FAQs

Yes, in most cases. Some of the oval patterns have a beaded border. In some cases it is best to leave the border unpainted. Call us if you are unsure.

Yes, usually, but you can ask us to make a sign without a relief border if you prefer.

Yes. Just specify what you want. There will be a charge for non-standard typefaces.

We guarantee customer satisfaction. There are too many different applications to offer a general life guarantee.

We can make to your design or you can choose from over a thousand stock patterns of various shapes and sizes. Ask us for your preferred shape and size and we will let you know how closely we can match.

Yes, either on their own or to be mounted on a sign.

Signs of the Times can supply you with most types of sign. We supply many slate signs for individual houses and entrances to large estates. 3mm aged bronze, brass and stainless steel engraved or etched signs are also a speciality.

Yes. Some of our biggest customers are overseas. We have supplied to very hot and very cold climates.

You can send us a drawing or even a thumbnail sketch will be helpful. Alternatively you can call us to discuss.

Yes, this is the norm. We do add some painting to the flat areas to make the motif shape fit the space available or just where it is more suitable than raising. This is sometimes a good way of making your sign unique. Ask our artists to add some decoration to suit your tastes or the name on your sign. Some small signs may have the painting on the flat – we will specify when this is the case.

Yes. We can drill for through face fixing onto wooden posts or leave for you to drill on site. Just tell us where the holes should go. We can supply posts with various methods of fixing.

Signs of the Times can supply both wood and aluminium posts.
Wood. Treated soft wood or green oak dimensions to suit.
Supplied with a wood stain or application of linseed oil.
Aluminium. 48mm and 76mm diameter are the favourites.
Supplied sand blasted, primer etched and painted to
match the sign.

No. Polyurethane is a solid rigid material and can be fixed directly to the wall or onto posts.

Yes. You can choose from one of our designs or send us some artwork to make to your specification.

There are various methods. Signs can be drilled for through face fixing. If there is only one sign we can supply a concealed fixing. For a stack of signs we can embed channelling on the reverse for fixing with post clips.

If you send us some artwork by fax, post or e-mail we will be pleased to quote to make your logo/motif.

Yes, as all the signs are hand painted you can ask the artist to paint some detail around your motif to suit your house name and make your sign unique.

Within the context of our House Signs a motif is a small image used to enhance the Sign. Here are some examples of our standard motifs.

When you customise your House Sign you can add these optional motifs to your design.

All our signs are made to withstand outside conditions regardless of whether they are to be sited inside or outside.

We have had no reported trouble with our signs. No-one can give a guarantee that their signs are vandal proof but as the text and detail is in relief on our signs there is little to no room for adding graffiti. The material is very strong but would not stand up to a sledge hammer!

We have done this in the past but do not recommend it. If graffiti is a real problem the signs can always be sandblasted clean and repainted to look like new. Call us to discuss further.

A wipe with a damp cloth should be sufficient but you can use a washing up liquid if required.

All paints fade a little over the years. This varies with surroundings but car paints last for many years. We have many signs in our village that we made nearly twenty years ago and still work well. Some of our boundary signs have been subjected to the rigours of council cleaning and the salt and grease spray from constant heavy traffic for 10 – 15 years and still do the job they were made to do.

We have spent many years researching paints and use the best available on the market. We have different paints for different applications. The background is a cellulose, car paint system or 2 pack acrylic. Other paints may be artists acrylics and sign writers enamels.

You can have any colour on the letters. Our favourite is Gold and Silver.

The size we can cast is limited to the size of our sand casting box which is 1.5m x 3m however we can make larger using different methods Signs larger than this are usually manufactured in two or more pieces.

Signs are generally cast in a solid rigid polyurethane. This material has thousands of uses including car bumpers, handles of pneumatic drills and coatings for offshore oil rigs and under-sea pipes. It is also used to make bollards. Bronze and aluminium are available where the application suits, e.g. floor fixed trail markers are cast in bronze.

Signs of the Times will arrange the letters in the size most suited to the size and shape of sign you have ordered. You can specify the size required or leave it to us. We will advise you if we have any difficulty.

Our standard typeface is Times Roman. We do have some stocks of Helvetica (a non-serif typeface). Most other typefaces can be accommodated.