How long does vinyl signage last?

The short answer is 3-7 years. However, there are a ton of variables to this question. Although you can expect some materials in certain situations to last as long as these lifespans, given the amount of variables there are, manufacturers and sign makers are hesitant to provide warranties for these time periods. The quality and type of material, where the sign is located and how well it is maintained will all play a role in how long vinyl signage will last. Choosing the correct vinyl for a projects purpose and having it installed correctly is also vitally important for longevity.  

Quality of material refers to the grade of vinyl. I cover this topic in another blog post which you can check out here. As a quick overview there are 3 grades of vinyl. Monomeric, polymeric and cast. Monomeric is the lowest grade and usually reserved for short term promotional signage. Polymeric being an intermediate grade material, is used on rigid substrates for medium to long term applications. And finally, cast, is the highest grade and generally used for car wraps as well as some other long term outdoor applications. As a rule of thumb you can expect 3 years outdoor durability for a monomeric, 5 years outdoors for a polymeric and 7 years for a cast. I say rule of thumb here because you may get more or less depending on the brand and grade within those grades (ie: not all polymeric vinyls are made equal) and whether the vinyl is UV laminated or not. The other major thing to point out here is the type of vinyl being used. Vinyl typically comes in two types; printable media and opaque or translucent colours. Coloured vinyl was the first iteration of vinyl when signage started moving away from brush and paint. They have stuck around into the printed vinyl era because they are still a very useful product for certain applications. They are generally more stable than printed graphics so the same grade of vinyl generally lasts longer than a printed vinyl. The colours for the most part are a lot richer than their printed counterparts and they have the ability to be given a metallic, chrome or textured look. It’s important to note that within this type of vinyl the lifespan varies as well. The chrome or metallic vinyls won’t last as long as white, black or transparent vinyl. Printed vinyls require a UV laminate to protect the ink from the sun as well as scratching while being handled or transported. Any printed vinyl without a laminate will usually last up to a maximum of 3 years before the ink starts to fade (this depends on the kind of ink used but that’s a topic for another time). 

Where vinyl signage is located also plays a huge role in how long it will last. Manufacturers of vinyl products even stipulate different climate zones and vary the life expectancy of their products for each zone. If you walk around a building that has older signage that was installed on all four sides at the same time, you will notice that each sign will be deteriorating at different rates. That is because the biggest factor when determining how long vinyl lasts is how much sun it sees. Here, on the east coast of Australia, any north facing building signs will deteriorate far quicker than any south facing signs. There are exceptions to this however, for example, If a sign is facing north but under an awning and in the shade most of the day, it will likely last longer than an east facing sign in full sun. The same is true for car wraps or vehicle graphics. If a car wrap is outside it’s entire life, it will last only about half as long as one that is undercover during the day and garaged at night. The other major variable on longevity is pollutants. Much like on car paint, whether vinyl is installed on a car or on a building if there is dirt present for the sun to interact with, it will degrade much quicker than if it is regularly cleaned. When I mentioned the 7 year timeline in the very first line of this post, this is referencing a car wrap, for example, that is garaged most of the time and cleaned regularly. For internal signs, inside a shop or office signage, if it has little to no UV light reaching it and a decent grade of material is used then these products can last in excess of 7 years. 

Once vinyl is nearing the end of its lifespan it will start to fade and eventually crack. Vinyl is constantly shrinking and expanding as it heats up and cools down. It may not be visible to the naked eye but it is still happening. Vinyl contains plasticisers that allow it to stretch and bend but there is a limit to how many times these plasticisers can do that. The grade of vinyl comes into play again here with cast vinyls containing more plasticisers than a monomeric will. A tell tale sign that someone has used a cheaper vinyl on a project than they perhaps should have done, is how much it has shrunk back on it’s substrate. It can leave a gap of up to 20mm around the border of a panel or window graphic. This is also why it’s important to use the same grade laminate over the same grade vinyl so that the expansion rates are the same for both. Failure to do so can lead to de-lamination. 

As with most things, the longevity of vinyl signage ultimately comes down to how well it is looked after. Some of these factors can be out of your control but if your vinyl signage is cleaned regularly you give it the best chance of lasting to its full potential.