Banners between columns

[10sacer]

We do all the area YMCA's in town and one of them is an older building with huge columns on the front porch. They want to drop two banners between the columns in a permanent mounting situation.

My question is what is best method to do this?

Here is why I ask... I installed the banners with pole pockets at top using 10 foot square Superstrut in pocket to keep it rigid. Used 4" wood screw eye bolts to mount to underlying wood fascia and 2" chain between strut/banner assembly and eye hooks. This part was fine.
I then placed 4 1" wood screw eye bolts into wood columns at 4 foot intervals down each side and secured sewn in D-rings to eye screws with nylon rope.

See included photo. Looked great. Client loved it. Failed in 7 days.

We got freezing temps, snow and wind the next week and almost all the D-rings were ripped out of the webbing. Also, client now says they don't like the look of the chains. This after saying they didn't care how they were installed originally.

It is 15 oz. vinyl with sewn hems and webbing down both sides with double stitching where the D-rings were located.

Since this is supposed to be "permanent" - we all know its not going to be - what is best way to avoid the failure again?

Would it be better to use mesh? Should I have used bungees instead of rope to secure banners to eye hooks?

Second attached photo shows upper assembly with struts and frayed webbing that failed. Part of me feels our sewing company we use used the wrong webbing here.

Thanks for suggestions.

Sean

 

[bigben]

Sorry, can't help. But if you ever found a solution, I would like to know.

 

[AaronSSsignsKC]

I would have made banners this size in pennant shape in mesh to start with. The shape will put stress on strange places especially the way its hung. Im not sure how to tell you to move forward with fixing what is already in place but good luck man!!

 

[Gino]

I think your first problem is you are trying to make a flimsy banner taught and it's not working. Your banner is getting wind gusts both front & back. I would say, it you can't back them up with a solid backer, then you'll hafta support it with clips that are forgiving.

Think of it this way. If you screwed a solid piece of wood up there, the same size at 8 tiny spots, do you think it would stay there or eventually break away from stress points ?? You must distribute the wind shear over a greater area so it can hit it, pass around, under or through and not become a giant sail. I would suggest a solid cable system on all 4 sides and put spring clips in on all four sides that can move around so the wind can go the way of the least resistance. Mesh would also help your situation. As for the triangular tip, it can stay, but you'll still hafta go where the triangle starts for your bottom horizontal.... and let the bottom flap all on it's own. It might flap itself to death, but that would be on them, if they still wanted it.

 

[AaronSSsignsKC]

Another option i just thought of in some major college sports stadiums i have done graphics in they have big banner frames with eyelets all the way around perimeter of the banner. We used to take a more elastic rope and stitch he rope thru the banner back and forth using one long cord for every eyelet. The elastic cord allows the banner to be taught in the frame structure but still have a little more give in the wind. My point is the rope will take more of the load than the banners themselves. But again these were all large mesh banners and we were able to rope the on all four sides the pennant shape here is kinda a pain.

 

[10sacer]

Gino,

You and I think alike.

The customer insisted on standard vinyl to get the best "image pop", even though I had the windload discussion with her.
The bottom flap is not that big of a deal. There are D-rings at the angle where it starts to keep it from getting too wonky.

We are going to redo them on a mesh with more space between column and D-rings to be bale to use bungees to help accept some of the windload instead of having banner tightly tied to eye hooks in columns. (This is probably why the webbing failed)

Anyone have suggestions on a good mesh material that won't kill the images too much?

Thanks guys.

I think your first problem is you are trying to make a flimsy banner taught and it's not working. Your banner is getting wind gusts both front & back. I would say, it you can't back them up with a solid backer, then you'll hafta support it with clips that are forgiving.

Think of it this way. If you screwed a solid piece of wood up there, the same size at 8 tiny spots, do you think it would stay there or eventually break away from stress points ?? You must distribute the wind shear over a greater area so it can hit it, pass around, under or through and not become a giant sail. I would suggest a solid cable system on all 4 sides and put spring clips in on all four sides that can move around so the wind can go the way of the least resistance. Mesh would also help your situation. As for the triangular tip, it can stay, but you'll still hafta go where the triangle starts for your bottom horizontal.... and let the bottom flap all on it's own. It might flap itself to death, but that would be on them, if they still wanted it.

 

[Christian @ 2CT Media]

Too bad the columns are not straight, I'd suggest keder rail down the sides.