Materials

Durabond LTE is an economical version, 3MM thick Aluminum composite material with an aluminum skin on two sides of the polyethylene core. Will not RUST or BREAK! Works well in slip-in or bolt-in frames and hanging signs up to 24"x24". For larger hanging signs, although this material will work, we highly recommend the Durabond HD. Should weather for at least 36 months of normal weathering.

Durabond HD has a 60% total thicker skin than LTE 3MM. This thick version of our Aluminum Composite Material has an aluminum skin on two sides of the polyethylene core. Will not RUST or BREAK! Works very well in slip-in or bolt-in frames and hanging signs up to 24x36. Should weather for at least 36 months of normal weathering.

24 guage Steel should weather 36 months of normal weathering. Zinc coated underneath. Excellent material. Recommended for swinging signs. Will rust if paint and zinc undercoating are damaged. Eventually, all steel rusts, and if this has been an issue for previous signs then please choose Durabond HD as it is made of a material that cannot rust.

.040 Aluminum is a very popular material with small sign shops around the country. It should weather for at least 36 months. However, this material is thin and we do not recommend for hanging signs as wind can easily damage the material. We highly recommend Durabond LTE or HD, which are more cost effective, and more durable. Since these materials have an aluminum skin, the look of the sign is exactly the same. We don't want to have customers upset due to lack of durability.

4MM Corrugated Plastic should weather 12 months. Very lightweight, tough to break, but does bend easily along the flutes; somewhat translucent. Recommended only for Open House or Directional signs.

Factors or Geographical Impact that shorten expected life of your signs:

Desert areas are the roughest environment on signs. Blowing sand and extremely hot temperatures wreak havoc on the life expectancy of signs. Please be advised that sign life may be shortened as much as 30 percent in these environments.

In Heavy snow areas, often signs are placed extremely close to the road where snow plows pile a mixture of snow and slush from the roads with salt and chemical from road treatment. This severely impacts angle iron metal sign frames. These products may have their life shortened from 2 years minimum to 1 year until they show rust.

Coastal/Ocean Areas have a severe impact on anything made of steel. Often rust can occur on steel products in saltwater areas within one year. Please choose carefully if you are in an area where the air is constantly exposed to salt water.

SCRATCHING:

All signs scratch. Signs are made of materials that are receptive to paint, so their hardness must not be so great that they cannot accept paint. If any signs are scratched in the trunk of the car, in the bed of a truck from a sign installer, or from stakes scraping across the face of the sign, this is not considered weathering. We will not replace signs from scratching in the field.

ADHESIVES/TAPE:

Dee Sign will not replace signs with paint that has come off because of use of adhesives or tape. The paint on the sign is durable, but there is a diverse range of adhesive properties. When combining this with temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 100 degrees in the field or in the trunk or back of a car, there is no way we could warrant the impact of use of adhesives or tape on the signs. We cannot ascertain after the fact that a specific type of tape was used. As a result, we recommend using "Laser Strips" or a document holder. We will not replace open house signs where this is the obvious reason they have been damaged.