Wood looking Sign for Lake House Extira?

[Mel Fulks]

Bill, thanks for info. Just seems strange ,there are so many things that would be also used vertically . But they only call for
it on signs. And most horizontal stuff takes more of a beating with sun and rain.
I finally remembered the name of the Georgia Pacific product. Fiberstrate. They mailed info and a small piece of it to
just about every shop in US. It was written up in the trade magazines. But they said they didn't make it and never heard
of it. We did eventually buy two whole units. But it took a long time to get somebody who would pledge to "find it".

[John_ Smith]

Bill, how big is your sign going to be ? what purpose will it serve ?
in my very personal opinion, a "Lake House" stirs up images of a
nice get-away in the woods on a lake. It should reflect the natural
surroundings in any kind of identification or signage.
which means, no plastics or manmade materials.
all natural wood that has been handcrafted by the owners.
jus my Dos Centavos

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[Scott Shepherd]

I don't know what size and shape you are planning on or what the mounting will be. I used it many years ago on a number of outdoor signs. I didn't find their claims to be accurate. Left untreated, it swells up just like MDF when it gets wet, and when mounting larger sheets, the sun would bow it pretty strongly. We used it on some 4' x 8' vertical signs so the posts were mounted 44" on center and on the 48" width, they would bow a good 2" when the sun hit them.

I wasn't impressed with it.

[Bill George]

The lake house owners are interested in one thing.... cheap. I offered to use some wood from their property and it was a no go. My wife bless her heart told them since they were friends with us, Bill would do for "free" so they jumped at that of course..... offering to pay a "fair price" for the wood. .

Scott in all the reviews I have read on that product, yours is it first negative one. Are you sure your talking about the same thing? This is not exterior grade OSB.

From the Website Made with the same proprietary TEC™ process used to make MiraTEC, Extira is a revolutionary product for exterior applications that performs better than wood or MDF. Extira panels may look like MDF, but they don’t perform like it. Different ingredients and a patented and proprietary manufacturing process lead to a superior performance.
Extira is easy to work with; can be carved, routed and machined. Resists moisture, rot, and termites. Twice as strong as MDF, Extira is made to be used outside.

[Scott Shepherd]

Scott in all the reviews I have read on that product, yours is it first negative one. Are you sure your talking about the same thing? This is not exterior grade OSB.

From the Website Made with the same proprietary TEC™ process used to make MiraTEC, Extira is a revolutionary product for exterior applications that performs better than wood or MDF. Extira panels may look like MDF, but they don’t perform like it. Different ingredients and a patented and proprietary manufacturing process lead to a superior performance.
Extira is easy to work with; can be carved, routed and machined. Resists moisture, rot, and termites. Twice as strong as MDF, Extira is made to be used outside.

Bill, I'm 100% positive it was extira. I still have a couple of small signs I made with it somewhere around here. It was marketed to be the new best product for making signs. I left 1/2 a sheet of it sitting outside against our building for about a year. I can assure you that it was anything but happy with that treatment. All the edges swelled up like MDF. I think it was 3/4" thick and the edges probably swelled to 1". We made a number of signs with it. It's so heavy it's not funny and it's just MDF with waterproof glue (more or less) and that means it has no grain to hold any shape. Paint it a dark color and sit it in the sun and watch it pull it towards the sun. It's not a very stable product.

It'll look great when you do it. You'll be happy with it. However, once it's installed, be prepared for it to move around.

We stopped using it because of all the issues. I'm in the sign business, it's what I do for a living and I can honestly say that I've never talked to another sign company or been asked by another sign company to use it in the last 7-8 years, so I'm not sure who all these "sign makers" are that are thrilled with it or using it all the time but they aren't around here or on any sign forum I've ever been part of. I think that's the marketing team at work.

Is it okay to make a free sign out of for a friend? Sure. Would I use it for a good customer? I wouldn't in my business.

[Ross Moshinsky]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...WS13/206822526

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...4808/301950563

It's got a bit lower density than the "premium" PVC, but it's not that different and the 3/4" price is very competitive.

[Bill George]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...WS13/206822526

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Veranda-...4808/301950563

It's got a bit lower density than the "premium" PVC, but it's not that different and the 3/4" price is very competitive.

Interesting but no where does it list the weight? I have my sign already started but this stuff might be ok for a future project.
It would be a interesting media for a gingerbread project for a builder or custom art / sign.

[Mel Fulks]

Scott, good info on the Exterra. The smooth outside is obviously not the same as the inside. I do think that that finding
the right primer or "coating" would hold it. As good as MDO is there is no warranty for edges left exposed to weather.
I think a frame around it would keep it flat.

[John_ Smith]

I am thinking that Extira is an offshoot of the old MEDEX.
anyone that goes back that far can remember what a fiasco that was.

if the homeowner wants cheap and free, I would give them just that.

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[Kevin L. Waldron]

Scott

Probably need to check facts.....https://miratecextira.com/the-tec-process/

[Bill George]

Scott

Probably need to check facts.....https://miratecextira.com/the-tec-process/

Its not even close to MDF or MDO, totally different product. I wonder if Scott got the same stuff? I used just plain old pine board and painted the heck out of it. When done carving, I used spar varnish to coat. I usually do not mess around with these little jobs, but this is a honey do one. The spar varnish even multicoated should last a full 2 years!

PS I have requested a sample.

[Mel Fulks]

Bill, I hope the spar varnish works for you, let us know. My experience has always been that good paint doesn't save
woods that don't have good exterior ratings. I would like to know why. But I haven't tried the spar varnish. Light
canvas glued to any wood before painting does work.

[Scott Shepherd]

Scott

Probably need to check facts.....https://miratecextira.com/the-tec-process/

No need to check any website, I, for one person on this thread, have used the product repeatedly over a several year period because of all the hype. I know what it is, I know how it performs, I know we do not use it to make signs from. As mentioned, do as you wish. I'm just giving you professional experience from a guy who makes signs for a living. The fact is that Extira isn't carried as a sign material by any of the leading sign substrate suppliers. I've been going to sign trade shows for more than 10 years, never once since Extira there, or a sign made from it. Never once seen a wholesale sign supplier offering signs made from Extira.

If you think that it's just my opinion that says it's not a great product for signs, then listen to the industry who doesn't use it.

Want to use it? Go right ahead. Doesn't matter to me, it's not my customer and I get nothing from telling you my personal experience with it.

[Neal Schlee]

I use it for exterior signs, it machines well. After routing I seal all exposed areas with 3-4 coats of Spar Varnish cut 1:1 with mineral spirits. Then prime and paint.

Have some signs up for 10 plus years, no complaints. This in Alaska, very harsh climate.

Neal

[Bill George]

I use it for exterior signs, it machines well. After routing I seal all exposed areas with 3-4 coats of Spar Varnish cut 1:1 with mineral spirits. Then prime and paint.

Have some signs up for 10 plus years, no complaints. This in Alaska, very harsh climate.

Neal

From what I read online it its got a water-repellent built in thats oil based. Your example shows that a oil based Spar Varnish is more that likely the coating for a sign. I was under the impression that a lot of sign makers use a foam or plastic material that may be 100% weatherproof. Scott can verify or not.