Banner Installation Methods: How to Hang Your New Banner Properly

You have bought a new banner sign to advertise your business or event and now you are wondering what is the best way to install it. Hanging a banner shouldn’t be a difficult task. Here is a list of some of the common places where posters 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, which makes them quite easy to install on flat walls. For drywall, you can use push pins through the material or grommet openings, or use plastic wall anchors with screws and washers to hold them through the grommets and into the wall. Make sure the washer is slightly larger than the grommet opening. For a brick or block wall, use a masonry tapcon screw with a washer to hold your 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 trade names such as Dryvit and Masterwall, are difficult to install on banners, as the first 3/4 “to 4” of the surface depth is generally 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 should be filled with caulk once the banner is removed to prevent water from damaging the structure. It is usually best to tie the banner with string at the corner grommets and anchor it to a hard surface above and below the wall.

Mounting between posts – When mounting banners between poles, it is best to have rope or straps with D-rings sewn into the top and bottom seams of the banner. Then you can simply tie the rope around the posts or using large eye bolts that can be installed on the posts. The D-rings at the end of the straps can be attached with bungee cords around the posts or also with large eye screws, if present. Bungee cord mounting is an excellent mounting technique as it allows the banner to move during high winds. Mounting banners between posts with string tied to simple corner grommet holes is often a recipe for failure, as grommets will tend to loosen during the first strong wind. Bungee cords can also be attached to the corner washer holes and will reduce the chance of the washers breaking.

Lawn mounting – For temporary banners mounted in grassy areas, use a method similar to that of mounting between poles. Steel T 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. Then, heavy duty rope, bungee cords or cable ties with grommets can be used to install the banner between the posts.

Fence mount – Mounting banners on a chain link fence is usually an easy task. Just use plastic cable ties or zip ties through the grommets and around the links. For a wooden fence, use the same method that 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 slide through. Decorative wire, cable, or rope 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 while keeping it rigid and stationary.

Mounting of flags on poles – Pole pockets are also used to mount vertical banners to the sides of electric poles and light poles. Sometimes called Boulevard Banners, they are often seen decorating city streets and college and business campuses. Banner stand kits with protruding metal or fiberglass rods are installed on the poles to allow mounting of banners.

Mount across the street – Sometimes large banners are mounted for parades and events on an entire city street. They are typically mounted with guy wires placed just above and below the banner and attached to posts on either side of the street. Then, snap hooks are inserted through the grommets and around the wires to suspend the banner. A string can then be attached to each corner grommet of the banner and pulled on each post to hold the banner in place.

Showcase windows – Posters that are designed to fit between showcase window frames can be mounted on the inside of the window using suction cups with hooks. The hooks are simply inserted through the holes in the grommets and then the cups are glued to the windows.

While this list may not cover every possible banner mounting situation, it should cover most of the ones you can find. Perhaps a combination of some of the banner mounting methods and techniques discussed above would work in some cases. Now you should know how to hang a banner.