As winter draws near, businesses brace themselves for the inevitable challenges brought by icy roads, extended nights, and chilling winds. Yet, often overlooked is the impact of winter on exterior commercial lighting and signs. In this guide, we delve into the importance of winter preparedness for your signage, understanding potential hazards, and implementing strategies to protect your brand's beacon.
Winter damage to your outdoor business signage can come from a wide array of natural and man-made sources. Watch out for these common causes of damage:
Freeze-Thaw Cycle: When water seeps into small cracks and crevices, the water freezes and expands, widening these cracks. When it warms up, the ice melts, allowing more water to enter. This continuous cycle can cause significant structural damage over time to signage, lighting fixtures and more.
Weight: Heavy snow and ice can accumulate on signage and light fixtures, stressing the structures and potentially causing them to bend, break, or fall.
Obstruction: Accumulated snow and ice can cover the signage, rendering it unreadable or hindering its visibility.
Icicles: These can form on the edges of signs or lights and can be a potential hazard if they fall.
Strong winter winds can exert force on signs, especially larger ones. This can lead to bending, cracking, misalignment, or even tearing signs from their mountings. Wind can also blow abrasive particles like sand and small pebbles against the signs, causing premature wear and scratches.
Melting snow and ice can lead to water pooling around the base of freestanding signs, resulting in corrosion which can compromise the structural integrity of the sign. Water penetration into exterior commercial lighting fixtures can short-circuit them or reduce their lifespan.
While we might associate UV damage more with summer, snowy landscapes can reflect a significant amount of UV radiation, potentially causing fading or degradation to the sign's materials and colors over time.
Cold temperatures and moisture can stress and or short-circuit the wiring and electrical components of an LED sign or light fixtures, leading to temporary outages or permanent damage.
Certain materials become more brittle in cold temperatures. Thin, low-quality plastic or acrylic signs, for instance, might crack or shatter more easily when subjected to impact in cold weather.
In seeking shelter from the cold, small animals or birds might nest or hide behind signage or within light fixtures, potentially causing damage or fire hazards.
Snowplows, vehicles, or even people might accidentally knock into outdoor business signage, especially during reduced visibility conditions or slippery surfaces. Falling tree branches, weighted by snow or broken by ice, can crash into and damage signs or lights.
Many places use salt or other chemicals to melt ice on roads and pavements. When splashed onto signs and lighting fixtures, they can cause corrosion, especially on exposed metal parts.
Proactive steps can mitigate many of the issues faced by outdoor business signage. Here’s a roadmap to protect and prolong the life of your sign during the chilliest months:
By incorporating these preventive measures, sign owners can effectively safeguard their outdoor business signage, ensuring visibility and durability throughout the winter season. Remember, a well-maintained sign not only portrays professionalism, but also serves as proof of that business's attention to detail and commitment to excellence.
Properly winter proofing your signs and lighting fixtures is the best way to protect your investment. That’s why companies often prefer to hire a specialized maintenance team for a thorough inspection and servicing. The expert technicians at Flexlume are trusted by businesses across the country, carrying a reputation of excellence for over 115 years. Speak with the team today to see how we can simplify and super charge your next signage or exterior commercial lighting project.