Are your Exterior Building Sign Address Numbers falling apart? Of Course we can replace them and we do all the time. We can also use materials that will last. Starting in the 1980s the use of different plastics became common. There are 4 types of plastic expanded foam materials that are commonly used for Exterior Building Signs or Address numbers. 2 of these have 2 fatal flaws: - Birds love to claw and peak at foam. [caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="150"] Address number, Exterior Building Sign, made from foam the birds and sun have eaten the letter away[/caption] - The Ultra Violet UV resistance is poor and degrades the address numbers. Birds Birds don’t eat foam, they pecking and claw it. Birds perch on the upward parts on letters. In most all cases, the top edges are where the deterioration starts and the letter is “eaten” away from claws, beak, bill, or rostrum, and then water, and sun attach the foam. As coating on the letter wears thin, gets brittle or crakes, birds start to peck at weak areas and expose foam. When the outer layer is completely penetrated, birds enjoy picking the layer off entirely. Bird pecks can be repaired with a polyurethane sealant in caulking cartridges, but typically birds peck at the top of the letter where is hard to see. Often a thick coating of stucco keeps the birds away for a while. Birds seem to not like stucco. UV Attack When Exterior Building Signs are on the south side, the sun hits it all day long. The numbers on the south side are exposed to Ultra Violet light. Some foam types deteriorate. The UV breaks down the bonds in the material. Problems from UV can be prevented if the paint inhibits UV, Darker colors, (dark red, deep brown, black) Resist UV deterioration much better than lighter colors. Adding a UV inhibitor to paint helps. [caption id="attachment_558" align="alignright" width="150"] replaced address numbers[/caption]   Starting in the 1980s and peaking in the early 2000s 4 types of foam were commonly available: Expanded Styrofoam and polystyrene – (Gatorfoam board) there are a number of brand names and construction forms used. This is a particularly bad choice for outdoor signs. It is attractive to birds, it is structurally weak, and UV weak. Polyurethane – (Dynofoam) This is nonflexible, high-resilience foam and durable. It is attractive to birds and bird pecks are deep and quickly High Density Urethane (HDU AKA Precision Board and Precision Board Plus) is popular, but not really common for address numbers. HDU solvent resistant, it doesn’t crack or split, it is waterproof, bug proof and rot proof. Birds do not seem to like it. On the negative side it is light weight and can be damaged and it is more expensive than other alternatives. The largest use in for sand blast signs Expanded Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC, AKA Sintra, Komax) It is not attractive to birds, it is heaver and more durable than most other foams. It can be shaped and painted easily. UV makes it brittle, but it resists UV attack for a long-term outdoor use. It is available in white and black and its matte finish reduces glare. It does warp in the heat, until is thicker Acrylic (PVC, AKA Plexiglas) It is not attractive to birds, it is dense and more durable than foams. It is easy to paint and shape. UV will fad the color. It expanded and contracts in the heat and cold. It resists UV attack for a long-term outdoor use. It is available in many colors and its smooth, flat and high gloss finish. Are your building address numbers falling apart? Signs for San Diego can make numbers to replace a single address or all of them in a large industrial park. We would advise PVC or Acrylic, it can not rot, insects don’t like these, the sun will still fad them but birds don’t like these materials. Need to replace some numbers? We have a bucket truck and raise to the occasion. Please give is a call for pricing and availability.