Sandblasted Signs in Cedar & Foam
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT
COLORS ARE AVAILABLE FOR MY SIGN?
We use One Shot/Chromatic sign enamels and Sherwin Williams finishes as our main finishing pigments, but
not exclusively. While we don't guarantee an exact color match to your swatch, we can get very
close. We also have fan charts from all the major paint suppliers in the US, so matching your
color is usually not a problem. PMS colors can be used as a reference, but remember that they are
ink printed on a white background and not paints. It is a useful tool, but not all colors can be
matched to exterior paint colors.
WHAT
ABOUT A DESIGN FOR MY SIGN?
At WoodMaster Graphics, we've been designing and manufacturing wood signs since
1971. If you need your project designed from the ground
up, let WoodMaster be your design team. With thousands of installations on signs we've designed
and manufactured, you can be confident your finished project will receive the attention it deserves
from it's inception to being viewed by its intended audience. Our philosophy is that signs need to
be large enough to be noticed, large enough to be read, and attractive
enough to be remembered, so you will be remembered by your prospective customers.
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HOW LONG CAN I EXPECT MY SIGN TO LAST?
There is no definite answer to the question. The wood or signfoam will in
theory last forever. The heart of woods like cedar and redwood have a high tanic acid content which helps the wood
resist rot. An added benefit is that they accept and hold finishes well. We
laminate the wood together with a waterproof epoxy product of the marine
industry. Glue joint failures are something that never happen with a sign made
by WoodMaster. The
finishing of the sign will determine how soon it needs refinishing. Not all
signs are created equal. Your best bet is selecting a sign company with the know how and experience to
manufacture and finish your sign to give you many years of satisfactory service.
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HOW DO I GET MY
SIGN INSTALLED?
We can arrange a qualified installer in your area or we can show you how easy it is to
install wood signs. Wood is a very user friendly material, but expansion and contraction must be taken into
consideration when installing wood signs. Our cedar is kiln dried so shrinkage is minimal,
but exterior temperature and moisture conditions will affect the movement of the wooden sign faces.
Fortunately this is easy to compensate for on installation with what we call a soft installation. This
means simply attaching signs to supporting members such as post and cross bars with galvanized
drywall type screws which will give with any sign movement. Heavy bolts and metal angle irons
are simply not necessary and can limit sign movement possibly resulting in the
sign contracting and literally pulling itself apart. Double sided signs that are blasted on both sides of one panel can be installed quite easily by
pinning the sign face between the sign posts with 3/8" x 6' lag bolts. Any D/F sign purchased from
WoodMaster will shipped with these mounting holes predrilled. We use these same bolts to hold the
signs during the finishing process. Careful measuring of these holes and transferring them to your
sign posts and then doing the necessary countersinking and drilling of 5/8" bolt holes in the post.
This oversize drilling in the posts allows movement and makes installing much simpler.
Don't over tighten these bolts. This method of installing D/F signs make removal and reinstallation a simple matter should refinishing
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WHAT KIND OF WARRANTY DOES THE SIGN HAVE?
We warrant all signs to be free of defects in workmanship and labor for a period of one year after manufacture as long as the sign was properly installed. WoodMaster Graphics will at it's option repair or replace any sign found to be defect in materials or workmanship. This is so rare that it barely warrants discussion, but it needs to be addressed. In the very rare instance that it should occur, it most likely to be from a defect in one of the laminated boards and went undetected during manufacture. This is very rare because the panels are subjected to very high pressures from the feed rollers when they go thru the planer and wide belt sander and if defects are present, they show up then, before the manufacturing process gets under way. Rest assured your sign is subjected to several visual inspections all during production and before final packaging and shipping. back to the top of the page
WHAT MATERIALS CAN THE SIGNS BE MADE FROM?
Exterior dimensional signs are usually wood or urethane foam. With the scarcity of redwood today, most sign makers are using western red cedar for their wood signs. Urethane foam sheeting, is available from several manufacturers. When sandblasted the foam signs looks like sandblasted stone. Our rule of thumb is if you want it to look like wood, use wood. If you want a sandblasted stone look, use foam. If properly finished both materials will offer many years of service. Typically 7 to 10 years for refinishing, depending on the displays orientation to the sun. Sandblasted wood signs age very gracefully. Your refinishing window is very large before the sign looks uncared for. UV is the primary enemy of all exterior finishes.
Interior dimensional signs can be made and sandblasted from nearly any wood and a wide variety of manmade materials as well. Our wood of choice for our line of menu boards and hostess style signs is oak. Oak is a very common furniture wood and it's durability lets it work well for our purposes as an interior sign material as well. back to the top of the page
We base the cost of the sign on two factors. Size and complexity of the layout. If you have a layout you may fax it to us for immediate pricing. If you have a size estimate only at this time, we can give an estimate based on the square footage of the sign. Call or go to the Contact Us page for for information on obtaining pricing. back to the top of the page
HOW DOES THE SIGN GET TO ME?
We routinely package and ship wood signs from our Illinois location to U.S. customers from
coast to coast. We've developed a fairly inexpensive packaging system with an excellent track
record of safe arrival to the shipping destination. Signs under 10 square feet can normally ship
UPS. Signs over 10 square feet go common carrier via Roadway Express or the carrier of your
choice. Should damage occur during shipping, contact the carrier to file a
claim. Be sure to retain the shipping carton for their inspection. Notify us if
arrangements have to be made to have the sign shipped back to us. back
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WoodMaster has a large network of sign company dealers who are resellers of our products. If you would like to work with one of our dealers in your area, use our contact page or call for information about a dealer located in your area. For more information about qualifications for becoming a dealer, contact us via phone, fax, or email. You can also use our Contact Us page.
800/223-5888 fax 708/758-1475
WoodMaster Graphics
3149 Glenwood Dyer Road
Lynwood IL 60411
Copyright 2005 All Rights Reserved
Revised: January 17, 2011