10.22.2014
Winterizing outdoor signage - 2014-2015 edition
Most of the country received great news this week, especially those in the Midwest: the polar vortex is supposed to be less punishing during the winter of 2014-2015. Unfortunately, winter isn’t getting substituted with a second helping of Spring.
That means for those of us with businesses, we still have to plan for the possibilities the harshest season of the year brings: snow, wind, brutally cold temperatures, ice... It affects every aspect of our day-to-day. It affects our employee schedules, commute time, ease of customer availability, as well as our visibility.
When it comes to winter visibility, we have a few tips to get your outdoor signage ready.
Double-Check the specifications of your existing sign
There’s knowing what your signage is made of and then there’s actually having researched its origins. Every store has a unique history with their signage. Some install it. Others inherit it. Some buy it. Others rent it.
The materials for each sign are equally as unique. Some are built from cookie cutter templates. Others are one-of-a-kind unique.
Knowing the history and composition of the signage leads to the ability to preserve and prolong the life your outdoor sign.
Keep an Eye on It
The door locks are checked every night. The accounting books are checked at the end of the business day. Inventory is counted on frequent intervals.
The signage should get the same treatment. Visual inspections, testing, and spot-checking should all be part of the daily checklist.
Fit and Trim
Sometimes a little disrepair looks harmless: a piece of trim lost in a storm, a cap that isn’t properly sealed... But when it comes to outdoor signage, everything is in place for a reason.
Make sure your outdoor signage keeps fit and trim. Something as simple as a misaligned cap can become the beginning of a waterfall of leaking issues.
Scheduled Maintenance
Maintenance can often be treated with the same respect as a fire extinguisher: never considered until something has gone wrong. But maintenance is more than repair. It’s life cycle care. It’s efficiency optimization. It’s the composition of necessary rituals that keeps Murphy’s Law from happening too soon.
Budget allocation
Make sure another row is properly added to the Excel spreadsheet budget planning to include signage maintenance and repair. If you’re not sure what that cost should be, make sure to contact your signage company to get a budget proposal together.
