle horse country.

Finished carved cedar sign in Keswick, Virginia.

Building a wood sign like she had in mind is very motivating for me! Ever since I attended a handcarved sign workshop in Stowe, Vermont back in 1990, I have been interested in all types of handmade wood signs. Then, over time, with the help of computer-aided-design and manufacturing, I became skilled with V-carved and sandblasted lettering techniques. Nowadays, I generally choose western red cedar as the species of wood for sign panels because I’ve gotten to know its track record of carvability and durability over the years; and this is what I selected as the wood for the Horse Shoe Hill sign.

The Horse Shoe Hill sign after it is routed with a CNC machine.

After she ran my preliminary sign design by her architect, who was at that time working on an extensive remodel on the property, she recommended I alter the base of the post by beefing up the scale some versus using a plain 6X6 post column for the sign pole.

Marshall Carpenter sanding the main part of the post outside the shop in Staunton, VA.

I purchased the cedar panel and had the lettering carved per the approved design drawing. Once that was complete, I routed the edge, sanded the letters, background, and edges, and then primed the surface with two coats of oil-based primer. Once the primer was cured, I applied a heavy coat of hunter green enamel over the entire sign. After a few days of drying, I hit the sign with my pounce powder bag and applied the size for the gold leaf. (The pounce powder prevents the gold from adhering to the fresh enamel background.) After the size set to the proper consistency, I applied the gold leaf. As the sign was drying, I constructed a tall 6X6 post using treated yellow pine. Once that was built I primed and painted the post black and installed a large black iron scroll bracket to the top of the post to hang the finished sign from once installed.

The 23K gold leaf applied to the wet size that was prepared for the V-carved letters.

When both the sign and the post were complete, I arranged a date for installation. The architect took care of permitting and I dug a 42″ deep hole to set the post in concrete. I planted the sign post and attached bracing to the post until the concrete cured, after which I installed the sign using stainless steel hardware, and everything was finished. I see that the $6.95 M property is currently for sale in Albemarle County, VA. If you’re looking for it, just look for the nice 23K gold leaf sign! You can’t miss it.

Owner of Augusta Sign Company, Mark Hackley, with a million dollar smile, as he completes the sign for property worth millions! (But since he’s heard the streets of Heaven are solid gold, I don’t think that smile will ever fade!)

Mark Hackley owns and operates Augusta Sign Company and serves the Waynesboro-Staunton-Augusta County area of Virginia with hand-fabricated signs of all types…(and he has been since 1990!)

Filed Under: Sign Knowledge Tagged With: Carved Wood Signs, Cedar Signs, Gold Leaf Signs, Wood Signs VA

Carving Signs in Plywood

May 28, 2019 By Mark Hackley

Cheaper Alternative

Carving Signs in Plywood

Carving signs from plywood is less expensive than carving signs with cedar or redwood as the sign substrate, but will it last as long? The simple answer is probably not, but I have just started carving in plywood so I have yet to see how it will last out in the elements.

My experience with plywood signage tells me that, unframed, a sign made from plywood will begin to show signs of weathering within several years. An adequately primed and painted plywood sign should last at least five years is what I generally tell my customers, but it depends on UV exposure, edge exposure to moisture, sign colors, and whether the lettering is painted or cut vinyl.

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Unknown Durability

I am not sure how the carved lettering in plywood will fare when exposed to the Virginia elements. High heat and humidity in our area has a tendency to work on any exposed veneer joints where temperature can buckle the layers of the plywood allowing moisture to enter into the layers doing progressive damage. Cedar and redwood signs don’t have this vulnerability, thus the substrates will typically last a lifetime with regular maintenance.

I originally suggested a more expensive and durable carved cedar sign option, but unfortunately it was beyond the customer’s budget. That’s when the customer asked about carved plywood as an option. At first I wasn’t sure if that was even possible, but I soon discovered that it was doable. To create the same effect of a cedar sign, I had to laminate two 3/4″ pieces together since the thickest plywood I could get was 1″ thickness and carved cedar is typically made from 1 1/2″ thick boards.

Pleasing End-Result!

Once the sign was glued up, I took off the clamps, sanded, primed, and painted the background and graphics, adding several borders to make it more interesting. The customer suggested a white edge outline to help the sign pop from the green or brown-gray background, depending on the season. The customer replaced the old timber frame with new wood posts and beams. The protection from these extra large timbers around the sign edges should help the plywood panel fare better against the elements.

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The customer was pleased with the final result! Now I will be sure to offer carving signs in plywood as an alternative to carved cedar for customer-candidates willing to compromise overall durability in their sign for lower cost.

Mark Hackley owns Augusta Sign Company near Middlebrook, Virginia in south-central Augusta County.

Filed Under: Sign Knowledge Tagged With: Carved Wood Signs, plywood signs

Custom Wood Signs for Central Virginia

October 21, 2018 By Mark Hackley

CUSTOM WOOD SIGNS FOR CENTRAL VIRGINIA

LARGE SERVICE AREA

Based in Staunton, VA, Augusta Sign Company serves customers within a hundred miles of the shop with custom wood signs!

This large geographic service area includes the following areas:

Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, Covington, Clifton Forge, Lexington, Lynchburg, Roanoke, Salem, Charlottesville, Richmond, Elkton, Grottoes, Verona, Weyers Cave, Stuarts Draft, Crimora, Amherst, Lovingston, Nellysford, Wintergreen, Afton, Crozet, Massanutten, Middlebrook, Goshen, Clifton Forge, Mount Sydney, Mount Crawford, Dayton, Broadway, Timberville, New Market, Stanley, Luray, Front Royal, Woodstock, Mount Jackson, Edinburg, Strasburg, Stephens City, Kernstown, Winchester, Fairfield, Natural Bridge, Fincastle, Troutville, Buchanan, Vinton, Rocky Mount, Ferrum, to mention a few!

TYPICAL CUSTOMER BASE

Customers we serve generally fall into these categories:

Churches, Medical Offices including Dental, Optical, and Veterinary, Professional Offices, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Downtown Retailers, Specialty Shops, Hospitality, Private Farms and Residences, Industrial, Specialty Services, Schools, Libraries, and Museums.

TYPICAL SIGN TYPES

The typical types of custom wood signs we produce include:

Post and panel type signs where the wood sign is one or two-sided, mounted between two poles, or hung from a single post. Posts can be supplied by the customer, or we can fabricate or provide posts made of wood or aluminum. We can also provide standard iron scroll brackets for single-pole or wall mount signs.

Entry monument signage where the customer usually has a masonry contractor construct a brick or stone base designed for a custom wood sign. Augusta Sign Company is a licensed contractor and can subcontract sign base construction, or build certain types of stucco or custom wood sign monuments in-house.

Contact:

Mark Hackley

540-943-9818

 

OTHER SIGN SERVICES

In addition to custom wood signs, Augusta Sign Company can also help customers with Directional Signage and Wayfinding, 3-Dimensional Letters, Hand-Painted Specialty Signs, Gold Leaf, Vehicle and Window Graphics, Banners, Bronze Plaques, Industrial Safety and Parking Lot Signage.

Augusta Sign Company began as Tree Street Signs in 1990, changed its name in 2000 and began operating full-time as Augusta Sign Company in 2015. The shop is located in Augusta County, Virginia.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Mon-Fri 9:00AM-5:00PM, Closed Weekends and Holidays

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Carved Wood Signs, Central VA, Custom Wood Signs, Sandblasted Signs

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