Sign Installation
Installation of Your New Home Signs
Oftentimes, the biggest difference between home signs that are displayed and home signs gathering dust in a garage is ease of use. If you find it difficult, confusing, or aesthetically unattractive to hang a sign, you're much less likely to do so. Thus, it could be said that sign installation is more important than the art of sign design, as a wonderfully-designed sign will be left unappreciated if it's not taken out and shared with the world.
Hanging home signs is not complicated business. Home signs of all shapes and sizes are meant to be mounted on walls, posts, or brackets, and in some cases, suspended by chains, if need be. The trick is in determining what tools you need for the home signs you have.
How to Hang Home Signs
First, there is the good old "nail it to the wall" way. With a length of wire or twine, a nail, and a hammer, you can easily hang small to medium-sized home signs on an outside wall. Actually driving nails through your home signs is not generally recommended and may in some cases be nearly impossible. While this is the simplest and cheapest way, it's also the least aesthetically pleasing, unless you're purposefully going for a "rustic" look.
Most small to medium-sized house number plaques are shipped with wall mount brackets, similar to those found on the backs of picture frames. Using these brackets, you can hang your home signs from any wall able to support a nail. With wall brackets, you must first determine where you want the sign, then do some careful measuring to ensure your nail will not be placed too high or too low for the wall bracket. This is an easy method, a bit more discreet and visually appealing than hanging home signs with wire or twine, and it may be free (if the hardware is shipped with your home signs) or very cheap.
Larger sizes of home number signs require some additional effort and planning before they can be successfully mounted on a wall. There are two common methods of hanging larger home signs: on a pole in the yard, or on a wall bracket on an outer wall, similar to those used to support shelves. Both methods require hooks to suspend the sign from the bar; the bar may already have eye bolts for those hooks to slip into. These signs present a very stately and distinguished appearance, but are among the pricier options as far as home signs and home sign hardware goes.
The largest sort of house signs are sometimes called "estate signs". These signs can be very heavy, so mounting them is an additional challenge due to the need to bend, lift, and possibly hold them overhead briefly while someone else assists. With lightweight estate size home signs, the manufacturer may offer to include yard stakes, making it possible to place the sign at the head or foot of your drive, or in the yard of your home. Another option is to use chains and S-hooks to suspend home signs of this size above an entryway, indoors from the rafters, or above a gated entry. While these home signs are by far the most impressive, they are not practical for all homeowners nor all homes, and their weight should be taken into consideration when ordering.