All signs and plaques are hand crafted in our own
workshops in rural Carmarthenshire. The processes
involved - from original design and modelling to
casting, lettering and finishing - are carried out
entirely in the Standingstone studios, enabling us
to have full control over production and maintain a
high standard of product and service.
How the signs are made - materials and
processes
Standingstone uses best quality materials to
create functional, yet elegant products. The
castings are strong and durable but lighter than a
true bronze casting or an actual piece of slate.
They will remain unaffected by even the most
extreme weather conditions and will not rot, warp,
split, crack or rust.
What is cold cast bronze?
Cold casting is a process of casting using metal or
mineral filled resins. It was developed in the
1950's by Sir Alec Tiranti and is now widely used
by fine art sculptors. Cold cast bronze is also
known as resin bronze and bonded bronze.
The first layer applied into the mould, and so
forming the exterior of the sign, is a mixture of
pure bronze powder and a small amount of polyester
resin - just enough to make the mixture brushable.
When this layer has set, the casting is
strengthened with further layers of reinforced
resin composite. This process results in a casting
with a slightly hollow back.
Once the casting is removed from the mould, the low
relief modelling is highlighted by the application
of paint washes to create a patina effect; the
bronze-rich surface is then polished to enhance the
metallic finish. Finally the sign is sealed with
several coats of clear gloss lacquer in order to
give the surface long-term protection against
dulling and tarnishing. Customers can specify a
waxed finish as an alternative to lacquer but
should be aware that the bronze will mature to a
dark nut-brown colour after a few weeks.
... and resin slate?
A similar process is employed when making resin
bronze house signs except a resin/slate mixture is
the first layer brushed into the mould. Again
further layers of reinforced resin and fillers are
applied. After the lettering has been etched into
the surface a semi-mat, clear lacquer finish is
applied.
The Lettering
Both cold cast bronze and resin slate house
signs have the lettering engraved/etched into the
face of the sign using a grit blasting process - it
is set just below the surface of the nameplate. It
is then finished in white using a durable sign
writer's paint.
There is a choice from seven different lettering
styles (fonts), these are illustrated on the
Lettering styles page.
If in doubt 'A - THE OLD SCHOOLHOUSE' is
recommended. Heritage house signs are supplied with
a clear calligraphic style of lettering as
standard. A choice of one of these styles is not
mandatory - we can, where possible, use a font of
your choice.
Great care is taken with the design, layout and
accurate spacing of the lettering in order to
provide the best visual effect and legibility in
the space available on the nameplate. If you have a
preferred layout please enclose it with your order.
All Foliate and Heritage signs have the option
of a larger nameplate to accommodate longer names
or a house number and name on two lines.
If you are unsure how your address will look on a
sign in a particular lettering style or layout
please use our free "View before you buy" service
and we will email you a draft picture of the sign
with the lettering for your approval. To use this
service look for and click on the "Request a draft
picture" link included with the description and
details for each sign.
Placing & fixing your sign
All house signs and plaques are supplied ready
for fixing with pre-drilled holes, appropriate
screws, masonry plugs and press-fit screw covers.
As part of the casting process they have a slightly
hollow back to them and will 'give' slightly when
screwing them into position; this especially helps
if you're fixing a sign to a rough or uneven
surface. They are easily secured using ordinary DIY
tools.
If there isn't a vertical surface available where
you want to site your sign - with a little
ingenuity and maybe carpentry - it could also be
fixed to a post, gate or similar. For example, at
the end of a drive you could set a paving slab into
the ground or a bank and then fix the sign to it.
When positioning your sign be aware that walls are
sometimes out of true, in which case don't be a
slave to the spirit level - take the attitude 'if
it looks level, it is level'.
House Names - the procedure for changing the
name of a UK house address
If your address has a house number -
then that number will always remain as the postal
address. A house name can be added as an alias,
e.g. "11 Church Lane" may become "Rose Cottage, 11
Church Lane". You can inform your local Council of
the change but this is not obligatory. In these
circumstances it is most important that you
continue to use and display the existing house
number which will still take precedence over the
new house name.
If your address has a house name only and no
number - a request for a change of name must be
put in writing to your local Council, usually the
highways or engineers department. This procedure
also applies if you are building a new home and
have been given permission to give it a name only.
Before approving the change, the council will
contact all the relevant authorities to ensure the
change of name is satisfactory. If they approve the
change, the department will inform Royal Mail but
it is worth checking that they have done so. You
will have to notify the Land Registry and all other
official bodies who may need to find your address
or contact you by post - these include the local
emergency services, your mortgage provider, bank,
utilities, etc.
It is most important to follow these procedures and
ensure your house name or house number plaque can
easily be seen from the road - you never know when
the emergency services may need to find your
address in a hurry!. Also try and get
neighbours and local businesses to do the same as
it’s far easier to find an address when following a
logical sequence of numbers. Under the little known Town and
Improvement Clauses Act of 1847, a local authority
can bring proceedings against a householder who
fails to display a house number if their property
has one.
