How to choose the wood for a timber sign
20/09/2009
How do you select the type of wood for a timber sign?
Timber signs are often used outdoors as they are a natural product, and there is a variation in cost depending on the type of wood used.
Timber or wooden signs in the UK are usually made from the following types of wood:
- Pine signs are very popular as pine is a relatively cheap wood and is easy to manufacture. It is pale in colour and can be given a good finish to make it look good. It will not last for ever, but can be made more durable by adding treatments to help preserve the wood.
- Oak produces very hard wearing timber signs that require minimal maintenance. This is an important consideration as most timber signs are outdoors and exposed to the weather. Oak wood is tough to work with, which also increases the cost. Oak is also acidic and this means stainless steel fixtures and fittings are used on an Oak Timber signs.
- Sapele wood is also used in making timber signs and is similar to Oak in degree of hard wearing. It is a darker red in colour and is cheaper than Oak. It is imported from West Africa.
- The Douglas Fir can be used to produce Timber signs
- Other wood used includes Red Cedar and Larch.
Wooden or timber signs are particularly useful for organisations connected with the environment such as Country parks, the National Trust or English Heritage. Most of the timber signs for public and open spaces are supplied by Fitzpatrick Woolmer who specialise in both the creative aspects of signage and the manufacturing of the product.
