A well built sign can last many years, but only if someone looks after it. Dirt dulls the face, salt eats at the hardware and one failed power supply can leave your storefront dark. A little care each season keeps your sign working and saves you money.
Gogi Signs builds and services signs for businesses across New Jersey and New York City. This guide covers what you can safely do yourself, what the material makers say about cleaning, a four season plan and the upkeep rules that owners must meet.
In this guide
Why Maintenance Matters
- It protects your image. A dirty or half lit sign tells people the business is not paying attention.
- It catches small problems early. A loose fastener is cheap to fix. A fallen sign is not.
- It protects warranties. Many LED and material warranties require proper care and approved parts.
- It may be required. New York City and many New Jersey towns require signs to be kept in good repair.
What You Can Do vs What a Pro Should Do
You can do a lot from the ground. Look at your sign once a week in daylight and once after dark. Note dark letters, flicker, stains, peeling vinyl and anything that looks loose. Clean low signs gently. Leave anything electrical, anything on a ladder or lift, and any repair to a qualified technician.
How to Clean Acrylic Sign Faces
ACRYLITE, a major acrylic maker, gives clear rules in its cleaning guide:
- Start with water. Use a soft cloth with just enough water to moisten it.
- For heavier dirt, use a mild soap or detergent in lukewarm water, rinse and blot dry.
- Do not use kitchen scouring compounds or solvents such as acetone, gasoline, benzene or alcohol. The guide also lists window cleaning sprays and lacquer thinner. These can scratch the sheet or cause fine cracks called crazing.
- Fine scratches can often be buffed out with a plastic scratch remover.
Never use a dry cloth or paper towel on a dusty face. It grinds the dust into the surface.
How to Clean Vinyl Graphics
3M says the cleaner for its graphic films must be wet, non abrasive, free of solvents and have a pH between 3 and 11, in its IJ180C bulletin. In plain terms: mild soap and water, a soft brush or sponge, and a good rinse. Avoid strong degreasers and anything that scratches.
Pressure washers can lift vinyl edges and force water into seams. If you use one on a building, keep it well away from the sign. Pixel Wraps, our sister graphics shop, covers the same rules for film in how to maintain a truck wrap.
Salt, Snow and Stainless Steel
Winter salt is hard on metal. The steel industry’s stainless steel handbook recommends a cleaning after the last snowfall for stainless near salted roads, and notes that sheltered areas that rain never reaches need more cleaning, because salt builds up there. Rinse stainless plaques, letters and hardware with clean water in spring. Near the coast, plan more frequent rinses. Our guide to the best outdoor sign materials explains why we use type 316 stainless near salt.
A Four Season Plan for New Jersey and NYC
- Spring. Rinse off winter salt. Check faces, seams and hardware for winter damage. Clean faces.
- Summer. Look for fading and peeling. Clear bird nests and wasp nests with care. Test all lighting at night.
- Fall. Clear leaves and branches. Check that seals and drain holes are clear. Set timers for shorter days.
- Winter. Keep snow piles off low signs. After storms and high winds, look for loose parts, ice damage and dark sections.
Lighting and Electrical Checks
Most problems with lit signs come from a few parts. Power supplies usually carry shorter warranties than LED modules, according to the SloanLED warranty, so when a whole sign or section goes dark, a power supply is often the first thing a technician checks. Other common causes are loose connections, failed modules, water in the cabinet and a broken timer or photocell.
Electrical work on a sign should be done by a qualified technician. Signs connect to building power, and a wet cabinet makes that more dangerous. Our sign repair team handles LED, power supply and wiring problems.
What to Do After a Storm
Nor’easters and summer storms are the times signs get hurt. Once the weather clears, look at your sign from the ground. Check for anything bent, hanging or missing, cracks in the face, dark sections and water marks inside the face. If anything looks loose, keep people away from the area below it and call a sign company right away. Do not climb up to check it yourself. Take photos for your records and for any insurance claim.
Keep a Simple Sign Log
A one page log makes upkeep easy and helps if a town or landlord asks about your sign. Write down:
- The basics. Install date, permit number and who built the sign.
- Parts. The LED and power supply brand and model, and the vinyl used.
- Warranties. What is covered and for how long.
- Visits. Each cleaning, inspection and repair, with the date.
The Rules Owners Must Meet
- New York City. The property owner must have every sign that needed a permit inspected at least once every calendar year, under section H105.2 of the city’s building code appendix H. Section H101.1 also requires signs and supports to be kept in repair.
- Montclair. Signs must be kept in good repair and cleaned as often as needed to stay clean, neat, legible and safe, and lighting must be kept in good working order, under section 347 111F of its sign rules. Its property maintenance code allows fines of up to $2,000.
- Hoboken. Signs must be kept clean and neat and securely fastened, and an owner has 10 days after a certified notice to fix or remove a sign in violation, under section 196 31J of its zoning code.
Scheduled Maintenance Visits
Many of our clients have us come out on a set schedule. A typical visit covers cleaning the face, checking the lighting, testing power supplies, tightening and checking hardware, clearing nests and debris and noting anything that will need work soon. It is the easiest way to keep a sign looking new, and in NYC it helps you keep up with the yearly inspection rule. Our sister company in New York shares neon care tips in how to take care of your neon sign.
When maintenance is no longer enough, read when to replace your business sign and how long commercial signs last.
Common Questions About Sign Maintenance
How often should a business sign be cleaned?
It depends on the site. Many signs do well with a cleaning each season, and signs near busy roads, construction or the coast may need more. Look at your sign weekly and clean when it looks dull.
What can I clean an acrylic sign with?
A soft cloth with water, or mild soap in lukewarm water for heavier dirt. ACRYLITE says not to use scouring compounds, solvents such as acetone or alcohol, or window cleaning sprays.
Can I pressure wash my sign?
It is not a good idea. High pressure can lift vinyl edges and push water into seams and wiring. Use a gentle wash instead.
Does NYC require sign inspections?
Yes. Under the NYC Building Code, the property owner must have every sign that needed a permit inspected at least once every calendar year.
How do I keep salt from damaging my sign?
Use type 316 stainless hardware near salt, and rinse metal parts with clean water after the last snowfall and more often near the coast.
Who is responsible for maintaining a business sign?
Usually the property owner and the business, depending on the lease. Town rules generally hold the owner responsible, so put sign upkeep in your lease.
Avoid the Mistakes, Start With a Plan
Tell us your address, your lease date and your opening date, and we will check your sign rights, plan the permits and give you one price for survey, design, fabrication and installation. Request a free quote or book a site survey.
