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A summary of sign blogs with links to related articles for our business sign customers.
You may be required to procure a permit from your local municipality to install sign letters on your building. The municipality will often request wind load data on the structural stability of the sign letters. The following are the calculations for the wind load of Gemini sign letters. These calculations are only for the sign letters and not how you attach the letters to your building.
The following data was calculated in May 2004 using Gemini’s formed plastic sign letters, thermoformed out of C.A.B. Testing and calculations were done by David Schmitt, VP Operations, BSME, MMSE
| Maximum depth of sign letters was as follows: | |
|---|---|
| 12″ UC | 1-1/2″ deep |
| 18″ UC | 2″ deep |
| 24″ UC | 2-1/2″ deep |
| 36″ UC | 3″ deep |
The following numbers are the result of actual tests and theoretical information gathered from the manufacturers of the component parts. This chart is designed to show how much force our mounting hardware will withstand when use on a standard building sign letter.
| 144 Wind Face Load | 144 Wind Side Load | Block Shear Strength | Silicone/Pad Shear Strength | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12″ | 50 lbs. | 11 lbs. | 346 | 3360 |
| 18″ | 112 lbs. | 22 lbs. | 518 | 14700 |
| 24″ | 198 lbs. | 36 lbs. | 518 | 14700 |
| 36″ | 447 lbs. | 65 lbs. | 691 | 19600 |
For example, a 24″ plastic building sign letter will have 36 lbs. of force pushing on the sign letter’s side with 144 mph winds. A 24″ sign letter will have 198 lbs. of force pushing on the letter’s sign face with 144 mph winds. This 24″ sign letter’s hardware (threaded black) will not fail until the force equals 518 lbs of force. This 24″ sign letter’s pad with silicone sill not fail until the force equals 14700 lbs pf force.
Remember, all Gemini sign letters come with a lifetime guarantee.
| Letter Height | Sign Face Area Square in. | Sign Side Area Square in. | Pads Per Letter | Pad Area Sq in ea. | Total Pad Area Sq in. | Plastic Block Thread | Total Block Thread Area |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12″ | 86.4 | 18 | 4 | 2.4 | 9.6 | 0.048 | 0.192 |
| 18″ | 194.4 | 36 | 6 | 7 | 42 | 0.048 | 0.288 |
Posted: February 19, 2015
One of the most common questions we get about mounting building letters is: how long are the studs? Stud lengths will vary depending on the size of letter. The taller the building sign letter then the longer the stud required. For example, a 6 inch letter will probably have a 2 inch stud; whereas, a 24 inch letter might use a 4 inch stud. Alphabet Signs can provide any stud length from 1 inch to 6 inches.
Posted: February 28, 2013
Our sign letters are available in many colors to help your business name stand out and grab a viewers attention and set an image for your establishment. We offer our building sign letters in 42 different colors. The building sign letters are also available in different type styles and made from either plastic or metal. The plastics are usually pigmented in color and just like metals can be painted. The paints used are industrial acrylic paints typically found in an automotive body shop.
Posted: August 12, 2015
While surfing the web on Monday an article headline caught my eye that read Google is now Alphabet. I was confused. Was this a joke? Was this about me? I read further on the Google blog where Larry Page announced that Google has formed a new company named Alphabet which is an umbrella organization for all their properties. They liked the name Alphabet because it is a collection of letters that represent language and is core to how they index all the world's knowledge.
Posted: July 1, 2015
Building letters for businesses, building numbers for houses or names for schools are all great uses for plastic building sign letters. They are available in many sizes, fonts and colors to meet a variety of needs.
Posted: February 9, 2009
Jim and Sharon are the very embodiment of the American dream. Two people from the heartland, who took a chance on themselves, and with hard work and determination, became rich beyond their wildest dreams. In a phone interview, conducted while Jim drives over the mountains towards home, he candidly reminisces about his early years as a kid in Randolph, Minn, population 250
Posted: April 5, 2013
Gemini Incorporated, a leading manufacturer of sign letters since 1963, has just released their 2013 special edition product catalog. At Gemini, quality workmanship is not a nostalgic ideal from days gone by. It is Gemini's dedication to quality sign letters that has kept them at the top of the sign industry for over fifty years.
Posted: December 28, 2012
A library in Colorado uniquely displayed their acrylic letters from Alphabet Signs and had the most eye-catching photo of the year
Posted: January 29, 2014
Does Alphabet Signs offer flange mounted building letters? This is a question we often receive, and often, we will try to discourage this type of mounting. These brick-mounted red building letters are formed plastic letter style with a flange mount. There are many mounting options, and for stability and long lasting durability, we discourage the flange mounting method for building sign letters.
