This past week I revisited a job we had done more than half a decade ago. The project was called Riptide Lagoon Adventure Golf. Over a period of two years we had built the phased project. It was the first one we had done offsite in our new shop and then transported for installation. A year later (shortly after getting my MultiCam) we had built a highway sign for the project using Precision Board for parts of it. The sign had used a multitude of materials and techniques. Now almost five years later I could look at the project carefully and see how the materials had held up.
The materials were all on the same project - all had been exposed to the same sunshine, winds, rain and salt air. I was anxious to see how the 'new' materials and methods had held up compared to my old proven techniques. The sign had a welded steel frame. The rock work used man-made stone, sculpted concrete, and 30 lb Precision Board which had been routed and layered using Coastal Enterprises glue and primers. All had been painted with acrylic paints.
The concrete had leached minimally on some seams - a common occurrence in this coastal environment. There was minimal fading of the paints. The Precision Board portion of the sign looked like I had just installed it yesterday. It was in perfect shape.
Being able to revisit my old project made me feel much more confident in the routed signs we now make. The process is much less labor intensive than our hand sculpting we used to do. The detail is crisper, the signs easier to transport and they last even better than the sculpted concrete. While I won't put away the old ways completely I will certainly continue to embrace the new technology where we can. Our projects will continue to combine the best of all worlds.
-dan
