When signs leave our shop they are expertly crafted and designed for your needs and much like a car off the lot they are at their prime. Of course we at Ortwein Sign build signs to last, and we hope they stay as pristine as possible for years to come; however, despite your best efforts it is inevitable that water, dirt, algae, or even animals will impact your sign eventually. Together these elements can impede the ability of your sign to attract customers, or even erode your sign’s integrity; therefore, you’ll want to consider having your sign cleaned on occasion to prevent such issues
At Ortwein Sign our team works with a variety of custom sign types, and as such we prepare for any possibility. However, we see common reasons for why signs are impacted by debris, algae, and birds.
How A Sign’s Location Affects Signage Weathering
If your sign is located in a city this may increase the chances that birds will nest in your signs. We have discussed how to deter birds from doing so; however, if this still occurs you’ll want to consider cleaning your sign to prevent any damage to the exterior or interior of the sign.
If your sign is under a tree or under shade, you may see that your sign develops algae overtime. This too can prevent your sign from being as effective as it should be, especially if its a lit sign and the algae is obstructing the light.
Lastly if your sign is in a field, or in the country perhaps in a dustier area, then you may see dust builds up in your sign. As with the previous issues this can impact your signs use.
How the Height of the Sign Affects Signage Weathering
Signs vary in height from super tall pylons, to channel letter sets that often match the height of the building, to monument signs that are often lower to the ground. The height variations not only changes what may impact your sign, as a tall pylon may accrue less dust but get more birds, but it also changes our approach to cleaning such a sign.
Afterall a substantial pylon may require a unique crane to even reach the sign, while a channel letter set may be reachable by ladder and a monument may be accessible on the ground.
Always be sure that if you are concerned about your ability to reach your sign that you should call sign professionals like our Ortwein Sign service team who are trained and have the cranes and tools to handle such issues.
What Part of My Sign Needs to Be Cleaned the Most?
Though the exterior of a sign is forward facing and thus gets the most attention, it is often the interior of a sign that affects the sign’s effectiveness and longevity. This is especially true with lit signs as the fluorescent bulbs, or more likely now the LEDs, are placed inside the sign’s cabinet or letters. Simple wear such as dust and even animal excrement may wash off too from the front of the sign with rain; however, this can build up inside the sign over years and lead to a sauna like environment in the heat which then encourages algae growth, rust, more animals, and other dangers to your sign.
How Do I Clean My Sign?
First you need to be able to access the interior of your signage. If your sign is an acrylic sign and has a retainer, such as many pan face signs, pylon signs, or monument signs, you may be able to unscrew the retainer to slide the face out and access the interior of the sign. Likewise if you have channel letters you can also get access to each letter to clean the sign. (Flex faces do not have removable retainers and thus they must be removed through other means first to be cleaned.)
Sign face removal for cleaning of Verizon store sign.
- First you need to be able to access the interior of your signage. If your sign is an acrylic sign and has a retainer, such as many pan face signs, pylon signs, or monument signs, you may be able to unscrew the retainer to slide the face out and access the interior of the sign. Likewise if you have channel letters you can also get access to each letter to clean the sign. (Flex faces do not have removable retainers and thus they must be removed through other means first to be cleaned.)
- You’ll want to remove the debris in the sign. This may include algae removal, removal of bird nests, dust, etc. (We delve deeper into how to deter birds in our blog “Using Design Deterrence to Keep Birds Out of Signs”)
- Once you have removed the larger debris you’ll want to clean the interior of the sign with a biodegradable concentrated cleaner.
- You want to also ensure the drain holes built into the sign are clear. When these stop up it leads to the accrual of more debris and algae in your signage.
- If you have a pylon sign and you’re concerned about the rust on the pole you’ll want to scuff or sand the rust off and cover it with an oil-based primer and paint.