A long-lasting and secure channel letter installation takes a substantial amount of knowledge and experience. This article details some of the key considerations installers review prior to (and during) a letter installation.
想要成功安装一个耐用又安全的发光字并非一件容易的事，它不仅需要专业的知识还需要一定年限的安装经验。那么，对于没有经验的人来说，要考虑哪些事情呢？本文将为您详细论述发光字安装过程中应该优先考虑的因素。
Site Survey地点勘探
A site survey is the typical preliminary installation task. This is often performed by one of the company’s sales personnel or a member of the company’s installation crew. Several items are inspected during this step. Gary Schultz at Artcraft Signs in Denver, Colorado says that his company tries to always check for optimum letter mounting placement. “The best location partially depends on access for wiring of the letters or sign,” he says. “We may need to adjust the proposed placement of the letter sign to get to the optimum position. ”Electrical access alone can impact the installation cost estimate.
对安装地点进行现场勘探是安装工作中的首要工作，这项工作一般由公司的销售人员或者施工队的成员来进行，在这项工作中，有几项内容是必须要检测的。来自美国丹佛的Gary Schultz公司的Gary Schultz说，他们公司一直以来都进行现场勘测以寻找到最佳安装地点。他还说：“最佳安装地点一定程度上受发光字或者标识的连接处施工的难易程度所决定。我们或许应该在每个备选地点上进行试安装来确定最终的安装地点。”若通电正式使用才发现存有隐患，那将会增加安装的成本。
Dave Curry of Star Sign and Banner in Cedar City, Utah mentions, “We always check the physical access to the letter mounting area, as well as the run to the electrical power supply.” Installers also note that it’s beneficial to make a close inspection of the actual wall surface. A closer examination will sometimes reveal that a second wall material exists behind a surface-level façade, or it may show that a material requires special mounting procedures.
来自美国犹他州锡达城Star Sign and Banner公司的Dave Curry说：“我们每次都检查发光字粘合处的物理特性，以及发光字运行时需要的电力。”安装工人同样需要注意的是，提前对现场的墙壁仔细勘察可以提高工作效率，在对墙体做进一步检查时你可能会发现，墙体表面之下的材料可能与你之前预想的不一样，这可能会让你误用粘合剂。
Keith Blumenfeld of M & J Sign Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico adds, “If the customer must have an above roofline install, you’ll be penetrating the roof, so the roof structure must always be inspected.” Other installers note that it’s generally better (if possible) to mount channel letters below the roofline.
美国阿尔伯克基M & J 标识公司的Keith Blumenfeld补充道：“如果客户要求在房屋轮廓线上安装发光字的话，你就必须对屋顶仔细勘察一番，尤其是屋顶的结构。”其他的安装工人也提到，如果可能把发光字安装在屋顶线下的话，那就再好不过了。
Another survey checklist item is the building façade color. Experienced installers will ask if that color will remain the same during the installation period. A new sign will sometimes be a part of an entire building update-including the façade paint color. If that color is changing, the channel letter color configuration may also need to change. Sign shops should also be certain the customer has consulted with the landlord as to which signage types are permissible.
另外一个安装工人需要注意的就是建筑物表面的颜色。经验丰富的安装工人会考虑到墙体颜色会不会受安装过程的影响而发生变化。新安装的标识要想和整栋建筑融为一体，必须保证两者颜色上得统一性，如果墙体颜色发生变化，那么，标识的颜色也需要调整。标识生产商还需要让客户与他们的房东或者物业公司确认，标识的风格是否有违他们的管理理念。
“Nine times out of ten, the customer will not have checked with the landlord,” says Larry Plath of Southwest Outdoor Electric Signs in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “The customer will know what they want but not what they can have. ”In summary, a professional site survey encompasses more than just a quick “surface level” inspection. It requires a working knowledge of building construction and materials, electrical wiring configurations, and an on-site assessment of the necessary equipment and personnel.
