A sign with a face this large is not always easy to service. The plastic will be heavy and can be difficult for one person to slide. I would not even consider replacing the faces without hanging bars. If you need to send two people and two trucks to service a sign like this because one person can't do it alone, the cost of the service call becomes significantly greater. And a hanging bar is not just a convenience to allow easier servicing. It allows the face to hang without bowing and can prevent a blowout.
It's true that a flat face will probably work if the cabinet is deep enough, but my preference is to install a pan formed face—
plus a hanging bar. A pan is more rigid, especially at this size, and more blowout resistant. And if the cabinet was specifically
designed for pan faces, flat faces should not be used. There is nothing uglier—or more unprofessional looking—than a visible center pole or noticeable hot spots, caused by putting flat plastic in a cabinet that was not made for it.
The usual argument for putting flat plastic in a cabinet that was made for a pan face is, "they don't want to pay for it." I don't view this as a legitimate argument. So I simply stopped giving them the option. The few times I gave in and put flat faces in where they didn't belong, it did not always work out well. In fact, more than once, when the client saw how the finished sign looked at night, I was blamed for "not doing it right."
The absolute best way to re-face a 6x8 is to install a retrofit flexible face with a hinged frame. Of course, they may not want to pay for it.
Brad in Kansas CIty
