What You Need to Know About Garage Signage Installation
No matter where you’re driving, it’s important to have clear directional signage to keep the flow of traffic moving. This is particularly true in garage signage installation, where multiple levels, tight spaces, and busy exit lines contribute to chaotic scenarios and traffic build-up. Plus, parking garages serve as entry points to shopping malls, theaters, office buildings, and other public spaces, which require directional signs to help patrons find their way.
From installation strategies, to materials, to design, here are our top tips on providing clear, eye-catching signage for your parking facility.
What Materials Should You Use?
Parking garage signs need to be durable and easy to read 24/7. Aluminum is a great choice for parking garage signage, since it’s sturdy and customizable. For night-time visibility, aluminum signs can be enhanced to incorporate reflective vinyl, which “glows” when in contact with headlights and other light sources. This way, it’s easy for drivers to find their way around the parking structure at any time of day or night.
What are the Best Installation Techniques for Garage Signage Installation?
Depending on the location of the sign, you may need to be creative with your installation methods. Parking spot indicators and charging station signs are usually wall mounted, making them legible from the driver’s seat of a car. Entrance and exit signs or “no entry” signs are often mounted to the ceiling using brackets. This allows you to use larger banner-like signs for maximum visibility. Informational signs like speed limit signs, handicap signs, and “wrong way” signs, are often mounted on poles for increased visibility and mobility.
What Type of Signs Should You Include in Your Garage Signage Installation?
Since there are so many moving parts inside a parking structure, there are many different types of signs that provide essential information. Think about the flow of your structure, and place garage graphics at crucial transition points to help drivers find their way. It’s also important to include signage for pedestrian traffic so pedestrians have a safe way to navigate around vehicles in the garage.
Monument Signs
Monument signs are large permanent signs designed to be visible from the road. These signs are usually made of wood, metal, or stone, and often feature the name of a business alongside simple graphics. Monument signs are frequently placed outside parking garages to indicate the entrance to a business park or complex. They announce the affiliation of the parking garage, so it’s clear where you’re supposed to park when visiting a specific business.
Directional Signs
Signs like “entrance,” “exit,” “one way,” and “no entry” help orient drivers in your parking structure. Because parking garages are cramped, there’s often no room to avoid a collision if you’re in the wrong lane. This makes directional signs even more important to help drivers stay safe when navigating twists and turns.
Since parking garages often serve multiple businesses, directional signs are used to help patrons identify customer parking zones. Signs like “movie theater parking this way” or “hospital parking only” help your patrons know where they’re permitted to park within the garage. Additionally, directional signs help guide pedestrians towards stairways and elevators and delineate pedestrian pathways.
Parking Spot Signs
Signs that indicate the use of individual parking spots help monitor who occupies the space. For example, signs that read “physician parking only,” or “authorized vehicles only” alert patrons that these spaces are reserved and should not be used for general parking.
With an increased number of electric cars on the road, new parking garages frequently include vehicle charging stations. Signs indicating which spots are designated for charging stations prevent non-electric cars from blocking charging docks.
ADA Signs
It’s vital to provide accessible parking options for all your patrons. Signs that indicate handicap parking areas deter other patrons from using those accessible spaces. For larger parking structures that include elevators, it’s necessary to provide clear signage that indicates which points of entry are wheelchair accessible.
Instructional Signs
Signs that provide information about fire safety or emergency protocols should be posted in easy-to-read locations in your parking structure. If your parking structure requires payment from patrons, clearly indicate and outline which payment methods are acceptable and whether or not your patrons need to display proof of payment on their vehicle.
Simplify Your Garage Signage Installation with Bishop Image Group
At Bishop Image Group we provide professional printing and installation services to happy customers across the country. At BIG you can expect innovative designs, precise execution, and high-quality results. We believe that there’s no job too rushed for our team to tackle, and take pride in our team’s ability to problem-solve under pressure.
From standard directional signs to high-impact graphics, Bishop Image Group will fulfill all your signage needs.
