What You Need to Know About Wall-Mounting Exterior Vertical Banners

Increasingly, our outdoor street light banner bracket sales folks receive questions regarding wall mounting vertical banners on exterior walls. Because there is much to know before you install this type of banner, KBW/Consort does have dependable and creative solutions to accomplish this.

The challenges in selecting the proper mounting methods include several factors such as the width and length of the banners, how high off the ground the mounting will be, what construction the wall surface material is and what surrounding environmental conditions exist that would either increase or reduce potential wind load on the banner.

What most new-comers to the wall-mounted banner world don't realize is that wind force is a formidable and relentless force with which to be reckoned and typically the higher off the ground the more intense the wind force. The wind seems to want to remove what man puts up. And, the constant breezes and resulting vibrations on banners tend to slowly eat away at the wall at the edges of the Main Casting with banner installations that are not properly planned and executed. For this reason, we almost always recommend the use of an intermediate steel or aluminum mounting plate between the Main Casting of the Banner Bracket and the wall. This plate spreads the wind force vibrations onto a much wider surface area. And, subsequently will keep the banner bracket's Main Casting from wearing away at the wall surface material. Even if the wall is concrete a plate is recommended to disperse the force and to provide extra fastening points. With our plates, we provide four (4) mounting holes as shown on the photo. Note that our plates are provided with two threaded studs welded onto the front to secure the Main Casting. Also, custom powdercoat colors and ornamental shapes are available.

With weaker wall materials, we will often suggest that through-bolts be used, if possible, where the bolts would go all the way through the wall to a second plate or large washers on the interior of the wall. As for whether to use lag bolts, anchor bolts, screws or through-bolts - if you have questions about which to use - we suggest you contact a local architect, engineer or contractor to assist with those decisions. That person can inspect the site if necessary and determine what sort of fastening is appropriate for the construction and materials involved. In some cases the location of an intended exterior wall banner may be significantly protected from excessive wind force due to neighboring buildings or trees or, the opposite effect is possible, where certain conditions will intensify wind force in a sort of wind tunnel effect. A professional can assist with that determination. They will need to know the size and height of the banner to determine wind load.

This particular blog is meant as a primer for this topic and may raise more questions than it answers. But, they are very important questions and we encourage all of this be taken very seriously. For more complete information, please see these links: our BannerFlex Banner Bracket Wall-Mount website and our Wind Force Calculator as well as the KBW BannerFlex Banner Bracket options including the new more flexible Airow bracket.

Questions? Email or call us today!  info@consort.com and 800.525.6424, ext 0
Roger Lepley

Screen Printed Banners versus Digitally Printed Banners: How to Choose

In our KBW vertical street pole banner division, we are often asked about which is best: screen printed or digitally printed banners. It’s an excellent question and I’m happy to say there is often NOT an easy answer. The reason I say “happy” is because I personally prefer screen print for the vibrant inks and rich, durable marine acrylic fabrics. And, it was our very first product line back in 1983 and we’re really good at it!

However, digital technology is difficult to beat when it comes to all that now makes up the digital world: photographic images, complex tones and tints, image manipulation, easy customization and on and on.

But, as I’ve written before, many folks “over use” that digital capability and try to do too much and show too much. But, when digital designs and files are accomplished with real skill and finesse, digital banners can be wonderful, bold and intriguing. With the spot-color screen print that we produce at KBW, graphic artists are more limited in the complexity of images and, therefore, the tendency is for the content to be simpler, bolder and more “readable”. Not a bad combination. (click here for screen print file specifications)

With the question of durability, the two options compete fairly well. In the “old days” of digital (only ten years ago), the inks were not as durable or the substrates or fabrics not as varied or interesting. You would see a lot of shiny, faded vinyl digital banners. Not so much anymore. Much has been accomplished to make them richer and more UV resistant. Also, up until about five years ago screen print was most always less expensive for a run of five banners or more. Now, digital is very often less expensive. The only caution is to make sure that the chosen vinyl is strong enough for 70 mph-plus winds (and make sure you have the best outdoor banner hardware). At KBW we guarantee that it will be.

And with all that, how do you choose? We have dedicated customers that ALWAYS want screen print because the fabrics are rich, bold colors that last virtually forever (it’s Sunbrella® - A Sunbrella awning or boat cover will serve well over 15 years). And, again, the images tend to be simpler and the inks richer. With larger runs, such as 20 banners and up, the price is very close with both methods and will generally only vary by 10% either way. Again, with digital you are offered complexity, easy customization with typically quicker turn-around time on short runs.

So, consider those differences, and if you need sample swatches of both methods to assist you, we are happy to send those free of charge.

My first choice is screen print if the images work in favor of that method due to the inherent richness.

