Materials used to create the house number plaques, house signs and individual cut numbers on the Design My House Number website

Materials

About the materials used for our house signs and numbers

Acrylic / crystal clear and colours

Acrylic is a popular choice for signage as it has the look of clear glass but is very lightweight and safe to use. It is stronger than glass and it won't shatter. Any marks or scratches are easily removed to maintain its great look. It comes in various thicknesses and colours, all of which will be outlined on the product page of for the sign or number you are looking at.

Plastic Republic Ltd. uses only the highest grade of acrylic, Plexiglas, to ensure that you receive a perfect house number sign every time. Plexiglas is UV stable so it will never fade and their manufacturing process is second to none. The protective film is removed to clean the sign thoroughly and to check that the quality has not been compromised in any way during the manufacturing process. The acrylic is laser cut to create crystal clear edges and is also flame polished to give an additional finer edge to ensure you are delighted with your sign from every angle.

The following is an extract from the Plexiglas website explaining why it is the best acrylic available for signage. Click here to read more.

Plexiglas G acrylic sheet products have a proven ability to withstand the effects of weather, sun, and a wide range of temperatures in outdoor use. This permanence derives from the acrylic resin's inherent stability. A large number of clear samples, after more than 10 years' outdoor exposure in Pennsylvania, show an average of more than 90% light transmission, which represents a loss of only 2%. Inspection reveals that very few test samples exhibit any obvious damage due to weathering. In other tests, samples of colourless Plexiglas sheet exposed outdoors in Arizona, Florida, and Pennsylvania for 20 years or more show no significant discoloration, crazing, surface dulling, loss of light transmission, or development of have or turbidity. In these tests the samples were mounted on outdoor racks at a 45-degree angle facing south. Angling the racks in this manner increases the rigors of exposure significantly. Actual outdoor applications ordinarily involve less severe conditions.

Matt Acrylic

We offer Italian matt black and white acrylic for some of the house signs. The matt black in particular is a beautiful modern option if you like the look of slate but prefer something more contemporary. It is very aspirational, especially when teamed up with chrome numbers and frosted vinyl as in the Sorrento house plaque.

Vinyl

Vinyl is a great choice for long term outdoor signage. Plastic Republic Ltd only use the highest grade materials and the vinyl is guaranteed for 7 years. There is a huge choice both gloss and frosted colours to make sure you are able to create the exact sign that you want.

The vinyl is cut on precision plotting machines to give a perfect sharp edge and the team are experts at applying the vinyl to the reverse of the front plates (where applicable) to exactly replicate your design and create the beautiful drop shadow depth.

Printed Acrylic

Printed We use the latest LED UV stable inks to print onto acrylic and other materials. LED cured ink is suitable for outdoor use for over 10 years. We print onto the reverse of the acrylic and create a solid colour, not transparent.

Aluminium Composite

Aluminium Composite is generally used for shop signage as it is lightweight and very durable. Plastic Republic Ltd. use branded aluminium composite for numbers and signs, namely Dibond. It is 3mm in thickness and the front and back is aluminium with a strong compound in the middle. We offer a variety of finishes and colours so you can replicate more expensive metals with a safe good looking alternative.

Butler finish is a silver, satin finish effect. Plastic Republic always ensure the numbers are cut in the same direction to maintain the same brush effect on all individual cut numbers or letters.

Gold aluminium can be used to replicate brass.

Copper can be used to replicate bronze.

Coloured aluminium offers different looks to match your decor.

Chrome / mirror finish gives a sleek, glossy look instantly portraying the finest quality.

The following is an extract from the Dibond website about the reason for aluminium composite being a great material for signage. Click here to read it.

DIBOND® was originally developed in 1992 by 3A Composites as one of the first Aluminium Composite sheets for the display and signage markets. The panel combines two 0.3 mm aluminium surface layers with a polyethylene core and comes with a protective film on both sides. Front and reverse side are either stove lacquered, with white or coloured surfaces and with either matt or high-gloss surfaces, anodized or even textured.

Very high resistance to weathering and corrosion and high stability

No heavy metals in the lacquers

UV - protection

Optimized for long term outdoor use