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Materials and Processes
Standing Stone house signs are made from only the highest quality
materials which are used to create a functional, yet elegant product.
The castings are strong and durable but lighter than a true
bronze casting or an actual piece of slate. They are 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 surface will
quickly mature to a dark nut-brown colour.
...and resin-slate?
A similar process is employed when making resin-slate house signs
except a resin/slate mixture is the first layer applied in the
mould. To prevent finger marks showing on the slate-rich surface
when handling and fixing these signs, a traditional linseed oil
finish is applied. With time this
will weather away leaving the sign a lighter slate
grey but is easily re-applied if desired.
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Lettering
There is a choice from seven different lettering styles (fonts)
for your house sign, 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 signs (Vine, Oak, Dog-rose and Strawberry) and
Heritage signs have the option of a
larger nameplate to accommodate longer names on two
lines.
Both cold cast bronze and resin-slate house signs have the
lettering engraved into the sign using a grit blasting process
- set just below the surface of the nameplate. It is then
finished in white using a durable sign writer's paint.
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.
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Fixing
All house signs are supplied ready for fixing with
pre-drilled holes, appropriate screws, masonry plugs
and press-fit screw covers. 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'.
As part of the casting process, all our signs have a
slightly hollow back to them and will 'give' slightly
when screwing them into position; this helps if
you're fixing house signs to a rough or uneven
surface.
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House
Names
The procedure for changing the name of a
house address in the UK is as follows:
1) If your house address has a 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" becomes "Rose
Cottage, 11 Church Lane". You can inform your
local Council of the change but this is not
obligatory. In these circumstances you should
display the new house name and, most
importantly, the existing house number.
2) If your house address has a name only and
not a number, then a request for a change of
name must be put in writing to the Naming and
Numbering Department of your local Council.
Before approving the change, they will
contact all the relevant authorities to
ensure the change of name is satisfactory and
all records are updated. This also applies if
you are building a new home and wish to give
it a name only.
It is most important to
follow these procedures and ensure your house
name or house number can easily be seen from
the road - you never know when the Emergency
Services may need to find your address in a
hurry!
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Press
Articles about Standing Stone signs have appeared in the following
publications:
Period Living &
Traditional Homes - four times,
including article 'Six of the best
door plates'
BBC Homes & Antiques
Country Living
Period Ideas For Your Home
Homebuilding & Renovating
Perfect Home
Self Build
Period House
Your Cat
Horse & Hound
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House Signs Handcrafted by the Artists and Artisans at Standing Stone
Copyright S. Maslin - Standing Stone
1996 - 2008
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Foliate House Signs
