Choosing the right material for your traffic signs is not just about design. It is crucial for durability, visibility, and cost-effectiveness, ensuring your signs withstand all weather conditions. Whether you need warning signs, speed limit signs, or temporary traffic control signs, visibility and resilience are essential for keeping everyone safe on the road.
At Hirst Signs, we specialise in creating road sign applications that meet the highest standards, ensuring they perform reliably in all environments. This guide explores the most effective materials for road traffic signs, including reflective sheeting options like Class RA1 and Class RA2, and explains why aluminium composite panels (ACP) are a top choice for both permanent and temporary applications.
Why the Right Material Makes All the Difference
The material you choose for traffic signs directly affects their longevity, clarity, and safety. Outdoor signs are constantly exposed to sunlight, rain, wind, and temperature changes, so selecting the right material ensures your sign face remains readable, visually appealing, and compliant with safety regulations.
The right choice can also reduce maintenance costs and prevent early replacement, making it a cost-effective investment over time.
When selecting a sign material, consider:
- The location and environment where it will be used
- Whether it is for temporary or permanent road signs
- Visibility requirements, including day and night readability
- The installation surface, whether the sign will be mounted on a wall or attached to fixing rails
- Budget constraints
Answering these questions helps you make informed decisions and ensures your signage performs reliably in all conditions.
Why Aluminium Composite Is the Top Choice for Signs
Aluminium composite materials are one of the most popular choices for traffic signage, and for good reason. They consist of two thin aluminium sheets bonded to a lightweight polyethene core, creating a material that is both strong and easy to handle.
Benefits of Aluminium Composite Panels
Weatherproof and Durable
ACP panels are naturally resistant to corrosion and built to withstand harsh weather, from heavy rain to intense sunlight. This makes them ideal for outdoor applications, particularly for permanent road traffic signs, ensuring long-lasting performance.
Flat Surface for Clear Messaging
The smooth, even surface of solid aluminium sheets ensures that graphics, text, and reflective coatings apply evenly. This is essential for informational signs, where clarity can literally save lives.
Cost-Effective
ACP is lighter than solid aluminium, which helps reduce delivery charges and installation costs. They also require less maintenance, offering long-term savings without compromising quality.
Versatile for Temporary or Permanent Use
Whether you need traffic signs for construction projects, events, or permanent traffic signs, ACP is flexible enough to meet a wide range of requirements.
Reflective Signage: RA1 vs RA2
Visibility is a key factor for effective road traffic signs. Reflective materials, including retroreflective sheeting, Class RA1, and Class RA2, improve safety by ensuring signs remain visible at night or in poor weather.
- Class RA1 Reflective Road Signs: Suitable for low-traffic areas or short-range visibility. RA1 provides basic reflectivity, making it ideal for minor roads or temporary signage.
- Class RA2 Reflective Road Signs: Designed for high-traffic roads and high-speed routes, RA2 offers superior reflectivity, allowing drivers to see signs from a greater distance even in low-light conditions.
When combined with aluminium composite panels, these reflective sheeting options create reflective road signs that are both weatherproof and highly visible, meeting safety standards while remaining durable and long-lasting.
Temporary Signage That Lasts
Temporary traffic signs must balance portability with durability. ACP is perfect for this, as it is lightweight yet strong, making installation, removal, and relocation simple using fixing rails or mounting options. ACP also resists wind, rain, and fading, keeping your sign’s face clear and effective throughout the project.
Other materials, like PVC Foamex sheets or HDPE panels, can also be used for temporary applications. PVC is lightweight and cost-effective, while HDPE offers excellent impact and moisture resistance. However, ACP remains the preferred choice when a professional appearance and long-lasting performance are required for temporary traffic signs, warning signs, directional signs, or informatory signs.
For added safety, temporary signs can include retroreflective sheeting, glass bead retroreflective sheeting, or prismatic reflective sheeting, ensuring visibility in low-light conditions. Combined with ACP, these signs meet BS EN 12899 and EN 12899-1:2007 standards, making them compliant with UK traffic sign regulations.
