Numbers Don't Lie...

Unit sequencing demands planning

By Matt Morgan

Since1985, self-storage owners Joe and Lolita Bader have been specializing inself-storage unit-door numbering through their Corpus Christi, Texas-basedbusiness, Quik# - Door Numbers. The Baders, whose business manufacturescomputer-generated, pre-spaced, vinyl, adhesive numbers, recently spoke with ISSabout door numbers and unit sequencing.

ISS: Why would the numbering of units be something an ownershould consider seriously?

Joe: You certainly want to consider this, and it certainlymakes your facility look more professional. When I first started in thebusiness, I numbered around the building, 1 through 88. The next phase of myoperation extended that building, and I had to renumber because I then had 88consecutive units and an extension. Starting at number 89 in the middle of abuilding made no sense at all.

Lolita: Every unit has to have a number so your customerknows where to find his unit. That's one of those things you want to do rightthe first time and never think about again. You want it to look good and youwant it to do the job.

ISS: What are the various types of door numbers available?

Joe: First, there are painted numbers, which is the old wayof doing things. A lot of facility owners still have their numbers painted on,or they go out with a stencil and paint the numbers on themselves. Then there'san engraved plastic type of number, and that's been around a long time. It's asmall piece of plastic that's engraved by a machine. Finally, there's vinyl,which is probably the most popular way of putting on the numbers. That's using avery thin--paper-thin, almost--grade of vinyl that has an adhesive back and ispre-spaced by a computer; or you can go to vinyl numbers available at a lumberyard or home-improvement center. They won't be pre-spaced, but you can stickthem on the building. For rougher surfaces where you want to use vinyl, analuminum plate comes with the number already on it.

ISS: What are the advantages or disadvantages of each numbertype?

Joe: The first thing I would recommend is to talk to otherfacility owners about how they numbered their units. The advantages of havingthe numbers painted on--especially if you hire a sign painter--is that it takesone call. If you call a good sign shop, they can come out and do it very simplyfor you. Quality really depends on the material they are using--which may begood or bad paint that lasts a long time or does not--and the artistic talent ofthe sign painter.

The advantage to engraved plastic is the engraving is going to last prettymuch forever, as long as the plastic lasts. Like paint or vinyl, quality meansalmost everything. Most of the engraved plastics I have seen have been rivetedonto the door. It takes a little bit more time--you've got to drill the rivetholes into the door and then rivet the plastic. One of the problems I've seenthere is--especially when it's placed at shoulder height--often, with rivets,there is a small piece of sharp metal that comes out and can catch on people'sclothing.

Size equals cost here. With a small number, it is very price-competitive. Butwith a larger number engraved in plastic, there is more engraving, and moreplastic, so that increases the price.

On metal buildings, vinyl numbering is probably one of the best options. It'spre-spaced by a computer. 3M says it has a life of seven years. It's along-lasting product. Because it's computer generated, it's always going to lookprofessional. It's hard to apply these numbers wrong.

It just doesn't make any sense for a facility owner who's going to be in thebusiness for more than five years to use anything but the very top-of-the-lineproduct. If you put on an inexpensive grade of vinyl, you'll have to peel it offmore often, and that's a lot of trouble and expense.

ISS: What are the costs of the various number types?

Joe: As long as we're talking about relatively smallsizes--up to maybe 4 inches--the three options are going to be real comparable.There's not going to be a whole lot of difference in cost one way or the other.When you're talking about putting a vinyl number on concrete or wood where thesurface might be porous, the aluminum plate is going to add a little bit moreexpense. But it also adds a nice finished look to the numbers.

ISS: What sizes and colors are available?

Joe: Today, there are almost 100 colors available--a numberof different shades of any color. With all the computer fonts out there, werecommend you use a bold, block typestyle, because you want your numbers to beeasily read and understood by your tenants. But there are thousands of typestyles.

At least 80 percent of our business has requested a 2-inch bold number. On a25-foot driveway, a 2-inch number is easily read. If you've got a 60-footdriveway for RV or boat storage, you may need a larger number.

