Although the weather conditions might not be so pleasant, the winter is actually the perfect time to carry out some commercial sign maintenance.

The darker afternoons and evenings make it easier to spot problems with illuminated signs, while the dying-back of foliage gives you the perfect opportunity to carry out some much-needed pruning.

Here’s our pick of commercial sign maintenance for the coming weeks and into the New Year:

Clear around stone works

 If you have ground-level stone works with shrubs nearby, check that foliage hasn’t obscured them from view.

The winter is the ideal time to prune back excess growth while shrubs are in their dormant phase, restoring the line of sight to your stone works signage from a wider angle of approach.

Trees and totem signs

 The same applies to totem signs close to trees, as you might need to prune back some branches while they are bare of leaves.

It’s also important to check the footing of your totem signs and post signs, to make sure tree roots haven’t disturbed them and made them unstable.

Faded flex face signage

 Get outside after dark and check the visibility of illuminated flex face signage – if it’s faded or dirty, it might be time to consider investing in some new signs.

The benefits of doing so can actually be double, as not only do you get a vibrant new flex face sign, but modern materials can last for longer without fading, which should keep your commercial signage looking as-new for even longer in the New Year.

With a New Year on the horizon, and often some quieter days or early closing as things wind down for the Christmas break, it’s well worth taking a few minutes to check your commercial signage, especially if you normally don’t really notice it as just something that is always there.

Finally, make sure totem signs and acrylic directories are up to date – the New Year is a good time to remove any names that are no longer on-site, or add any new arrivals that have not yet been given pride of place on your signage.