installing 27' x 200' banner on building

[sigsignman]

I hope this has not been repeated as I have searched previous posts. I have an opportunity to sell & install a huge banner, 27 feet tall x 200 feet long. It is on a steel building and I don't relish the thought of screwing it in with self tapping screws. They want something that looks finished and obviously very tight. I have seen some "sign frame" systems but none of which are designed for something this large. I'm thinking something like a flex face uses with a metal bar that slides on a stud that is tightened with a 1/4" nut. Any suggestions? 2nd part of the question is...they want it to last as long as possible 5 years plus. I was thinking like an 18oz banner material with uv liquid overlaminate (it is a full color photo of a car)...any ideas?...thanks in advance for reading!

 

[Mosh]

Take a look at www.excellart.com
They have retainers for flex faces. That would look nice.

 

[BigfishDM]

Why not print it and outsource the install, 5 year durability is gonna need a real high quality product make sure you research that one.

 

[Billct2]

My first thought is the customer is trying to get a cheap banner to look like a real sign and last 8 years...
I'd ask them what do they want a banner for a few years (if they're lucky) or a real sign
for 8 years...pick one.
Then I'd figure out how I'm going to make it.

 

[SightLine]

Yeah.... banner = short term, not 5+ year use. I mean you could go with an 18oz liquid laminated but it's going to be near impossible to stitch/weld the pieces together perfectly for the seams (I assume you or no one else happens to have a 30 foot machine).

Just the sheer amount of unsupported weight in the middle is bound to sag some over time. You will need a forklift to move it around if it's all sewn welded together as one massive banner as well. They need a smooth flat surface installed on the building façade then an adhesive vinyl print applied in my opinion.

 

[Mosh]

27 FEET..I thought 27 INCHES!!! PASS!!!! I did a 9'x120' once, never doing that again!

 

[TheSnowman]

Do it out of Mesh.

 

[BigfishDM]

Do it out of Mesh.

Good idea, fabric would be good too.

 

[sigsignman]

My first thought is the customer is trying to get a cheap banner to look like a real sign and last 8 years...
I'd ask them what do they want a banner for a few years (if they're lucky) or a real sign
for 8 years...pick one.
Then I'd figure out how I'm going to make it.

they want something that will last and its either me (local) or they fly a team in from another city who has done other factories...so #1, it must last, #2 Need to figure out how to make it "tight"...The mesh would be easier/lighter weight...and I believe this is what they told me other factories were using...but Long lasting is critical

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

You are going to be hard pressed to get any PVC banner material to last that long. Most of the time they start to break down and fall apart after 2-3 years in the elements.

If you have to use a PVC banner, quote it based on replacing the print every 2 years.

 

[BigfishDM]

If those are your choices I would just walk away, your either going to under bid it and run into some huge unforeseen nightmare or your going to overbid it and run into some huge unforeseen nightmare.

 

[WYLDGFI]

PVC banner or mesh will be tough. You can use a Knifed PVC banner similar to a Seemee2 or Ultralon IV. I think that will last longer....but not by much. That material is tougher to seam with higher heat requirements for sure but much better than a laminate pvc like typically utilized. Im of the opinion it would need to be replaced after 3 years easily....possibly 4 with a liquid clearcoat on it. Besides that, an image of a car...3-4 years old?? It'll be looked at and theyre going to realize they want to change it anyway.

 

[round man]

Sell the job with the stipulation that the banner be replaced as needed,....no way a banner that size is going to last much past two years as it will either fade real bad and or dry rot in the pvc & backing fabric and tear in the wind,...all customers want your work to last longer than the normal lifespan of the substrate

edited to add the weight stress alone of a banner that size will compromise the material before it's time,...

 

[Mosh]

Tell them you need "specs" on that the "other" sign company used.
I'd Pass and let them "fly in the other guys"... Fly in? your not in the Outback!

 

[Gino]

A well made normal sized banner with triple gussets along with proper tension in the installation will barely last 3 years. 18-oz and such with a fantastic scrim will go a long time, but a 27' x 200' banner...... to last at least 5 years.... ?? I highly doubt it.

If they have someone else to do it, I'd probably hate turning such a job down, but I'd be afraid of something going majorly wrong and losing not just the job, but the money to do it wrong.

Something about this site.... there's just about every facet of the sign industry displayed here with all it's members, and if the manufacturers are telling you to pass, I'd be a little skeptical of this working in your favor.

I would try one more person. Look for Mike from Merritts. He has done more types of this work than the rest of us combined. I'd give him a holler.

 

[Pat Whatley]

Something that size is NOT something for you to "figure out". There's going to be engineering involved here, including research for stable anchor points in the structure of the building. Like Gino said, talk to Mike. He can tell you if it can be done, how to do it, and probably tell you who you can sub it out to.

 

[Moze]

SignComp's tension frame would work. But that's a long time for a banner to be up. Also, most municipalities won't allow a banner for anywhere near that long. Not sure if you've looked into that or not, but that would be my first stop - confirm whether it's allowed or not.

 

[Mosh]

Just the size would be an issue in my town, even if it was a permanent material.
5400 square feet, I think our town's limit is 1500 sq ft.

 

[FS-Keith]

what is the difference in screw holes by screwing the tension tracks in place as opposed to teck screws through the grommets? i dont see much of a difference. I have an account that i install lots of large bannes on building. The most common being 8x80' and have had them up for years and they still look good. I for a banner that big i would use on mesh, Make a large tube to roll the banner onto. lift it up on end with a crane a go along the building with it unrolling it and screwing it in place. if that is beyond your shops capabilities then you need to pass or just subcontract it out. but thats what it takes to do a banner with those dimensions.

 

[nashvillesigns]

a forty thousand dollar banner? they want it to last how long?
*squints*
(might was well just paint the side of the building.)
what was that line in that horror movie filmed on long island?