Installation is where garage signage projects succeed or fail. The Cassara parking garage at Grand Pacific Palisades in Carlsbad needed twelve panels replaced across multiple locations inside an active structure, which meant working around vehicle traffic while keeping quality standards intact. North Coast Signs, based in Vista, sent a two-person crew with ladders, power drills, and all necessary hardware. The job included removing old signage, prepping surfaces, and installing everything from small VHB-mounted markers to large mechanically fastened directional panels.
Two-person crews handle this work better than solo installers because someone needs to hold panels in position while someone else verifies alignment and drives fasteners. Ladders in active garages require a spotter for safety. And drilling into concrete columns demands steady positioning that one person cannot maintain while also managing a large-format sign. The extra labor costs less than callbacks for crooked installations or safety incidents.
Drilling into Garage Structures
Parking garages are built from reinforced concrete and steel, which means standard drills and drywall anchors do not apply. Our crew brought hammer drills, masonry bits, and concrete anchors rated for the weight and stress each panel would experience. The larger signs at fifteen and three-quarters by one hundred twenty inches needed multiple anchor points to distribute load and prevent flexing over time as the structure absorbs vibration from traffic.
VHB Tape for Smooth Surfaces
Several smaller panels used VHB tape instead of mechanical fasteners because drilling was either impractical or not permitted at those locations. The fourteen and a half by twenty-two and a half inch, six and a half by twenty-four inch, and twelve by twenty-five inch signs were specified with vertical tape strips on the back. VHB requires clean, dry surfaces and firm pressure across the entire bonding area to work properly. Skip the prep or rush the application and the panel ends up on the floor within weeks.
Why Surface Prep Matters
Removing old signage exposes whatever mess the previous installation left behind: adhesive residue, screw holes, faded paint where signs once protected the surface. We patched all damage and applied touch-up paint using customer-supplied materials, so the new installation looks intentional instead of patched together over old work. This step is invisible once the job is complete, but skipping it creates visible defects around every panel.
Working Around Active Traffic
Parking garages stay active throughout the workday, with vehicles entering and exiting while crews try to get work done. Our installers used safety cones to mark work areas, positioned ladders to minimize lane blockage, and moved equipment between installation points without creating extended delays. Awareness of the environment is part of what professional installation requires. Getting it wrong creates safety problems for everyone using the structure.
Clean Work Gets Clean Results
The Cassara garage in Carlsbad now has wayfinding that directs traffic with confidence. North Coast Signs, based in Vista, handles fabrication and installation so clients get one point of accountability. Call us at (760) 536-5454 if your parking garage needs professional sign installation by a crew that understands the environment.
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