来自阿尔伯克基Southwest Outdoor Electric Signs公司的Larry Plath说：“十有八九的客户在安装发光标识的时候都不会征求房屋管理者的意见，客户们都很清楚自己想要做的标识，却从没考虑过这样的标识他们是否允许拥有。”总之，一场专业的现场勘测绝不是简单的表面功夫，它包含很多项目，专业的检测人员谙熟建筑结构和建筑材料，电线配置等专业知识。
Permitting and Building Inspection征求意见
Permitting is another important facet of the installation process. “We try to research the sign up front so we don’t quote a sign the customer is not permitted to have,” says Schultz. “In most cases, you must have landlord approval to go after a permit. Then we always obtain the actual permit prior to fabrication.” Schultz also points out that many municipalities and cities now allow permit materials to be submitted online, which can save a trip to their office. One interesting point: Experienced installers usually keep a hard copy of the permit(s) available at the installation site. A building inspector may show up and ask to see a hard copy.
征求房主的意见在安装过程中很重要。Schultz说：“大多数人都是预先设计好标识，在安装的前夜去现场调查一下如何安装最方便，因此，有时会遇到这些提前设计好的标识不会房主接受的情况。因此，在大对数情况下，我们在安装之前都应该征求房东的意见，以免带来不必要的损失。”Schultz同时还指出现在很多城市可以在网络提交材料审核资料，这样省去了他们去办公室的时间。经验丰富的安装工人会准备一个移动硬盘，将审核通过的方案记录在里面，以便为以后的工作提供参考。
Construction and Mounting Surfaces建筑材料
For channel letter installations, some wall materials are more difficult to work with than others.Concrete can be more difficult to drill and is also more time (and labor) intensive. (Note: Several installers cite concrete as a troublesome material.) Along the same lines, an additional potential issue is a wall that appears to be stucco on the surface but actually has a concrete wall behind it. Stucco itself can actually cause problems, as some surfaces that appear to be stucco are not actually flat-they’re slightly corrugated. This isn’t always perceptible when the building facade is viewed from a and can impact the appearance of mounted letters (particularly halo-lit letters.)
对于发光字的安装来说，有些墙体材料是不便于安装的。混凝土钻孔很难，在混凝土上的安装需要投入更多的人力和物力。（有时候安装工人称混凝土的“棘distance 手材料”）更难处理的是，那些表面粉刷过的混凝土墙，墙体表面的粉刷使墙的表面不太平坦，这一点不是很容易发现，但确实会影响发光字美观效果。
Corrugated metal can be another problematic surface. Outside of the potential mounting stability issue, a corrugated surface can also throw off the halo appearance of a reversel it letter set. Of course this is more of a guideline than a rule. Curry mentions an installation that specified reverse-lit letters on a corrugated mounting surface. They warned the customer that the halo appearance wouldn’t be ideal, but the customer insisted on reverse-lit letters and was actually pleased with the result.
波纹金属是另一个很难处理的墙体表面，它会影响标识的稳定性和耐用性，波纹金属也会背光字的发光效果，在波纹金属的墙体表面安装背光标识的话，背光标识的光环效果完全会被破坏。考察这些信息会给你的设计提供指导意见。但是，有时也有特殊的情况，Curry提到，一个客户要在波纹金属上安装背光字，他们提醒他说，这样安装是得不到理想的光环效果的，但客户坚持这样的安装并对结果非常满意。
EIFS is sometimes called “synthetic stucco,” but it is not stucco. EIFS (“exterior insulation and finishing system”) is a building cladding material that provides exterior walls with an insulated, water-resistant finished surface. It is also another potentially challenging building material, as it doesn’t always provide a firm backing and can present other issues as well. “We once ran into a situation where the letter set to be replaced had been siliconed to the wall. When we removed those letters, we tore off chunks of EIFS foam,” says Schultz. “We had to explain to an out-of-state company why the wall was so torn up. That foam can be six inches thick.”
EIFS（exterior insulation and finishing system的简称）被称为“合成石灰”，但它并不属于石灰。EIFS是一种建筑涂层材料，主要功能是绝缘，抗水。它同样也是一种难处理的材料，它作为标识的承载体来说，不够坚固，即使能安装成功，在使用过程中也容易出现其他问题。Schultz说：“一次，我们偶然碰到一个用硅胶将发光字粘在涂有EIFS的墙体上的标识，当我们把发光字揭下来的时候，也粘掉足足有6英寸厚的EIFS粉尘，害得我们不得不向客户解释为何他们的墙掉了那么多的EIFS粉尘。”
A double wall can prove another installation issue. Schultz mentions that his company once had to mount letters where the two combined walls were thirty-six inches thick and had a small void between them. A specialty drill bit was utilized to penetrate the unusually large distance. Ceramic wall tiles may also present a mounting problem. These tiles may shatter if the wrong drill bit is used. A specialty bit is often required. “You never really know which bits will work best with different types of tile,” says Schultz. “Carbide pointed bits sometimes work well to prevent shattering.” These are just a few of the potential construction and material challenges associated with a channel letter sign installation. Again knowledge and experience are necessary.
