By signcraft
Posted on Monday, September 19th, 2022
One way to increase the mass and overall visual impression of a sign is to mount it on columns instead of posts. A column is a structure that may conceal a post inside it, but it’s larger and more dramatic than a 4×4, 6×6 or 8×8 post. It’s a great way to avoid the sign-on-two-skinny-legs look that Gary Anderson described in “Building great-looking, durable posts.”
PVC board makes a great column material. It’s easy to work with and very durable. Joe Paffoon of Boardwalk Designs, Lynn Haven, Florida, has been doing this for over 25 years.
“PVC board is ideal for building columns,” says Joe. “It’s a structural material that you can fabricate much the same as wood. You can cut, nail, screw and finish it in similar ways. But it’s far more durable and stable than wood, and that’s a big plus.”
Joe outlined his approach to fabricating and finishing PVC board in “Getting the most out of PVC board.” During assembly, you have to make some accommodations for the fact that PVC expands and contracts more than wood does. For finishing, you also need to use a paint that will flex as the PVC changes shape. Joe uses exterior acrylic latex paint.
Building the columns
On large columns, Joe often uses an inner framework that includes a sleeve that slides over a post that is set in concrete. The finished column is brought to the site, dropped over the post, then the sign face is installed.
“The columns can be as large as you need them to be,” Joe says. “They really make the sign look much more dramatic, and there’s a lot you can do with the columns to make the sign more appealing. You can make it look classical or contemporary or nautical or whatever. You can mill a design into it like flutes or panels. You can make them 10×10 or 12×12 or larger. We just finished a sign that had 24×24 columns.
“You can add a skirt at the bottom to make them stronger and add to the look. You can add corner molding to hide the edge seams. You can v-groove it to look like lap siding or make it look like planks. Or you can finish them smooth for a sleeker look.”
Choose a satin finish
Joe finishes the columns with exterior acrylic latex paint with a satin sheen. He avoids a high gloss, plastic-looking finish. He also uses a lot of white 4×4 PVC posts on smaller signs but paints them as well for the same reason. Even if they will be white, they are sanded with 220-grit sandpaper and sprayed with satin exterior acrylic latex paint.
“They look great,” he says, “just like a wood post. The shiny finish of a standard white PVC 4×4 is a dead giveaway that it’s plastic and I don’t like that look. The satin finish looks much better.”
Imagine any of the signs you see here mounted on two simple posts. The sign would appear smaller—even though the sign face would remain the same size. Much of the visual impact and appeal would be lost. And since most sign codes limit the size of the sign face, creative columns are a great way to increase the impact and value of the sign without increasing the size of the graphics.
Here are two other articles you’ll find helpful:
“Basic sign structures: Posts, Boxes and Fences” by Gary Anderson
“Custom PVC posts are an easy upgrade to sell” by Larry Elliott
