Creating an experience and aesthetic that catches the attention of onlookers is one of the main objectives shared by all architects. Whether working on an office building for a major corporation or working on a plaza that consists of several outlet stores, an effective signage design is often the first experience onlookers will have with the structure and greatly influence whether they want to experience the rest of the structure or not.
To achieve eye-catching signage visuals, architects often turned to expensive signage packages as they were the gold standard. However, as time goes on, architects are beginning to think outside the box and utilize various design materials, such as architectural wire mesh, to create one-of-a-kind signage experiences.
That said, you are probably curious as to how architectural wire mesh benefits the signage design process.
W.S. Tyler has helped hundreds of architects such as yourself navigate the world of architectural wire mesh to help them leverage its many qualities to turn their vision into a reality.
That's why this article will discuss:
- What an architectural wire mesh panel is
- What a signage package is
- How wire mesh panels get applied to the signage design process
- The advantages of using wire mesh panels
- The disadvantages of using wire mesh panels
- How signage design affects the cost of architectural wire mesh
What Is an Architectural Wire Mesh Panel?
Architectural wire mesh is a series of individual metallic wires interlocked to form wire mesh panels after a centuries-old weaving process is applied. As these wire mesh panels are designed to accommodate both interior and exterior applications, the wires are often constructed using a 300 series stainless steel alloy.
To ensure your vision becomes a reality, the parameter of each mesh panel, including the mesh pattern, percentage of open area, panel size, and wire diameter, are strategically customized to accommodate the specific needs of your project.
What Is a Signage Package?
When looking at a spec for a project, they are typically segmented into various packages such as the lighting package, the electrical package, the signage package, etc. The signage package includes the size of the letters that make up the company name, what the signage looks like, what it will take to mount the signage, and what color the signage is.
How Is Wire Mesh Applied to Signage Packages?
The wire mesh panels themselves are not apart or considered a signage package and are instead used to replace them. For instance, if you were interested in attaching a separate sign with a company name and logo on the side of a structure, wire mesh panels could replace this extra hardware as the name/logo can be painted onto the panels directly.
Now, the painting techniques that are applied when working with wire mesh panels allow for a 2-inch detail when applying lettering or logo design. To that end, the paint can be any color within the RAL or Pantone color spectrum.
What Are the Advantages of Using Wire Mesh Panels for Signage Design?
As paint can be applied directly to architectural mesh, implementing wire mesh panels into your signage design can eliminate the need for an additional signage package. In turn, this eliminates the extra weight the signage package would create on the building.
Applying wire mesh panels also prove to be more cost-effective as you are only installing the mesh rather than the mounting hardware and various lettering/logo elements that make up the signage package.
Additionally, when applied to a structure that requires a certain level of natural ventilation, such as parking structures, the open area of the mesh allows for adequate airflow without hindering the appearance of the company name or logo. This open area also prevents the mesh panels from obstructing the view of visitors within the structure, which is often a concern when signage packages are used.
But let's say your vision includes the use of both architectural wire mesh and a signage package.
Wire mesh panels can accommodate this as architectural mesh can have custom cutouts, allowing the hardware holding the various signage package elements to be fed through the mesh panel and attached to the structure directly.
What Are the Disadvantages of Using Wire Mesh Panels for Signage Design?
The downside of using wire mesh panels instead of a signage package is that logo/lettering cannot be removed or changed out once painted onto the mesh. This can be concerning if a company is to leave, at which point the wire mesh panels would have to be removed or replaced with new panels with an updated signage design.
How Does Signage Design Affect the Cost Of Architectural Wire Mesh?
The average cost of a wire mesh panel is $20 to $25 per square foot. This, of course, is influenced by several factors, including the mesh type, level of fabrication needed, panel quantity, aperture size, and weight of each panel.
That said, when paint is applied to facilitate signage design, the paint will add about $10 to $15 per square foot. However, this price increase only reflects the areas in which paint is applied, not how detailed the design is or the number of colors used.
To that end, the price range of the increase is representative of the fact that flat/matte colors generally cost less than metallic colors.
Our article "How Much Does Architectural Mesh Cost?" provides a more in-depth analysis of the cost of architectural wire mesh and the factor that influence the price.
An Architectural Wire Mesh System Is Only as Good As Its Attachment System
Archirerual wire mesh is a design material that not only provides an industrious yet modern aesthetic but it also allows architects to apply paint to it directly as a signage design opportunity and eliminate the need for costly signage packages. As it's considered an open product, its ability to facilitate signage design while complying with the open-air requirements surrounding the design of various structures.
That said, to ensure your wire mesh panels deliver a genuinely eye-opening experience for visitors and onlookers, you must understand the attachment hardware that contractors must use to secure each panel to the structure. This will allow your panels to remain in tension and stand the test of time without damaging the structure's integrity.
With over 20 years of experience helping architects and contractors properly handle and install architectural mesh, W.S. Tyler strives to provide you with everything you need to know to leverage the possibilities of architectural wire mesh panels fully.
To learn about what is needed to attach architectural wire mesh to a structure, review the following article: What Is an Architectural Mesh Attachment System?