Hanging our wooden signs outdoors, what to expect and how to take care so your custom sign will last a lifetime.
Wood choice:
It begins with choosing the right wood. Pine wood signs are not as suited for outdoor use as a hardwood like Maple, because Pine is very soft and not very rot resistant.
Our Maple Hardwood* signs will withstand the elements a lot better than Pine, although with the proper treatment, all wood can be displayed outdoors for many years.
Outdoor Sealer:
We spray our signs that are upgraded for outdoor use with Polyurethane. The sealer does not offer a lifetime of protection with a single application, since wood expands and contracts with temperature. During that process, the wood cracks and the sealer breaks open allowing water to go into the wood. Once that occurs you can see the Polyurethane begin to peel off. Then its time for a bit of maintenance on your sign.
How to maintain your sign displayed outdoors:
By using a 400 Grit sandpaper, lightly sand the area(s) where the poly is peeling off. Once smooth to the touch, apply a light coat of outdoor Polyurethane. Allow 2-3 hours to dry then repeat the poly application 1 more time. After it dries, your sign will be good to go for 1-2 more years, depending in what climate you live in. If your sign is directly exposed to the elements, this process may need to be done more often.
*At this time we can only offer the Maple Hardwood in 23″ x 8″ size. Please see image below.