You’ve purchased a new billboard to advertise your business or event, and now you’re wondering how best to install it. Hanging a banner shouldn’t be a difficult task. Here is a list of some of the common places banners are installed and the best methods and techniques for mounting or hanging them:
Flat wall mount – Most banners are ordered with grommets around the perimeter, making them quite easy to install on flat walls. For drywall, you can use pins through the material or grommet openings, or use plastic wall anchors with screws and washers to fasten through the grommets and into the wall. Make sure the grommet is slightly larger than the grommet opening. For a brick or block wall, use a Tapcon masonry screw with a washer to attach the banner (note that you will also need a hammer drill and masonry bit for this method). For a sheet metal wall, use sheet metal screws and washers. For a wooden wall, use wood screws and washers. EIFS or synthetic stucco surfaces, with brands such as Dryvit and Masterwall, are difficult to install, as the first 3/4″ to 4″ of surface depth is often just Styrofoam. Some have had success using EZ Plastic Drywall Anchors with large threads that allow the screw and washer method to be used for short periods of time. Any holes in the surface of the EIFS must be filled with caulking once the banner is removed to prevent water damage to the structure. It’s usually best to tie the banner with string to the grommets in the corners and anchor it to a hard surface above and below the wall.
Mount Between Posts – When mounting banners between poles, it is best to have a rope or strap with D-rings sewn into the top and bottom seams of the banner. You can then simply tie the rope around the posts or through large eye bolts that can be installed into the posts. The D-rings at the end of the strap can be attached with bungee cords strung around the posts or also large eye bolts if available. Bungee cord mounting is a great mounting technique as it allows the banner to move during high winds. Mounting banners between poles with string tied to simple grommet holes in the corners is often a recipe for failure, as the grommets will tend to come loose during the first strong wind. Bungee cords can also be attached to the corner grommet holes and will lessen the chance of the grommet breaking.
lawn assembly – For temporary banners mounted in grassy areas, use a method similar to mounting between poles. Steel T-bar fence posts can be purchased at most home improvement stores, such as Lowe’s and Home Depot, and can be driven into the ground with a post driver. String, bungee cord, or heavy-duty plastic wire ties with grommets can then be used to install the banner between the poles.
Installation of fences – Mounting banners on a chain link fence is usually an easy task. Simply use plastic cable ties or zip ties through the grommets and around the links. For a wooden fence, use the same method you would for a flat wooden wall.
ceiling mount – The best way to hang a banner from the ceiling above a stage, gym or auditorium is to use pole pockets. Pole pockets are openings sewn into the top and bottom seams of the banner that allow a rigid PVC or metal pole to be slipped through. Wire, cable, or decorative string can then be attached to the top post and hung from the rafters above. A pole is then inserted into the bottom pocket to add some weight to the banner and keep it stiff and stationary.
Mounting flags on poles – Pole pockets are also used to mount vertical banners to the sides of electrical poles and light poles. Sometimes called Boulevard Banners, these are often seen decorating city streets and college and business campuses. Banner stand kits with protruding metal or fiberglass rods are installed on poles to allow for banner mounting.
Assembly across the street – Sometimes large banners for parades and events are mounted across an entire city street. They are typically mounted with guy wires placed just above and below the banner and attached to poles on each side of the street. Snap hooks are then inserted through the grommets and around the cables to suspend the banner. A string can then be attached to each banner corner grommet and tightened around each pole to hold the banner in place.
storefront windows – Banners that are designed to fit between store window frames can be mounted to the inside of the window using hooked suction cups. The hooks are simply inserted through the grommet holes and then the cups are glued to the windows.
While this list may not cover every possible banner mounting situation, it should cover most that you may encounter. Perhaps a combination of some of the banner mounting methods and techniques discussed above would work in some cases. You should now know how to hang a banner.