Lolita: When it comes to colors, what we suggest businessowners think about is this: If they know the name of the company they orderedtheir doors from, we've got several of the door companies' color charts and wecan match our vinyl to their door color--or come very close. That way, they canput them above their doors and it really looks good.

ISS: Do you have any tips for buying numbers?

Joe: In terms of quantity, the building owner is just goingto buy what he needs. The problem with buying numbers at an office-supply orhome-supply store, in terms of quantity, is they look great when you arenumbering the first 99 units. But there are only a certain number of 1s on eachsheet. After you reach 100, every unit includes a number 1, so thatbecomes a problem. Then you have to buy a lot of sheets to get all the 1s youneed.

Lolita: One of the biggest tips we have suggested to peoplein regard to their numbering is, if they're beginning with a first phase andwill continue adding phases later, they really need to look at what theiroverall end result is going to be. In other words, decide on your entirenumbering system in advance. The second tip we suggest is to know if you'regoing to have a gate-system entry, or code number or computer system that'sgoing to be able to manage your tenant location.

Joe: For instance, if your software will only work with thenumeric system, instead of lettering a building A101, you might think ofnumbering it 1001, so that you've got a numeric system throughout.

Lolita: Making it easy on the customer and manager, andkeeping the system compatible with software so they can work in sync, are thingsan owner should keep in mind when he starts his numbering system.

ISS: How long do vinyl numbers last?

Joe: At our facility in south Texas, which gets probably asmuch heat and humidity as anywhere in the country, our numbers have been up for14 years, and they still look good. You get what you pay for in vinyl becausethe quality of the manufacturing is really what's important in terms of theadhesive and the vinyl itself. One of the problems with this is not the price ofpurchasing the new numbers. The problem is removing the old numbers and gettingthe adhesive off, which is time-consuming.

Lolita: When you talk about the lower-quality vinyl--andprobably also stenciling--you might not have to pay in the beginning, but you'regoing to pay in the end. If you use a low-quality vinyl, your adhesive won'tstick as long, and the colors will fade. You want something that's going to lookgood and last for a long time--for years and years.

ISS: Do numbers fade? How often do they need to be replaced?

Joe: Ideally, you would not have to replace numbers butevery 15 years. For any of these, there is no maintenance. You just put them upand leave them.

Anywhere in the country, if you use a dark number, like a dark blue or black,you're pretty safe. Red and maybe the light blues will fade. Certainly, you wanta good, strong contrast between the background and the number. The more sun youhave, the more fading you're going to have. The color on a black or a dark bluenumber will last longer than 15 years.

ISS: What's the procedure for replacing and applying numbers?

Joe: We've struggled with this for a long time ourselves.It's a very time-consuming and difficult process to peel numbers off. We had ahot-water pressure-washer company come out, and found that with 210-degree waterand about 3,500 pounds for pressure, you can knock the numbers off with asprayer. That is so much faster than peeling them off.

After you get the numbers off, you need to use an adhesive remover. Use apiece of plastic, like a credit card, put the adhesive remover on there, scrapeit and then wipe it off with a paper towel.

Lolita: When you're putting vinyl onto metal, simply takewater and alcohol in a bottle and spray the surface you're about to apply thenumber to so it's clean, and wipe that off with a dust cloth. The number itselfwill come with a paper backing and a taped front. You'll peel off the backing,place the number directly onto the metal building, take a credit card orsqueegee, wipe over the number and pull the tape off. It's a very simple method.

When you're putting vinyl numbers onto a metal building, Scotch suggests thatthe surface be at 45 degrees or warmer, so if you're putting this on in themiddle of winter when it's 32 degrees, you can still put the numbers on.

Just take a hair dryer or heat gun and heat the metal for about a minute andput the number on.

If you've got a concrete building, stucco, brick or unpainted wood, the vinylnumber is not going to stick. What we do is put those numbers onto an aluminumplate, which comes in various shades and colors. The way to adhere the aluminumto the building is to punch holes and screw it on; or the simplest, mosteconomical way is to place two beads of construction adhesive (from a caulkinggun) to the back and simply press it on.