WHY YOU SHOULD WEATHER
PROOF WOODEN SIGNS
If you want your outdoor wooden signs to
stand the test of time, you'll have to weatherproof them. There's
nothing shabbier than a worn, weather beaten sign trying to entice people to
buy something. To keep your message fresh and clear, you'll need to take
measures to protect your wooden sign against rain, humidity, dew and the sun’s
rays. The following tips will help you build and maintain a wooden sign that
will stand up to the elements.
Step 1 - Select More
Robust Types of Wood
One main starting point is to select a type of
wood which is by nature robust and hard wearing. Treated wood is also ideal for
outdoor use. Also it is best to select wood which is quite thick.
Step 2 - Sand the Wood
Panels
Secondly, use sandpaper to sand the wood panels
you shall be using for creating your signs. This will help to make the wood
smoother. Besides making them more appealing it will also help to reduce the
retention of water and moisture from rain, dew or humidity to stick to grains and
chippings.
Step 3- Apply Wood Putty
if Necessary
If required, apply some wood putty to certain
areas of the wood.
Step 4 - Apply Water
Repellent Preservative
Afterward, you may apply a coating of water
repellent preservative to the handmade wooden signs. This can come in a consistency suitable for painting
and it will treat the wood sign to increase its resistance to outdoor conditions. It
helps to preserve the wood beneath while also increasing the life of the paint
that will be applied later.
Step 5 - Paint
Your next step is to paint the wood panels. It
is crucial to select a type of paint which is manufactured for outdoor
applications. This is, in fact, one of the most important steps to
weatherproofing wood. Usually a high-quality acrylic-based paint is recommended
or else stains. These paints have better adhesion. The paint layer on the handcrafted personalized signs will help to block, to a certain limit, the sun’s rays from affecting
negatively the underlying wood from any weathering and fading. Another good
type of paint is enamel which provides a hard outer surface to the wood. There
are also types of stains that are semitransparent and contain chemicals which
act as water repellents and preservatives at the same time.
Step 6 - Apply Wood
Sealer
After painting the wood and making sure you
apply more than one coat, and letting them to dry, you can then apply wood
sealer. This will further prolong the life of the wood signs.
Step 7 - Fix Plastic
Edge Caps
You can also wish to fix plastic edge caps on
the edges of the wood sign. This will help to increase their longevity.
By trying to apply these tips you can increase
the sturdiness of the wooden signs and reduce the need to replace them after a
short period of time.
Posted from http://www.doityourself.com/
http://robustsigns.com/products-page/irish_signs/ |
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