Sign Materials Compared: How Long Each Lasts Outdoors

The material decides how your sign looks on day one and how it looks in year ten. British weather, salt air on the coast and traffic grime in cities all take their toll at different rates.

Aluminium composite

Two thin aluminium skins bonded to a plastic core. Light, flat, cheap and the standard substrate for flat panel fascias. Expect 8 to 12 years outdoors before the printed or applied graphics start to look tired, longer for the panel itself.

Folded aluminium

A single sheet folded to form a tray. Stiffer, more expensive and far more resistant to impact and vandalism than composite. Powder coated finishes last 15 years plus. The right choice for exposed or high traffic locations.

Acrylic

The glow material. Used for lit faces and for cut letters. Excellent clarity, holds colour well in UV stable grades, but strong reds and some fluorescents fade fastest in direct sun. Typically 10 years plus outdoors.

Stainless steel

Usually grade 304 inland and grade 316 near the coast, where salt attacks lesser grades. Brushed or polished, it looks expensive and lasts decades. It does need occasional cleaning to stay bright, particularly in cities.

Brass and bronze

Beautiful, traditional and long lived. Left untreated it develops a patina, which is either the point or a problem depending on your taste. Lacquered brass keeps its shine but the lacquer eventually needs redoing.

Timber

Hardwood or high density urethane board carved or routed and hand finished. Perfect for pubs, farm shops, heritage buildings and conservation areas. Needs recoating every few years to stay looking right, so treat it as a maintained finish rather than a fit and forget one.

GRP and fibreglass

Moulded, tough and very weather resistant. Used for shaped signage, canopies and anywhere a complex three dimensional form is needed.

Vinyl and print

The finish rather than the substrate. Cast vinyl outlasts calendered vinyl, particularly over curves and rivets, and a UV laminate over printed graphics is what stands between your colours and the sun. Good quality laminated print gives 5 to 7 years outdoors, cheap unlaminated print can fade noticeably in two.

Matching material to site

Coastal sites need marine grade stainless and quality fixings. Conservation areas usually want timber, painted metal or hand finished work rather than plastics. Low level signs in busy streets need impact resistance. Tell your signmaker about the site, not just the size.

We make in all of these

Complete Signs has been manufacturing since 1982 and our work carries a 25 year guarantee, which means we specify materials to last rather than to win a cheap quote. Call 0800 454 613 for a free survey.