How many & what type of screws to hold a DiBond Panel

[Martyn Heath]

Ive always put them every 60cm roughly. I tend to simply go one at each corner, one in the middle if bigger panel and then one inbetween that if needed. I think as long as the fixings are within 80cm of eachother its fine. Ive seen panels with fixings every 30cm but i think its overkill.

[David Wilde]

If its screwed in to a wall at no great height we would use 5 top, 5 bottom and 2 centre (sides). If you have used the correct drill bits, plugs and screws this should be fine. Anything at height we would use anchor bolts on though.

You can over do it though. I sent a Foamex A3 sign to a golf club near us for use on an internal door. A few months later I was on site and noticed they had used 8 screws to put it up. I presume they were worried someone was going to nick it…

[Simon Worrall]

We use those metal expanding hammer-drive anchor tappet thingies in brick and concrete.

Don’t bother with the plastic ones. 6.5mm drill.

Yeah, about every 60cm or so.

[RobertLambie]

Aluminum Composite:

Every 600mm apart is fine.
Obviously, the correct screws/fixing should be used depending on the surface you are fixing into.

* I often see signs fitted with the screw too close to the edge of the sheet.
* I often see signs with screw heads that are too small.
* I often see signs fitted with the screws fitted too tight.
These are just a few examples of composite signs fitted wrong!

Composite is a soft sandwich of sheet materials. take an off-cut of composite and screw it to a wall with a single screw. now pull it back off!

You will find the composite will come off, leaving the screw in the wall. the screw will tear through the material before the screw actually comes away.

It is all about the pressure load on that one small area.
now use a screw with a small screw head. you have just reduced the hold you have on the material in that location. meaning the screw head will pull through the material much easier.

Even using the correct head size of screw, but tightening it too far, will create a “button on a pillow” effect. But you are also promoting the screw being pulled through the face of the composite.

The same applies when putting the screw too close to the edge of the sheet. By doing this you are increasing the chance of pulling through or even tearing out towards the edge.

Keep in mind, any movement of a sheet of composite will easily increase the hole size as the sheet moves in the wind. it’s soft and prone to do so.

Cheap Composite:
Cheap composites are worse again. The aluminium skin on the face and rear are thinner.
and the core often nothing more than a recycled brittle plastic, rather than polyethene etc.
These tear through much easier. will not fold without splitting blah blah blah…

anyway, 600mm apart is fine. but the position of the screw and correct head size, type etc equally play a big part.

[David Rogers]

Also bear in mind that a black panel will have a lot more thermal expansion than a white one in sunlight. Puckering between fixings is more likely so worth adding a few more…down to 400mm.

[Richard Wills]

I can’t lay my hands on the processing data sheet for dibond, but thermal expansion is outlined (pick your local temperature range, and add 10 degrees plus and minus). And I’m sure that you make the hole large enough to compensate for expansion, then use a pan head screw, or washer to cover said movement, positioned inset from edges.

Black Dibond will only have very subtly more heat absorbtion than white flood coated, or printed in a dark colour. 2 foot spaceings should be fine with suitable fixings. If you’ve got a gloss finish with a dark face, pay double attention to the data sheet – black gloss is a mirror, and any warp will be glaringly visible.

If you’re installing at height, or in an area with extreme wind, pay triple attention to the manufaturer’s technical data. Then fixings suitable for the brick wall you’re fixing to.

[Jeff]

600mm spaces are good, but If in doubt, use an aluminium trim. looks so much better and eliminates visible swelling and all that nonsense!

[David Stevenson]

Thanks for the reply’s guy, sorry for the delay replying. Thankfully it seems we’ve doing the same as everyone else.

Many thanks,

David