Dilapidated Signs Everywhere!

How’s your sign holding up? Driving around town we see lots of neglected signage, and since that’s the thing we do, we can’t help but wince sometimes.

Dirty Awnings

All outdoor signage is going to accumulate dust, road film, bird droppings, etc., and a dirty awning sends the loud and clear message that you don’t care about your image. Sometimes all it takes is a firm spray of water to freshen up your awning– particularly if you do it regularly– but if you’ve been lax you’ll need to get up there with a ladder, brush, and warm, mild soapy water to clear away the grime. It’s time well spent to make your business stand out; try cleaning your awning at least as often as you clean your windows. Don’t expect a rainstorm to take care of it for you; that’s likely just going to add streaks to the mess.

Vinyl Letters Peeling Off

Nothing makes your business looked abandoned quite so effectively as cracking, peeling vinyl letters or logos. There are two types of vinyl film used, namely Calendered (short term) and Cast (premium). They’re basically the same stuff, just different processes, cost, and handling properties. Bottom line is this: the less you spent on your vinyl, the sooner it will have to be serviced or replaced. Given enough time in the sun, cracking or peeling is unavoidable; all vinyl has a maximum outdoor life. Left uncorrected, it too sends a bad message about your image. Peeling vinyl screams it’s time for you to get your signage refreshed.

Burned Out Lighting

What do your channel letters spell now? Are your customers stopping for gas at the _hell station, or perhaps your Funeral Home has become a Fun_ Home? It’s not a problem restricted to channel letters either; back or front lighting can also fail, to humorous (or maybe tragic) effect. Don’t let lighting failures make your business look bad!

General Fading

No matter what material your signage is made from, weather and sunlight takes its toll, and some materials and colour processes deteriorate faster than others. A good sign manufacturer is going to make sure you’re using the most durable materials from the outset. For instance, if sign elements are made of wood, that wood needs to be properly preserved; if paint is used, it needs to be of the correct type to bond with the underlying material. There are so many other considerations, not the least of which are the weather conditions to which the sign is subjected.

Winter Time Changes

If your lit signage is on a timed switch, you’ll need to make adjustments for the seasonal variation of daylight periods, not to mention the the back-and-forth between Daylight Saving Time and Standard Time. If you’re open until 8 PM in December, but that timer still reflects a 9:45 sunset, it could cost you traffic when people see an unlit sign and assume you’re closed.

Sight Line Changes

Is your sign still as clearly visible as when it was installed? If trees, new construction or neighbouring signage is obscuring your message, it might be time for a refresh (or possibly some tree pruning).

A Footnote About Flags…

We don’t prune trees, nor do we sell flags… BUT if your institution or business displays a flag, show you really care and fly it respectfully and proudly! At minimum, that means taking care not to fly a flag that is badly faded, tattered or torn. We recently passed by one Canadian flag that had been flying so long it had faded to pink and white, and was so frayed that the second red bar was completely gone. It’s better not to raise a flag at all than to fly one in such condition.

If your signage is ailing in any way, Topmade can help. We want your business or institution signage to send the best possible message: that you care how the world sees you!