Outdoor Sign Wind and Mounting Recommender

Takes the details of an outdoor sign job and writes a plain-English recommendation for how each sign should be mounted, how much wind exposure it has, and what must be confirmed by an engineer, the permit office, or the building owner before work starts.

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Before and after

BEFORE · what the owner typed

Input from the shop owner: "Starton Sign Co. job for Chiara Knight, Swanton Tire Center, 1045 Skyton Rd, Dovehill. Cyrus McBride is leading the install. 3 signs. Her phone is 330-555-0196. I'm Cecilia Keith, the owner, write it from me. 1. Freestanding sign by the road, 4 ft x 8 ft aluminum composite panel, both sides, solid no cutouts, top at about 14 ft, two steel posts in the ground. Lot is wide open on the west side, nothing blocking wind. 2. Wall sign 2 ft x 6 ft aluminum on the brick front wall, flat on the wall, top about 10 ft up. Brick is old and the mortar is crumbling in spots near where it goes. 3. Vinyl banner 3 ft x 10 ft solid on the chain link fence along Sageton Ave. She wants it up for the grand opening. Fence is 6 ft tall. Permit paperwork she got says design wind speed 115 mph. No engineer drawing yet. Install date not set."

AFTER · what the skill produced

Hi Chiara,

Here is our mounting and wind recommendation for the three signs at Swanton Tire Center, 1045 Skyton Rd, Dovehill.

Your signs

Freestanding road sign: 4 ft by 8 ft, so 32 square feet per face, two sided, solid, on two steel posts, top at about 14 ft.
Brick wall sign: 2 ft by 6 ft, so 12 square feet, flat on the front wall, top at about 10 ft.
Fence banner: 3 ft by 10 ft, so 30 square feet, solid vinyl, on the 6 ft chain link fence along Sageton Ave.

Safety concern, recommended now

Freestanding road sign: This is a large, solid panel up high in a lot that is wide open on the west side, so the wind has nothing to slow it down. We recommend a stamped engineer drawing for the posts and footings before we build it. We do not pick footing or post sizes ourselves.
Brick wall sign: The mortar is crumbling near where the sign goes. We recommend that the wall be checked before we anchor anything, and that we do not anchor into crumbling mortar. The building owner or an engineer should confirm the wall can hold the sign.

Also recommended

Fence banner: A solid vinyl banner this size catches wind like a sail. We recommend a wind-slit or mesh banner for the grand opening, attached at many points along its edges. We also recommend confirming the fence is secure, since the banner will pull on it.

A note on wind figures: your permit paperwork lists a design wind speed of 115 mph. That is the figure you gave us, and we recommend confirming it with the permit office or the engineer before the design is final.

Cyrus McBride will lead your install.

Cecilia Keith
Starton Sign Co.

Questions for the owner

Does Chiara own the brick wall, or does a landlord? Who should approve the wall check?
Has an engineer been chosen for the road sign drawing, and who is paying for it?
Who owns the fence, and what is its condition?
Does the customer want to switch the banner to a wind-slit or mesh type, and what is the price?
Are there any overhead power lines near the road sign?
What phone number should Chiara call the shop on if she has questions?
What is the install date, and what is the shop's policy on postponing an install in high wind?
Has the 115 mph figure been confirmed with the permit office?

What it does

Use it when: Use when a sign shop needs to recommend a mounting method for outdoor signs and flag wind risk, such as: what's the best way to mount this sign, will this hold in wind, wind load check, post or wall mount, banner on a fence.