Monument Signs - Just What You Need?

Monument signs are the workhorse of the signage business – they are made for long-term use and give a sense of gravity and permanence to a facility or neighborhood. Different styles of monument are available and can accommodate virtually any sign face material you can imagine. They can be designed to be the backdrop to something more eye-catching, or the monument can be the feature itself, drawing all the attention. They are also a preferred style of sign for many communities, making permitting easy and fast.

EXPRESSIVENESS - When considering a monument sign, you want to consider just how long you would want to have it standing. For most neighborhood entrances, having a plan for sign to last for decades or generations is reasonable. For other applications, like a business, it might be that price is a higher priority than decades of durability.

Brick or stone are very popular and one of the most durable, but we’ve even made monuments from cast iron fencing, which will probably outlast my grandkids’ grandkids! For those who want the effect of brick or stone without the price and difficulty, faux-stone is a great choice. High-density foam signage will give you great durability without the expense. In addition, in some communities if you are close to a roadway, HDU is the only permissible option, as it affords safety for drivers who might hit the sign avoiding a collision with another car.

COST EFFECTIVE - When you are designing a monument, a critical aspect is dimension. You can drastically effect the price of a sign by being creative with material use. For example, instead of the entire sign structure being made of stone, look to creating a monument with stone columns only. By being creative you can get the evocative effect of real stone but save on the overall cost.

You’d be surprised by how real-looking an HDU sign structure can be. Paint effects and carved shapes will give the effect of stone, brick, wood, or even concrete to your monument without all that expense. HDU signs install in one day, with a simple attachment of 4x4 posts in the ground. This also simplifies the permitting process, as this installation avoids conflict with any underground utilities.

Post and panel signs are also adaptable to be a ‘monument’ sign. Posts can be hidden between two sign faces and gives the designer creative freedom with the shape of the faces. Faces can be made economically and durably with alumalite or metal faces, but you can also incorporate real wood, sandblasted with the graphics, or wood-composites that can also be sandblasted.

USEFUL AND FLEXIBLE - The most industrial version of monument signs are aluminum cabinets, whether they are internally illuminated or externally illuminated. These are very common in industrial parks, where signs are very practical – designed to direct, not necessarily to advertise. They aren’t expressive, as most who are visiting are destination-bound, not ‘shopping’ for someplace to visit. They are also easy to change, so they are popular with property managers who want ease of adaptability for new tenants.

The message on a monument sign can be created with any number of materials – dimensional letters, cast metal signs, wooden or carved signs, and even lighted box sign cabinets. You can go with off-the-shelf standard HDU’s with are very, very affordable, or you can shoot the moon with stacked stone, cast metal and customized lighting.

If you are looking for something impactful, monument style signs may be just what you need. Discussions about pricing, design, materials and longevity should be the focus of your sign-maker of choice! There will almost always be a solution that fits your need perfectly!