It seems strange that humans decided to settle in the northern hemisphere considering the weather extremes that we endure. Perhaps the early settlers were deceived during our beautiful summer climate and when the brutal reality of winter set in, it was impossible to move.
The environment is seemly at war with anything left to its exposure; from the high UV rays during the summer months, the constant freeze thaw cycle of spring and fall and the harsh brutal > – 30C winters. And of course, the relentless pursuit of the wind to tear apart.
Since exterior signs are left to the mercy of the environment, materials, manufacturing and installation methods must be carefully considered. We warranty our exterior signage against manufacturing and installation defects for the life of the sign. We also really don’t like repairing signs that have already been installed. For this reason, we do everything possible to never have to repair a sign after it has been installed.
Materials
As with anything, you tend to get what you pay for and as a consumer we have come to understand that cheap typically means lower quality.
UV degradation is enemy #1 to the vinyl products which are used in sign manufacturing. Every illuminated sign uses translucent vinyl to create the logo colours specific to any brand. We use top brands such as 3M or Avery which provide the longest durability as compared to other cheaper brands. Any vinyl used on a sign will look great the day it is installed. It will probably look great year later. But a south facing sign with substandard vinyl will begin to deteriorate in a few years.
Signs today are almost exclusively illuminated with LED modules which are inexpensive, have long life and use substantially less power as compared to florescent bulbs. Not all LED modules are created equally. Changing out LEDs in a channel letter up high on a wall in a bucket truck is not an enjoyable experience and we really don’t like to do this. Therefore, we use the highest quality LEDs and power supplies in the market which hold warranties > 5 years.
Manufacturing and Installation
There are a myriad of ways and methods to manufacture and install a sign. Since we warranty our signs against manufacturing and installation, we obsess over the details of how we do what we do. Our goal is to never have to return to repair a sign that we have manufactured and installed and do the extra required to meet this goal.
We periodically receive requests for sign repair that have been manufactured and installed by another company. More often than not, the client has been unable to receive and help or even a call back from the original sign vendor. The problem with conducting repairs on a sign made by others is it is comparable to attempting to match a paint colour without colour swatches. The only way to figure out how the sign was constructed is to inspect it which often means a visit with a bucket truck. Moreover, it is difficult if not impossible to match up router cut materials and typically means remaking the sign, or at least a portion of it, from scratch.
If you need a exterior business signs repair, we recommend going back to the company who manufactured originally. And, if that was 3Sixty Sign Solutions, if the repair is required due to a manufacturing or installation defect, or if the repair to the illumination within the warranty period, it won’t cost you anything.
