4'x12' Wall Mounted Sign Lighting

[Dstar]

Hello everyone,
First of all, thanks for any opinions or help that comes from this post!

I am installing a 4'x12' sign for a business above the front door.

I am searching for lighting solution, it will need to be mounted on the wall either above below or beside the sign.

Flood lighting seems to be the best way to go but I fear that the light will be too close to the sign to properly light.

The sign will have 4' of space to the left and right, 2' under, and 3' above for lighting.

 

[signbrad]

Flood lighting seems to be the best way to go but I fear that the light will be too close to the sign to properly light.

It's been my experience that if you mount fixtures 6-8 feet in front of the sign you will get even light distribution without washing out any colors. I like outdoor fluorescent floodlights. The light is soft and does a good job of spreading evenly. In this case I would probably use two single-lamp, four-foot-long fixtures, or two six-foot-long fixtures, mounted in line with each other at the end of lengths of intermediate or rigid conduit, facing the fixtures at a down angle. If the fixtures are mounted slightly higher than the top edge of the sign there should be no visual obstruction of the sign from the fixtures. These outdoor fluorescent fixtures have plastic covers but they are intended to be down-facing.
I would make three conduit supports for two fixtures, one support being in the center where the two fixtures meet. Have someone bend each conduit in a 90 so that each can be mounted to the wall behind the sign, emerging from the back of the sign at the top. One of the conduits, of course, would need to mate with a junction box containing the electrical feed.

I have used EMT conduit for this so I could bend it easily by hand, but it was a mistake. EMT is not really not strong enough to support the weight of the fixtures.

Brad in Kansas City