Installing a sandblasted redwood sign on stacked stone

[Ultimate13]

Hi all,
I'm looking for advice and ideas to attach a 4'x4' 1.5" thick redwood sign to this wall. French cleat? Keyholes? Thank you for your time!

 

[Johnny Best]

French cleat. In line to the highest stone sticking out where sign goes.

 

[Billct2]

Yea, I think a french cleat would work, you can mess around with it till you get it level.

 

[Gino]

Can you easily get to the other side of that wall ??

Why such a heavy sign for an interior sign ?? Can we have a look see at what it looks like ??

 

[letterman7]

Stand-offs taller than the tallest stone. Make sure you locate the studs for the screws.

 

[TimToad]

Its already been asked, so I won't ask why it wasn't done in HDU for weight purposes, but you are going to need to be able to get at something structural behind that veneer for any method to hold up something that heavy.

What should have been done by the contractor was to have some threaded rod through bolted the studs in strategic places so you could shim and mount a couple lengths of aluminum angle iron to them.

Then you would attach the same size angle to the back of the sign with short enough screws so that you don't go through the front of the sign. The distance between the angles on the back of the sign should be slightly larger than those on the wall and then hang the sign on top of the wall angles, pop a few screws through them top and bottom and you're done. No visible hardware and as long as the angle sticks out further than the rock protruding the most, you should be able to make it nice and level.

 

[Ultimate13]

Can you easily get to the other side of that wall ??

Why such a heavy sign for an interior sign ?? Can we have a look see at what it looks like ??

We are matching another sign that they had done a few years ago for a different location. Yes we can get to the otherside, but it won't help to mount it, this is the exterior wall with stucco on it.

 

[Ultimate13]

Its already been asked, so I won't ask why it wasn't done in HDU for weight purposes, but you are going to need to be able to get at something structural behind that veneer for any method to hold up something that heavy.

What should have been done by the contractor was to have some threaded rod through bolted the studs in strategic places so you could shim and mount a couple lengths of aluminum angle iron to them.

Then you would attach the same size angle to the back of the sign with short enough screws so that you don't go through the front of the sign. The distance between the angles on the back of the sign should be slightly larger than those on the wall and then hang the sign on top of the wall angles, pop a few screws through them top and bottom and you're done. No visible hardware and as long as the angle sticks out further than the rock protruding the most, you should be able to make it nice and level.

Thank you for the detailed information, however this is an existing wall from a previous business. We don't have that option at this point. Also yes HDU would have been better but they wanted an exact replica of a sign from their other location.

 

[Gino]

Well, then I'd say you pretty well up that famous creek without a paddle..... or as many say..... you be f*cked.

If the customer does not want to allow you to use more conducive substrates and you cannot put all-thread in the wall and bracket it off outside, then I'd tell them to take whatever chances they see necessary in hanging it themselves. You're gonna be hanging about 45lbs or so on a decorative wall with no idea if you're hitting any supports or studding. Without taking that wall apart, how will you be sure to hit necessary supporting pieces ??

Was the old sign they are duplicating applied to a stone wall as this ??

 

[TimToad]

We are matching another sign that they had done a few years ago for a different location. Yes we can get to the otherside, but it won't help to mount it, this is the exterior wall with stucco on it.

Bummer! Man, they really painted you into a tough spot.

Can you even get a reading on your studfinder through all that stuff?

Good luck with whatever you end up doing. Love to see the completion photo.

 

[Billct2]

If you don't hit anything substantial toggles may work, just add an extra bracket or two.

 

[TimToad]

If you don't hit anything substantial toggles may work, just add an extra bracket or two.

Doesn't that stone veneer stuff get thin set mounted to tile backer board?

If so, at least he'd have that and probably a layer of sheet rock behind that if he had to use some big toggles.

 

[equippaint]

Epoxy set studs in the stone? Or 2 vertical flatbars with studs welded on both sides, then epoxy set both sides or anchor the wall side with toggles.

