Rust On An Outdoor Lighted Sign Is Like Ketchup On A Wedding Dress
By Tim Harrelson
Pardon Me, But You Have A Little Something On Your Outdoor Lighted Sign…
Have you ever seen someone beautifully put together, with hair, clothes, and makeup converging for a flawless, polished look? And then that image of grace and beauty turns around, and lo and behold, the subject has a spot of lobster sauce on her chin? Suddenly all you can see is the lobster sauce - the polished person may as well be wearing a clown suit at that point!
Not only have we all witnessed a similar scene, we’ve all been there ourselves, one way or another. The experience is embarrassing because our efforts to look attractive are thwarted by a small but distracting intruder. Unfortunately, sometimes outdoor lighted signs suffer the same embarrassment with intrusive rust. You’ve probably seen it before yourself, and like the lobster sauce, you can’t focus on the message of the sign with that bit of rust creeping in. That’s too bad, because the owner of that outdoor lighted sign invested some of his advertising budget to get just the right look.
What he got with his outdoor lighted sign was just the wrong attention.
Don’t People Make Mistakes? And Don’t Metal Outdoor Lighted Signs Rust?
Of course people make mistakes - that’s why it’s better to laugh when someone points out your ketchup or lobster sauce, because chances are, it’s happened to them, too. We are certainly not alone in our lack of perfection. However, outdoor lighted signs are often made of an aluminum-based material, which is naturally coated in aluminum oxide and prevents rusting. So, if aluminum is a natural foil to rust, then how does rust get on these outdoor lighted signs?
Outdoor lighted signs are custom-created in sign shops such as ours and guaranteed to last for years. However, some sign makers go through all the trouble of using quality materials and then falter when using hardware that does not resist rust.
Sadly, this happens far too often; just look around any commercial business area. In fact, some outdoor signs have so much rusty hardware that they don’t even have to be made of metal to look tarnished with rust. Rusty runoff from such rain-exposed hardware can send unsightly orange streaks racing across any type of sign. And once your outdoor lighted sign has been tainted with rust, good luck getting it off. It usually is there for the duration.
Fortunately, there are sign shops, including ours, who put just as much effort into the details of sign making as the bigger picture of the outdoor lighted sign itself.
How Can I Keep My Outdoor Lighted Sign A Polished, Attractive Surface?
The solution to avoiding rusty hardware in your outdoor lighted sign is both simple and inexpensive. Simply get the sign maker’s guarantee that your custom outdoor lighted sign will be assembled with hardware made of galvanized or stainless steel.
Yes, it’s that easy.
And no, it’s not expensive.
Galvanized and stainless steel hardware costs only around $5 more than non rust-resistant zinc plated hardware. So why wouldn’t you spend a little more to ensure your outdoor lighted sign look its best for years to come? Wouldn’t you pay $5 more to ensure that your wedding dress never get a blemish?
Oops - Napkin, Please! There’s Already A Spot On My Outdoor Lighted Sign!
Unfortunately, you can probably only keep the rust on your outdoor lighted sign from getting worse at this point. Mild, soapy water or a car cleaner is a good choice for attempting rust removal. Use a soft cloth. The most important thing to remember about cleaning your outdoor lighted sign is never to use anything abrasive on your sign.
Once you’ve tried to clean your outdoor lighted sign, waste no time replacing the hardware, doing so one piece at a time for the safety of the sign. Sure, this is a hassle, but it’s more cost-effective than replacing your entire outdoor lighted sign.
Another option is to coat the existing hardware in a rust-proof liquid. Priming and coating each piece of your hardware in this protective liquid can help seal your hardware against damaging rust.
So while you may not be able to remove the spot of ketchup from your wedding dress, you can keep the glass of red wine from completely doing it in!
The Best Way To Remove A Ketchup Stain Is Not To Get One At All
It is too simple to prevent ugly, distracting rust from ruining the appearance and professionalism of your outdoor lighted sign. Remember to request galvanized or stainless steel in the production and installation of your custom outdoor lighted sign, and your sign is guaranteed to always be the belle of the ball!
SignsUS - Corporate Looks for Small Businesses
Tim Harrelson, the owner, has been in the sign industry more than 20 years
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