• projecting sign help

    Posted by Peter Cassidy on October 26, 2024 at 5:22 pm

    hi guys

    i am wondering if anyone has experience fitting projecting signs?
    the sign is already in place. (not one of my own) it is coming loose and i have been asked if i can make it safe.
    i go back on Monday to complete the work i am doing inside the shop, but i was hoping for some tips if anyone has any.

    Peter Cassidy replied 1 day, 16 hours ago 3 Members · 8 Replies
  • 8 Replies
  • Peter Cassidy

    Member
    October 26, 2024 at 5:29 pm

    sorry, that doesnt read right.
    i can see the screws are coming loose with the wind hitting the sign. i think the same will happen eventually if i use new screws or bigger screws. is there better ways of doing this?

  • RobertLambie

    Administrator
    October 26, 2024 at 8:45 pm

    Hi Peter

    It’s hard to give the right advice on something like this, doing it blind. Do you have any pictures mate?

  • Peter Cassidy

    Member
    October 27, 2024 at 11:05 pm

    I dont have any pictures. I was not supposed to be doing anything external and i was literally asked as i was leaving if i could tighten it up. no problem i said! famous last words. 🙄

  • RobertLambie

    Administrator
    October 28, 2024 at 2:15 am

    Hi Peter
    obviously I am guessing here mate…

    But, it is likely that either the wrong fixings were used or they were installed incorrectly.
    For a brick or stone surface, a thunderbolt, which is a type of heavy-duty concrete screw, is usually the best option for a repair like this.

    If a concrete screw was initially used but drilled improperly or with too large a drill bit, a possible remedy could be to use a longer or wider concrete screw. This would still require pre-drilling, but the screw should then be able to securely anchor into the stone/brick.

    It is best to check just how much movement the sign has. What you need to be careful of is… this sign might need to be taken down and properly fitted from scratch. It is one thing trying to make a sign safe, but I am not saying that this is a long-term fix. I would tell the customer to ask the original sign company to fix it properly. The last thing you want is the sign coming down during winter winds and you being held responsible.

    You will get concrete screws from the likes of Screwfix, ToolStation and the like.

  • Colin Crabb

    Member
    October 28, 2024 at 10:09 am

    Or resin bolts.

    I spotted a projecting sign beginning of summer, that had been screwed into the mortar joint….

    • Peter Cassidy

      Member
      November 12, 2024 at 2:40 pm

      thanks colin. a mate of mine suggested i use resin too but i have never used it before so would not really feel comfortable using it for this one mate. but thanks for the tip. 👍

  • RobertLambie

    Administrator
    October 29, 2024 at 2:10 am

    I’m always amazed that projecting signs don’t come down more often. I’ve never liked installing them, even though I take every measure to secure them as firmly as possible, using the proper fixings. By this, I mean the average-sized signs we typically see along the high street.

    For anything larger and heavier than the norm, I add an additional safety harness as a precaution. Something I have done for years. And thankfully, it’s never had to be used. 🤣
    it is a simple secondary fixing using a U-ring plate and some steel cable.
    fix the plate to the building, loop the steep cable through the loop and then through a drilled hole in the leg of the projecting sign, or wherever is solid. If the sign comes away in high winds, the cable will basically catch it and at least hold it danging until it can be made safe. At the very least, it will catch the sign from hitting passing pedestrians, even if only for a short time until the area is cleared. over-kill? maybe, but I prefer the belt and braces approach and I think it is a good practice to include for potentially hazardous signs.

  • Peter Cassidy

    Member
    November 12, 2024 at 4:19 pm

    thanks rob

    i used concrete screws in the end. not the same as the ones shown though.

    in the area the sign was anchored to the wall was much worse for wear, than i could see from the ground.
    i put one screw in at an angle to secure the steel plate and i then drilled a new fresh hole into the plate and fitted a second concrete screw thru that. both with large washers.
    The finish looked pretty rough but the screws held it really well. when i put the second screw in place it started to pull the sign back into place. so much so i had to tighten the first screw more but both had a good grip.

    i told the customer that he will need to have the sign looked at properly and that what i had done is only a temporary fix.

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