 

[Ultimate13]

Can you easily get to the other side of that wall ??

Why such a heavy sign for an interior sign ?? Can we have a look see at what it looks like ??

Here is the other one. Mounted to a much easier wall of course.

 

[Ultimate13]

Well, then I'd say you pretty well up that famous creek without a paddle..... or as many say..... you be f*cked.

If the customer does not want to allow you to use more conducive substrates and you cannot put all-thread in the wall and bracket it off outside, then I'd tell them to take whatever chances they see necessary in hanging it themselves. You're gonna be hanging about 45lbs or so on a decorative wall with no idea if you're hitting any supports or studding. Without taking that wall apart, how will you be sure to hit necessary supporting pieces ??

Was the old sign they are duplicating applied to a stone wall as this ??

I agree, and maybe just handing them the sign would be the best option. The tv's although lighter are just lagged into the rock with some type of insert. It's a tough one for sure. Thank you for your time. I'll post it when done, however it happens.

 

[Gino]

That looks like junk. All different kinds of grains, all going different ways and most likely, just a bought blank. Piece of crap, in my opinion. Plus, it doesn't hang flat and doesn't appear to fit the surroundings. No taste or thought was given to that sign, so I'd suggest letting then hang their own sign for sure in this scenario. Otherwise, hang it on decorative chain from the ceiling and get it as close to the wall as possible.

When you cannot solve something, accent the mistake and make it look like it was done on purpose. That's an old trick from real sign people. Put a light or two on it and focus more attention on the stand off than originally anticipated with shadows and highlights. Make it interesting.

 

[DerbyCitySignGuy]

That looks like junk. All different kinds of grains, all going different ways and most likely, just a bought blank. Piece of crap, in my opinion. Plus, it doesn't hang flat and doesn't appear to fit the surroundings. No taste or thought was given to that sign, so I'd suggest letting then hang their own sign for sure in this scenario. Otherwise, hang it on decorative chain from the ceiling and get it as close to the wall as possible.

When you cannot solve something, accent the mistake and make it look like it was done on purpose. That's an old trick from real sign people. Put a light or two on it and focus more attention on the stand off than originally anticipated with shadows and highlights. Make it interesting.

Clearly you aren't in touch with the aesthetics of the younger generations. The reclaimed aesthetic is very "cool" right now, Gino.

Personally, I wouldn't hang that sign. That's just me though.

 

[Billct2]

That's not just "reclaimed" it's in danger of snapping because it was poorly built.

 

[Gino]

Clearly you aren't in touch with the aesthetics of the younger generations. The reclaimed aesthetic is very "cool" right now, Gino.

Personally, I wouldn't hang that sign. That's just me though.

Aesthetics, the classics and cool are all one in the same. Some things never change regardless of what a younger or more naive generation thinks or believes. Some things never stray from elegance. Your judgement might well be understood by some, but it is completely wrong.

That thing, the OP showed is hardly reclaimed aesthetics. Throwing terms around like you know what they mean is what's wrong with this place. Just that..... throwing crap around and because you say it, it's gospel. There is nothing nice or pleasing to the eye, when someone does not take the time to match up end grains or size and just haphazardly puts totally unmatching flat and end grains together and comes up with a mess like that. That's an eye sore.

There is a such a thing as making a perfectly ugly sign and whoever made that one achieved it.


The reasoning powers you've displayed here..... are the same as with the many misused and even used type faces of today. For centuries, sign people have strived to make perfect looking characters and in a matter of a decade or so, with the intervention of computers, we can now convince people that silly fonts which look like they were made by second graders are really neat..... even reclaimed styles, huh ??

 

[Johnny Best]

Haha now we have someone who is going to tell us what is "cool" or not.
Last time I checked Gino is allowed to have his own opinion on subjects such as this, or is that uncool.
I'm older that Gino and the sign looks alright with me. And, the expression "cool" is from an older generation.
Also to the OP, good luck on hanging your cool sign.