Weatherproof exterior wooden sign

[Sterling Wong]

Hello everyone,

I have a project coming up to make an exterior sign for a restaurant. Im planning to make it either engraved and colorfilled on a wooden board or a 3d sign woth the letters cnc'd out of wood and mounted on a wooden board.

My concern is how to make it weatherproof. We are in eastern canada where it gets hot and really cold during the winter. The type of wood to be used is not chosen yet.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Jon Endres]

How's your budget? This calls for either western red cedar or cypress. If weight is not a concern - black locust or even something tropical like ipe'.

Alternately, if using the second option (mounting letters on a flat background), use HDO plywood as the background and cellular PVC as the letters. Just throwing some ideas out there.

Not much hotter or colder here in Vermont, I see people using all kinds of sign materials, even white pine. As long as it's properly sealed, it should last a long time. Longer than the average lifespan of a restaurant, that's for sure.

[Andrew J. Coholic]

How's your budget? This calls for either western red cedar or cypress. If weight is not a concern - black locust or even something tropical like ipe'.

Alternately, if using the second option (mounting letters on a flat background), use HDO plywood as the background and cellular PVC as the letters. Just throwing some ideas out there.

Not much hotter or colder here in Vermont, I see people using all kinds of sign materials, even white pine. As long as it's properly sealed, it should last a long time. Longer than the average lifespan of a restaurant, that's for sure.

Ive made and sold a lot of WR cedar signs over the years.. finished in SiKkens Cetol 1 & 23. They tend to hold up very well, but will need some reapplication of the 23 every few years.

White oak also stands up extremely well in harsh exterior conditions. I have exterior doors here, finished 15+ years ago that look as good as new. Same finish. Cetol 1 is the first coat, Cetol 23 is the 2nd and third coat.

I apply the Sikkens finish over exterior grade acrylic if we are doing a painted sign.

[Sterling Wong]

We haven't spoken about the budget yet, I'm seeing if it's something I can do first. We have snow and ice here, afraid of damage from the ice / water expanding in the sign

[Sterling Wong]

i realize I posted in the wrong forum, will make new post in the woodworking projects forums

[Chris Fournier]

There is no such thing as weather proof and wood. Simple as that. God knows I've tried.

[Anthony Albano]

We use a product called, Extira. Have yet to have a failure. Can carve and paint it to look like any material..
www.wecarve.com

[Mel Fulks]

We use a product called, Extira. Have yet to have a failure. Can carve and paint it to look like any material..
www.wecarve.com (http://www.wecarve.com)
Have not used it for signs; but it is a good product for many non structural uses.

[Andrew J. Coholic]

There is no such thing as weather proof and wood. Simple as that. God knows I've tried.

There are lots of wooden sided houses that exist.. and pretty weather proof. :)

My parents built a Viceroy split bungalow in the mid 1980's. Western red cedar siding on the entire back and side of the house. Finished in the same Sikken's finish, up-kept with a coat every 6 or 7 years. Still looks great 30 years later.

Doors, we've made lots in western red cedar, fir and white oak. Same thing, some are 30 yrs old and going quite well.

Wood can be made to last quite a while out doors, year round. But it does require some maintenance. But so do all the other man made sign boards.

[Ted Phillips]

Use a penetrating epoxy sealer followed by several top coats of a good marine varnish. Should be good for several years in the weather.

[Jim Becker]

i realize I posted in the wrong forum, will make new post in the woodworking projects forums
This is the correct forum for materials/techniques discussion, outside of the finishing end. The Woodworking Projects forum is for finished projects and build threads.

Jim
Forum Moderator

[Bill Dufour]

Depending on size cast concrete or solid surface countertop material. use a sandblaster and some hand tools to give it a wood grain effect. If you insist on using wood get some fossilized wood to make it from.
Bill

[Jim Barstow]

I've made a bunch of smaller signs. I use Mahogany and 5 coats of Epiphanes marine varnish. (It's quite expensive but better than any other finish for weather resistance.) The sign may still need recoating in 5 years or so if exposed to intense sun.

[Charles Lent]

Star Board is a product that was originally developed for the marine industry. It's a Weather resistant plastic and comes many colors and in standard sheet good sizes and thicknesses. You can cut it and shape it easily with woodworking tools. Gluing requires a special glue. I have worked with it and found it easy to work with, but it's a little "grabby" when routing, but not bad. It's just enough to be able to notice it's difference over wood. The museum that I sometimes do work for now now uses it to build exhibit cabinets instead of birch cabinet plywood with high pressure laminate covering, because the Star Board resists abuse much better. The color goes all the way through it, so a deep scratch is much less noticeable. Scraps also make very tough cutting boards :~)) An internet search for "Star Board" will provide a current list of current sources. You could rout the letters into it by hand or CNC and fill them, or cut letters from a different color Star Board and attach them with the special glue. When assembling exhibits it's quite common to use pocket screws. Stainless pocket screws are available for outdoor uses.

I'm a user. I have no connection to this manufacturer or their distributors, but I do like Star Board for uses that require a very tough, but easily workable material.

Charley

[Sterling Wong]

Thank you for the suggestions everyone