Vinyl is a common material used in things like car interiors, patio furniture, and commercial signs. Unfortunately, while vinyl is renowned for its durability, it isn’t impervious to all types of damage, particularly damage caused by long-term sun exposure.
As a business owner, you have probably made a big investment in your company’s signage, which is often a huge part of a business’s overall marketing plan. Unfortunately, without making an effort to protect these assets from the sun, they can fade or become spotted over time. This article discusses how sun damage occurs and provides key strategies for minimizing or preventing sun damage in order to protect your company’s vinyl signs.
What is sun damage?
Signs aren’t meant to last forever, even outdoor vinyl signs. Unfortunately, damaged or improperly maintained signs can show their age even sooner due to peeling paint, faded colors, or damaged metal. While some of these issues may be due to age, weather events, or physical damage, others are caused by long-term exposure to the sun.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter the cause. If your sign looks old and unmaintained, it can put off customers who take it as a sign that your business may not be doing well or doesn’t pay attention to detail. Rather than sending customers and potential customers the wrong signs, it’s better to understand sun damage and strategies to make your signs stay vibrant for longer.
Sun damage is caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can be incredibly damaging to signs. This long-term fading by the sun is called ‘bleaching’ or photodegradation, which is the breakdown of chemical bonds. While all signs located in direct sunlight are subject to some level of UV damage, some are more susceptible to fading than others.
The potential for photodegradation often depends on the materials and colors used. For instance, metallic paints may fade more quickly than other colors because of the metal flakes in these colors. Similarly, the color red also fades more rapidly because it absorbs more destructive UV rays than other colors. On the other end of the color spectrum, blue often reflects light more slowly and fades slower. Vinyl is known for its longevity, which makes it an ideal material for outdoor signage, but it’s not immune to the effects of the sun.
How can you protect your signs from photodegradation?
Signs are a huge investment for any company. And failing to take precautions to ensure they hold up to the long-term effects of the sun is tantamount to throwing your money away. You will be trapped in this endless loop of paying for new signs and watching them fade relatively quickly. Few businesses can keep up with making the required investment into new signage on a regular basis.
Therefore, it’s worth investing in your vinyl signs to protect them from UV damage upfront. Taking this precaution can ensure your signs hold up to sun damage for much longer than they may otherwise, saving you a ton of money over the years.
Strategies for preserving your outdoor vinyl signs include:
- Apply a masking film/tape: Protective tapes or films, often called masks, can be used to protect various surfaces, including outdoor vinyl signs. Unfortunately, the application of these materials is often overlooked before installing an outdoor sign. However, the process of applying a masking film is relatively easy and can be well worth the time and money. There are a variety of protective masks available on the market. Low-density polyethylene films (LDPE) are the most common, although other options include paper, polyester, co-extruded UV inhibitors, and polypropylene protective masks. Each of these materials has different properties that work under different conditions, as the following summary demonstrates:
- Polyethylene (LDPE) offers better transparency and good abrasion resistance while being cost reasonable. This material comes in different gauges for thickness. While thinner materials will conform better, thicker gauges provide greater abrasion resistance.
- Co-Extruded masks have good conformability and abrasion, puncture, and heat resistance. They also come in a variety of gauges.
- UV-resistant co-extruded tapes come in clear, blue, and black/white options. These films can provide outdoor UV resistance for months without needing an additional application.
- Paper tapes are very conformable and have good temperature and abrasion resistance.
- Polyester protective tapes provide the best clarity and have excellent heat and puncture resistance.
- Polypropylene films have good abrasion, heat, and short-term UV resistance.
- Consider a spray mask: A spray mask is similar to a vinyl masking film, except it can be sprayed on rather than applied as a film or tape. And there are several available that address UV damage specifically. These sprays can often be used on multiple outdoor surfaces in addition to your signs. They can also help repel dust and other stains and prevent sun damage. Just one application can protect your signs from discoloration, cracking, peeling, fading, and any other damage caused by UV rays. These sprays also repel dust and other stains to prolong the life of your outdoor vinyl signs. And reapplication is often easier with a spray than with other materials. However, the sprays may not protect as long as a film. This means you will have to make plans to reapply the spray fairly regularly to ensure you have full UV protection.
- Invest in quality signs: This strategy seems fairly obvious, but when you invest in signs that are more durable, such as those made from cast vinyl, you can ensure they have greater protections built-in to withstand long-term UV damage. As a result, these signs will last years longer than the alternatives.
Your business’s signs are a major investment. And they are often the first impression a customer or potential customer gets of your business. Investing in UV protection for your outdoor vinyl signs is an inexpensive way to ensure you get the most out of your investment. To learn more about products that can protect your outdoor vinyl signs, contact Buy Simple Solutions today.
Simple Solutions International offers a full selection of plotter blades and plotter pens as well as a variety of useful tools for use in plotting and sign-making, such as plotter adapters, masking film, spray masks, and other sign-making tools and accessories.