Monument Signs
Grab Attention with Monument Signs
Marking an entrance and positioned near the street, monument signs by the very nature of their placement, are the most out-in-front type of marketing you can engage in for a retail business or building.
Monument signs are free-standing signs, attached to the ground with submerged posts. They're typically used for neighborhood or subdivision entrances, churches or any business that prefers a durable, attractive sign that stands out beautifully. Well-designed monument signs do more than simply advertise your location. They can be artful, attractive additions to a neighborhood or community.
Monument signs are incredibly durable, easy to install, and surprisingly lightweight, yet give the impression of solidity and permanence.
Monument Sign Construction
In dryer areas like the Southwest, we can use armored bead foam to make unlighted monuments. However, in the Pacific Northwest, moisture-resistant materials like painted aluminum and concrete are necessary to make a freestanding sign durable.
Aluminum is light, pliable, doesn't rust, takes paint well, and is a terrific material for monument signs. An aluminum monument sign is basically a cabinet built on a welded aluminum frame with a sturdy aluminum sheeting "skin."
Paints are polymer-based, like automotive paint. Unlike your car, they don't need to be waxed. The result is an attractive, durable, very low maintenance free-standing sign that can be lit from within or from external landscape lights.
Most letter types can be mounted. These include dimensional letters, internally lit letters, or removable acrylic panels (for identifying tenants, for example). We at Seattle SignCo are happy to demonstrate the various ways you can make your monument sign attractive and high impact.
Concrete Signs
Another type of monument sign is created by pouring concrete into forms reinforced with steel rebar. After it dries, we paint the concrete monument and add your messaging and logo in aluminum. Acrylic may be used, but it's brittle and subject to vandalism. Aluminum is a tougher substance and makes more sense in situations with high walk-by traffic.
Lit or Unlit Monument Signs?
Despite the extra cost, internally lighted signs are more effective than landscape lighting since it's so dark in the Greater Seattle area six or more months out of the year. Projecting light from your sign will enhance the look and increase the attention you will get from passersby. We recommend LED lighting over tube lighting for virtually maintenance-free performance.