Materials for House Signs — What Are They Made From?
With over 30 years of experience making house signs, we have worked with and tested many different materials. Some are particularly well suited to long-term outdoor use, while others require considerably more maintenance. This guide looks at the most common materials used for house name and number signs and the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Materials We Make & Recommend
Brazilian Slate
Natural stone with excellent outdoor weathering properties and a traditional appearance.
View Slate House Signs
White Corian
A premium solid-surface material with a smooth finish and excellent outdoor durability.
View White House Signs
Polymer Resin Stone
Hand-cast plaques made using resin combined with marble or slate powder for a solid stone-like finish.
View Stone-Style Signs
Reflective Lettering
Designed to improve visibility in low-light conditions while retaining a traditional house-sign appearance.
View Reflective House SignsHouse Sign Materials — Pros & Cons
Wooden House Signs
Wooden house signs can be made from many different types of timber. Lettering may be painted, burnt, laser engraved or cut into the surface. Wood can give a house sign a warm, traditional appearance, but outdoor timber generally needs regular maintenance and sealing to help protect it from moisture and weathering. For this reason, we do not manufacture wooden house signs.
Acrylic & Plastic Signs
Acrylic and plastic signs can create a clean, contemporary appearance and are often produced using clear acrylic panels, coloured backing sheets and vinyl lettering. They can be lightweight and relatively inexpensive, although some materials may become brittle, scratch or deteriorate as they age outdoors. We do not manufacture acrylic or plastic house signs.
Metal House Signs
Cast iron, aluminium, steel and brass have all been used for house signs. Metal can be strong and attractive, particularly on period properties, although its long-term condition depends on the type of metal, protective finish and environment in which it is installed. Coastal locations can be particularly demanding. We do not manufacture metal signs, although some of our designs recreate the traditional appearance of cast iron without using iron itself.
Natural Slate, Granite & Stone
Natural stone is one of the traditional choices for outdoor house signs. Slate is particularly popular because of its appearance and outdoor weathering properties. Stone signs can be heavy and should be securely fixed to a suitable flat surface. We manufacture a wide choice of deep V-groove engraved slate house signs for house names, numbers and addresses.
Ceramic & Pottery House Signs
Ceramic, pottery and terracotta signs are available in a wide variety of handmade and manufactured styles. They can be highly decorative, although outdoor performance can vary depending on the clay body, glaze and manufacturing process. Our ceramic-style plaques are instead manufactured from cultured marble, giving a similar decorative appearance in a material designed for outdoor use.
Polymer Resin Signs
Polymer resins can be used to create highly durable outdoor plaques in many shapes and finishes. We manufacture several ranges by combining resin with marble or slate powder before casting the material into moulds, producing solid plaques with the appearance and feel of stone.
Corian & Solid Surface House Signs
Solid-surface materials are well suited to outdoor signs because they are strong, non-porous and easy to maintain. We manufacture a range of white solid-surface house signs with deeply engraved lettering and a choice of coloured inlays.
Recycled House Sign Materials
Some modern house signs are manufactured from recycled plastics and composite materials. Waste plastics can be processed and combined with fillers to produce solid boards or stone-effect materials, offering another option for manufacturers looking to reuse material that might otherwise become waste.
So Which Is the Best Material for a House Sign?
There is no single material that is right for every home. The best choice depends on the style of your property, where the sign will be fitted, the finish you prefer and how much maintenance you are prepared to carry out.
For an outdoor house sign, we generally recommend choosing a material specifically suited to long-term exposure to British weather. Natural slate, solid-surface materials and our cast resin ranges are the materials we have chosen for our own signs after decades of manufacturing experience.
Choose a house sign made for the outdoors.
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