When should you replace your business signage?

Once you have your business signage in place, it can be easy to take it for granted. The signs meet your needs and they are installed in the correct places, so you can forget about them – right?

Well, up to a point, yes. Properly manufactured and installed business signs should last for years, but you will have to maintain them. Eventually, even the best signs must be replaced so that your brand remains appealing to customers.

In this blog, we will explain how to identify when signage needs replacing.

Top Indicators It’s Time to Replace Your Signage

Physical Damage & Deterioration

The single clearest indicator that they need replacing is when there are visible signs of damage and deterioration. Some of the common examples of this include broken structural components like fixings, peeling paintwork, fading colours and rust. Outdoor signage will be most vulnerable to many of those issues, but some of them can affect indoor signs too.

Outdated Branding

Your business signage must accurately reflect your brand identity. Therefore, if your company’s name, colour scheme, font style or logo has been changed, you must also change your signage to reflect this. If you do not do this, the result will be inconsistent and incoherent commercial messaging and a customer base that is confused.

Safety Hazards

Another indicator that business signs need replaced is if they start to represent a safety hazard. This could mean the fixings have become loose or that the main body of the sign is cracking. If this sort of issue has arisen, they must be replaced promptly before they cause injury, especially in areas with high levels of traffic.

Broken Lighting

An illuminated sign where some of the lights do not work will make your company look cheap and slapdash, whether they are broken or just too dim. Choosing to upgrade to LED signage is more cost-effective than paying for repairs and offers a more modern, energy-efficient form of illumination.

Poor Visibility

If the visibility of your sign has been blocked by trees or the construction of new buildings, it needs to be replaced. If this has happened to your business, a larger sign or different signage location is required to deal with the problem.

Recurring Maintenance Costs

If you are paying out repeatedly to keep old signage from completely failing, there is no better indicator that it is time for replacements. A single payment for new signage that is made from more durable materials will be a smarter investment in the long term.

The Average Lifespan of Signage

How long you can expect your business signs to last will depend on a number of factors. They include the type of sign, the material used and where it happens to be located.

Both indoor and outdoor signs can last for anything between five and 15 years. Whether it is closer to the former or the latter depends on the materials used though – as well as where the signs are installed. Hard-wearing materials like metal will last for longer than vinyl or acrylic signs. If the signs are exposed to a lot of UV sun rays, moisture or humidity, those conditions can also reduce the time they last.

When it comes to digital signs, standard commercial LED displays should last for between five and seven years. This is if they are carefully maintained.

Best Times for Signage Updates

During Renovations

One particularly good time to replace worn out business signs is when your company is undergoing general renovations and remodelling. It could be argued that it is the optimal time, because you can more easily co-ordinate new signage to match the rest of your rebrand if both are happening at the same time.

A second reason why renovation periods are ideal times for signage replacement is that it will minimise disruption. Getting all of this work done at once will be less intrusive than having workmen on site on two separate occasions.

When Local Laws Change

The local authority in your area may decide to revise the regulations concerning factors like illuminated signs or signage size. This is the other best time for changing them because you will have to comply with the new regulations to avoid penalties.

For creative design in Manchester that will refresh your business signage, call Ainsley Signs right away.