Popular Materials for Outdoor Signage
For permanent traffic signs and other traffic sign applications outdoors, several materials stand out:
Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP)
- Durable, lightweight, and professional-looking
- Ideal for reflective materials such as RA1 and RA2
- Suitable for permanent traffic signs, warning signs, and informative signs
High-Density Polyethene (HDPE)
- Resistant to impact and moisture
- Perfect for rugged outdoor locations or challenging installation surfaces
- Offers flexibility for uneven mounting areas without compromising durability
PVC Foamex Sheets
- Affordable and lightweight
- Best for temporary traffic signs or short-term traffic control projects
Flat surfaces are ideal for ACP and reflective applications, ensuring your sign face remains sharp, legible, and compliant with BS EN 12899. For uneven surfaces, HDPE provides flexibility without compromising long-term durability.
Cost-Effective Signage Without Compromise
High-quality traffic sign materials don’t have to break the bank. ACP combined with reflective sheeting, such as RA1 or RA2, is cost-effective because it lasts longer, requires less maintenance, and reduces replacement costs. Temporary signs made from ACP or PVC Foamex sheets are inexpensive to produce, making them ideal for short-term traffic control projects without sacrificing quality or safety.
Choosing the right material ensures your sign face remains professional, clear, and compliant with BS EN 12899, performing reliably in all outdoor conditions.
Choosing the Right Material for Your Needs
When selecting materials for traffic signs, consider:
- Will the sign be permanent or temporary?
- What level of reflectivity is required? Class RA1 or Class RA2?
- Is the sign being installed on a flat surface or a challenging area?
- How important are weatherproofing and durability?
- What is your budget and expected lifespan for the sign?
Answering these questions helps you select the most suitable sign face material, whether for warning signs, speed limit signs, or informatory signs, ensuring your signage performs reliably, meets UK traffic sign regulations, and keeps road users safe.
Round Up
Selecting the best materials for traffic signs is essential for visibility, durability, and cost-effectiveness. Aluminium composite panels, combined with Class RA1 or Class RA2 reflective sheeting, remain the industry standard for road traffic signs and other safety signage due to their weatherproof properties, smooth sign face, and versatility.
Whether for permanent road signs or temporary traffic signs, choosing the right material ensures your signage is safe, long-lasting, and fully compliant. At Hirst Signs, we combine expertise with high-quality materials to deliver road sign applications that perform reliably in any environment. By understanding the properties of your materials, you can make informed choices that balance cost, durability, and safety, keeping your signage effective for years to come.
FAQs
Q: What are the best materials for traffic signs?
A: Aluminium composite panels (ACP) are the top choice for both permanent and temporary traffic signs. Other options include solid aluminium sheets, HDPE, and PVC Foamex, depending on durability and budget needs.
Q: What’s the difference between RA1 and RA2 reflective signs?
A: RA1 is suitable for low-traffic areas or short-range visibility. RA2 offers higher reflectivity for high-speed roads and high-traffic areas, improving night and poor-weather visibility.
Q: Can ACP be used for temporary road signs?
A: Yes. ACP is lightweight, durable, and easy to install, remove, and relocate. It also resists wind, rain, and fading, making it ideal for temporary traffic control.
Q: Are reflective traffic signs compliant with UK regulations?
A: Yes. Signs using RA1/RA2 retroreflective sheeting and made to BS EN 12899 standards comply with UK traffic sign regulations.
Q:. How do I choose the right traffic sign material?
A: Consider:
- Permanent or temporary use
- Required reflectivity (RA1 or RA2)
- Installation surface (flat vs. uneven)
- Weather exposure and lifespan
- Budget
Q: Are ACP signs cost-effective?
A: Yes. ACP is lightweight (reducing delivery and installation costs), durable, and low-maintenance, providing a long-lasting, cost-effective solution.
Q: What materials are best for temporary traffic signs besides ACP?
A: PVC Foamex sheets are lightweight and affordable. HDPE panels offer impact and moisture resistance. ACP is preferred for a professional, long-lasting finish.
Q: How can I ensure my traffic signs remain visible at night?
A: Use reflective materials like RA1/RA2 coatings, glass bead retroreflective sheeting, or prismatic reflective sheeting to improve visibility in low-light conditions.