Super Podia Tabletop Display vs. Podia Classic - A True Tale

        OK, I laughed out loud when I heard that this tale about one of our discontinued products. Here’s a true “marketing” oriented story that illustrates how a little information, when left out of a tradeshow demonstration is, well, sometimes kind of funny.
        We have five videos on our Podia Table Display website that show how durable this amazing product is. For example, in one video a Pontiac drives over one, in another an elephant steps it and it another we toss it from the roof of our building onto the parking lot pavement, and so on. Of course, the wonderful gizmo survives all the abuse. But prior to this newer, 2006 version of the clear polycarbonate capsule, we had the original model that was terrific in all respects except that it was not durable enough to withstand quite the excesses of misuse as the newer version is shown to do in the videos.
        At a tradeshow a few weeks ago I demonstrated the product durability to a bright and energetic young fellow, who is also a relative and who shall remain nameless (Jason Whitmore). He was very impressed and a few days later he was in his office in downtown Kalamazoo where they actually had some of our Podia Tabletop Displays in use. He was so enthused about how wonderful the product is that he asked a fellow worker, “Have you seen how durable this thing is?” No, the person said so the hero of my story took it to a nearby room with a hard tile floor and threw it down, much like the video showing the toss from our roof. Well, of course, this was the older version and it busted apart into a scattered array of plastic parts! As he tells it, “Boy, was I surprised and was my face red!"  Well, apparently I hadn't thought to mention that there was an older version the won't "pass the test".
        As they say, don’t try this at home! Unless you have our Podia MenuPro model and then you can drive over it, crack walnuts with it and use it for batting practice. For a happy ending to the story, I have since congratulated the young man for his uncommon exuberance, treated him to lunch and replaced the older version with Super Podia MenuPro!

Dori Poles Welcome Shoppers to the New Kukui‘ula Shopping Center in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii

Of course, Dori Pole pennants have been in thousands of outdoor settings over the past 25 years, but to me they always look best in the newest and latest installation! Maybe that’s the point. The 20 foot tall fiberglass pole with the 15 foot long flowing nylon pennant has its own, unique never-out-of-style kind of flavor.

In this installation, the shopping center is a new development at the south end of the island of Kauai near Poipu. And, although this “garden island” setting with palm trees and other lush greenery may seem like it doesn’t need “decorating” the added flowing color and inviting nature of the pennants make one take a second look at what might be offered in the development beyond.

Other examples of Dori Poles on Kauai are shown below and include the Hanalei Dolphin restaurant in Hanalei, Kauai along the Hanalei River. The blue pennants not only add color and movement but also help a bit with bird control for the outdoor seating (birds don’t like being under the pennant’s moving shadow). If you go to Kauai, be sure to visit the Dolphin for lunch or dinner – this is clearly one of the best restaurants on the island and has a superb fish market in the back.

The next example includes the yellow and green pennants at the Princeville Ranch, just 5 miles south of Hanalei. These three pennants are always moving and inviting folks to glance eastward to the Ranch that is just slightly off the road. As a center for horseback riding and zip lining, it gets a lot of attention but the Ranch finds it easier for folks to spot with the inviting pennants along the road.

I’ll bet you know a place or two that could benefit from the inviting color and flutter of Dori Poles. If so, please send them our way!

The Most Important Facts to Know When Choosing Banner Bracket Hardware for Outdoor Light Pole Banners – Or, How to Avoid A Banner Blow-out at 30 MPH!

If you’re looking to purchase banner hardware, I suggest you read this NOW!

With the installation of light pole banners (vertical banners on street poles), the primary challenge to sign companies and to banner companies is to do the best possible job they can in choosing the correct hardware. The next challenge is to install it according to the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines. Too many times we have seen sign companies and end user customers base their banner bracket hardware choices on price alone. Or choose a bracket because it “looks” like it works and not make the choice on its real engineering or long-term durability.

This can be a dreadfully costly mistake. The hardware choice for vertical street banners is the most important decision in the entire process. I’ve heard some folks say, “the banners will only be up for a weekend” (or a month, or a summer, etc.) not realizing that a significant wind may come up the very next day to rip apart the cheap, unstable installation that looked so wonderful on that, gloriously calm day before (I actually observed this very phenomenon in Kalamazoo about 24 years ago when Tyvek® banners were placed on these ingenious (but very weak brackets made out of electrical conduit for a local art fair – the next day they were all flopping around in the shrubbery and fountains after a 40 mile per hour, blustery morning obliterated the entire grand presentation) ( I suppose I was the only one in town that thought it was funny…).

Besides any esthetic factors however, the real fact of the matter is that these banners and brackets are placed above people’s heads on city sidewalks or within parking lots. That, alone, should be about all you need to know to make sure that you choose hardware with care. You simply must make your selection based on the engineering and practical experience of manufacturers who have designed and tested the products to last and who have bothered to write instructions, guidelines and application suggestions based on technical knowledge. This is the same kind of expert manufacturer which can give you recommendations and testimonials from customers.

If this all sounds like a blatant advertisement for a product that meets all those qualifications, it is! We (Kalamazoo Banner Works by Consort) are the ones to talk to! I have written more about this in previous blogs titled something like “Banner Brackets and Fly Fishing Parts I, II & III”. But, I bring it up again in a slightly different way to emphasize the main point that the choice of which manufacturer you use, is the single most important decision when looking to put up these wonderfully popular vertical street banners. I will end this writing with three facts to ponder on this subject. First, I’ve never seen a reliable bracket that was made in China. Second, be wary of brackets with mechanical systems to rust and wear and, finally, be certain that the attachment method to the light pole (banding or bolts) are sized correctly for the size and number of banners your displaying (there is no room for “seat of the pants” theories here). If your supplier doesn’t give you that information, call or email us. We’ll get the job done properly.

Roger Lepley