双层墙会出现另外的安装问题，Schultz提到他们的公司有一次要在一个36英寸厚带有小空隙的双层墙上安装发光字而不得不准备专门用来深度钻孔的钻头的经历。陶瓷砖墙给安装带来的不便往往是普通钻头会打碎瓷砖，必须备有专门的钻头。Schultz说：“最棘手的问题是不同的瓷砖需要的钻头是不一样的，不过，硬质合金钻头往往能有效避免瓷砖粉碎。”上述都是一些发光字标识安装过程中最常见的建筑结构和建筑材料。再一次强调，知识和经验同样重要。
Installation Personnel安装人员
The customer [and even the sign shop] should protect their channel letter investment by making sure to hire an experienced and competent installer. The number of installation personnel varies depending on the channel letter sign’s size and weight and the sign’s final location. The crew also depends on the installer’s experience level. Some installers are able to complete a letter set installation alone. However, if help is needed, they’ll typically hire a licensed contractor who carries their own liability insurance. Other companies generally employ a two-person installation crew, but they’ll subdivide their install crews by experience level.
顾客甚至是标识生产公司应该确保雇佣的安装工人的专业性，这样可以有效避免标识安装中不必要的成本投入。安装工人的数量应根据标识的体积和重量以及安装位置来确定，但是也要考虑到安装工人的安装水平，一些经验丰富的安装工人甚至能够独自一人完成安装工作。如果有必要的话，他们会找有经营许可证的责任保险公司做担保。大多数情况下，一般的标识设计公司会雇佣一个两人安装团队，然后再针对他们的经验水平进一步划分出主力和副手。
Electrical Access and Connection线路布置
All installers agreed electrical access is a critical issue-especially when there is a lack of access and a wall either has to be opened up and/or secondary wires must be pulled. Still licensed electricians don’t always have to be called in. “It depends on the situation,” says Blumenfeld. “Our company is licensed to hook up electrical, if the power run is within ten feet of the sign. If the run is longer than ten feet, we’ll use an electrician to do it.”
安装工人们都知道线路布置是标识安装过程中最关键的程序，尤其是那些没有线路通道的需要打开墙体布线的安装情况。这需要有资格证的电工才能完成。Blumenfeld对此表示：“那要看情况了。我们公司有10英寸之内的布线资格，如果超过10英寸我们就要聘请专业的电工了。”
Some states require a licensed electrician to inspect and/or connect the wiring prior to the sign being placed into operation. Experienced installers should always check the electrical permit law and sign codes in the installation’s jurisdiction. “We bring in an electrician not only for their expertise but also to head off problems from the outset,” says Curry. “The customer pays a bit more, but it gives both us and [them] peace of mind.”
在我们国家，有些州要求现场勘测要专业的电工进行，并且要在安装之前先布线。经验丰富的安装工都谙熟国家内的相关法律文书。Curry说：“我们雇佣专业的电工不只是为了他们的专业知识，也希望他们的专业性能避免我们不必要的损失。我们的顾客在这上面的投入也希望能买到一次放心的服务。”
Mounting Pattern安装图纸
Some companies utilize not only the mounting pattern but also other visual project documentation.
“We use the pattern, “ says Blumenfeld, “and we also print out the project visuals we’ve produced for the customer.” Some installers also produce channel letters and have the ability to make their own mounting pattern when necessary. “We’ve made our own patterns and had patterns supplied from manufacturers,” says Plath. “Installations are easier with a pattern, and we’ve generally found it’s less expensive to order from a manufacturer.”
有些公司不仅在安装图纸上下功夫，还在其视觉系统上做文章。Blumenfeld说：“我们选择安装模式，我们也会为客户展示我们成功安装的标识的视觉效果图。”有些安装工也能自己加工发光字并在必要的时候也可以自己设计图纸。Plath说：“我们公司可以自己设计安装说明，有时候也会使用制造商提供的安装说明，有安装图纸或说明书的话，安装过程会事半功倍，大体上来说，使用生产商提供的说明书是比较划算的，既省时又省力。”
