Preventative Signage Maintenance: Protect Your Brand Before Spring Storms
Your business signage represents a significant investment in your brand visibility.
Yet every year, spring storms cause millions of dollars in damage to commercial signs nationwide. Whether it’s high winds and hail or lightning strikes and flooding, seasonal weather events can turn your professional signage into a costly liability in an instant.
Our team here at Atlas has helped businesses and organizations across the country recover from storm damage for over three decades. But we’ve also learned that preventative maintenance before the storm season arrives is the most cost-effective strategy.
How Spring Weather Threatens Your Signage
Spring brings a variety of weather conditions that can damage even well-constructed signs. Depending on where you are in the country, you could be facing blizzards to tornadoes – and in some spots, changing weather patterns could lead to both in a single week!
This means you need to know how to protect your signage before the storms hit – and luckily, a few preventative measures can help.
High Winds
Wind doesn’t just damage signs during hurricanes or tornadoes. Even moderate spring winds of 30-40 mph can stress signage components over time:
- Loosened fasteners and mounting hardware
- Strained electrical connections
- Progressive metal fatigue in structural supports
- Vibration damage to internal components
Signs with large surface areas like monument signs, billboards, and cabinet signs act as sails in high winds, creating a substantial force that tests every connection point. What starts as a minor issue – a slightly loose bolt or small crack – can quickly become catastrophic during stronger gusts.
Heavy Rain and Flooding
Water is remarkably persistent and finds its way into the smallest openings with ease. When your signage is missing letters, improperly sealed, or damaged in some other way, water can infiltrate and cause damage to internal components.
- Water intrusion into electrical components causes shorts and corrosion
- Moisture trapped inside sign cabinets leads to internal rust and deterioration
- Saturated ground around monument signs can compromise foundations
- Electrical junction boxes and connections face increased failure risk
Many signs are designed with drainage systems that become clogged with debris over time, turning minor rainfall into a serious problem when spring downpours arrive.
Lightning
Lightning doesn’t need to strike your sign directly to cause damage – in fact, some of the worst damage we’ve seen to signage and buildings happens when lightning simply hits nearby.
- Power surges from nearby strikes can destroy electronic components
- Electrical systems without proper grounding face higher risk
- Lightning can jump from nearby objects if pathways aren’t properly designed
Illuminated signs are particularly vulnerable to lightning-related damage, often requiring complete replacement of electrical systems after strikes.
Hail
Hail causes immediate, visible damage to signage – from pockmarks that leave signs looking ragged to the destructive force that pulls entire signage systems to the ground. Even the smallest hailstones moving at high speeds can lead to:
- Cracked or broken sign faces
- Damaged LED displays
- Dented metal components
- Compromised weatherproof seals
The worst part of hailstones is that they can cause cumulative damage that compromises your sign’s integrity and appearance.
Quality Materials Matter When Avoiding The Worst Weather
Not all signage is created equal. The materials used in construction and installation play a role in how well they stand up against the most common weather wear and tear. Here are some aspects to keep in mind as you’re considering your signage material:
Aircraft-Grade Aluminum vs. Standard Metal
When you want strong signs, you need strong materials. Atlas prioritizes aircraft-grade aluminum for many exterior applications because:
- It offers superior strength-to-weight ratio, reducing wind load
- Its corrosion resistance significantly outperforms standard metals
- It maintains structural integrity through temperature extremes
- It doesn’t become brittle with age or UV exposure
While standard metals might look identical at installation, the difference becomes apparent after just a few seasons of weather exposure.
Industrial-Grade Sealants and Gaskets
Strong signage goes beyond the materials. Water intrusion causes more sign failures than any other factor. Our preventative approach includes a variety of manufacturing and design elements built to give your signs an edge against water and wind:
- Silicone gaskets that maintain flexibility for decades
- UV-resistant sealants that don’t degrade in sunlight
- Multiple redundant moisture barriers at critical junctions
- Properly designed weep holes and drainage systems
These industrial-grade components cost more initially but prevent the extensive damage that results from water infiltration.
The Pre-Storm Maintenance Checklist
So, how can you take steps to protect your sign investment before dangerous weather arrives? While you can’t always stop the worst of Mother Nature, there are some steps you acn take to help give your signs a fighting chance year after year.
Do A Structural Integrity Assessment Yearly
Take the time to regularly assess the structural integrity of your signs:
- Inspect all mounting hardware and structural supports
- Check for metal fatigue, rust, or stress cracks
- Verify foundation stability for ground-mounted signs
- Ensure proper tensioning on flexible-face signs
Evaluate Your Electrical Systems
Go beyond the sign itself and look at the electrical components – are they in need of repair or replacement before the storm season arrives?
- Test all illumination components
- Verify ground connections and surge protection
- Inspect weatherproofing around electrical entries
- Check transformer and power supply integrity
Weatherproofing Review
Just like you would a roof, consider looking over your signage for any potential leak risks.
- Examine all sealants and gaskets for cracks or separation
- Clear drainage systems and weep holes
- Verify face attachment systems are secure
- Check for light leaks that indicate potential water entry points
Atlas’s Approach to Storm Preparedness
At Atlas Sign Industries, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach to protecting our clients’ signage investments that go beyond just repair or replacement. Our commitment is to help our clients invest in the best signage and keep it for longer. Here’s how we do it:
Customized Maintenance Programs
We create tailored maintenance schedules based on a variety of factors – including your overall signage types and construction, the location of your business, and the risks that may accompany your sign’s age and existing infrastructure.
We then work to provide you with a plan for keeping up with the maintenance of your signs in a way that balances cost and long-term reliability.
Our maintenance includes:
- Comprehensive digital documentation of current conditions
- Thermal imaging to identify potential electrical issues
- Structural stress analysis of mounting systems
- Written reports with prioritized recommendations
Nationwide Storm Response Network
Even with the best preparation, storms can still cause damage. Our emergency response provides:
- 24/7 response teams positioned strategically across the country
- Priority service for maintenance program clients
- Temporary solutions to maintain brand presence during repairs
- Detailed documentation for insurance claims
Protect Your Signage Investment Today
Remember: your brand’s signage does more than light the way. It acts as one of your best brand elements, working for you 24/7. So why not invest in helping it last throughout the year?
Here at Atlas Sign Industries, we are proud to offer comprehensive preventative maintenance programs tailored to your specific needs, locations, and budget. Our team knows regional sign needs and maintenance well, and we’re more than ready to step in and help with customized plans to keep your signs looking their best.
Don’t wait until after the storm to discover weaknesses in your signage. Contact us today to schedule a preventative maintenance assessment and ensure your brand continues to shine!