NOTICE BOARDS

Notice boards fall into several categories but the most fundamental consideration is whether it is for exterior or interior use, Secondly whether it is lockable or not.

FOR EXTERIOR USE
Construction - materials

Traditionally, wood has been the chosen way of manufacture and church and village hall notice boards are to be seen in most villages and towns. Wood can have problems in long term exterior use and can eventually rot.

Steel is a stronger material but can result in rusting.

Stainless steel notice boards will last the longest but are the most expensive.

Aluminium, whilst not being the strongest, are without rot or rust problems and are relatively inexpensive.

Locking devices
For practicality, exterior notice boards need to be lockable to guard against vandalism etc. Whether it is a traditional key lock or a security or standard Alan key the main objective is to lock the case.

Glazing
Most notice boards use either shatter-proof glass or plastic polycarbonate unbreakable sheets. The polycarbonate glazing can be scratched but is almost impossible to break or shatter even after the strongest vandal attack. It is likely to be cheaper than toughened glass and graffiti removal solvents are effective if required.

Doors can be single or double variety and if single door, can be mounted vertically or horizontally.

Backing material
The actual backing notice board can be made of felt, cork or other materials which do not leave visible holes when pins are used.

Alternatively they can be made of steel for use with magnets or plastic for use with blu-tack which is a cheap putty-like material, re-useable and safe to use. Discarded pins lying around on the floor can be a safety issue.

Safety/sizes
Whilst the door is open and to facilitate changing notices, some form of stabilising device is usually advisable. The more expensive notice boards having gas struts and the cheaper ones a metal side stay.

Sizes available are from A4 upwards and two or three smaller notice boards mounted side by side can be safer to use than one huge board especially when changing notices in windy conditions.

Wall mounting/pole mounting
All notice boards can be mounted onto a flat surface and are usually screwed onto a wall. For pole mounting, the poles are either steel which is concreted into the ground or the cheaper alternative of wooden fence posts and metal spikes.

They will probably need to be mounted onto a sheet of marine plywood first to give a firm surface.

FOR INTERIOR USE
Most of the problems found with exterior notice boards do not apply and the material can be made of wood, steel or aluminium. The choice of locking or non locking, lies with the user. If it is a locking type then the cheaper outdoor models are fine.

For a simple non-locking pin board the only normal consideration is availability of colour, size and price.

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