# Anyone using PIKO's stickers on their buildings outside



## Jim in MO (Feb 28, 2010)

I am currently building the Piko Bijou Theater kit. We would like to use some of the ‘signage’ that came with it which is basically color glossy stickers. Has anyone had any luck using the stock Piko stickers outside in the elements? Would a few coats of clear Krylon offer enough protection? Any other suggestions?


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Jim,
I've done just what you suggested and so far it's worked fine for three years. My buildings stay out from April to December every year and the stickers have held up fine so far. I think I sprayed them twice with the clear UV coating. Maybe I should give them another spray this year when I put them out. I live in SW Michigan.
Bob


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

The sun and rain will eat them up. I also spray them with clear UV. In Florida it is an every year maintenance task.


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## Jim in MO (Feb 28, 2010)

Bob, with spraying them each year are they still looking good?


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

I would say mine are still looking pretty good. Not like new anymore but certainly better than I expected them to look after this long. I thought they would last a year or two at most and then I would have to figure out something to replace them. 
Bob


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Yes they still look good. The UV Spray also keeps the paint from fading in our Florida sun.


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## Jim in MO (Feb 28, 2010)

Thanks guys for the information. It sounds pretty encouraging to me. The Bijou Theater building is just about ready for the "signage" and we will definitely cover them with 2 or 3 coats of clear Krylon for protection. Re-coating after a year or two also sounds like a wise plan. 
Jim


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Here in Texas the sun, the heat and the rain just eat them up.


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## Bob in Kalamazoo (Apr 2, 2009)

Posted By jfrank on 23 Feb 2012 03:26 PM 
Here in Texas the sun, the heat and the rain just eat them up. Is that with a UV coating or without? I'm sure your heat is a lot more than we get in Michigan and the sun might be more intense, but I would think we get at least as much rain as you do. And I'm sure we get more snow and colder weather. i've never tried the stickers without at least a couple of coats of UV protection.
Bob


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## cfunni (Sep 14, 2011)

John,
I am in Houston, and about to break ground on my first L Scale layout. I have not talked to anyone in this area and have been curious about how our ellements will effect things left outside IE buildings.
Are you able to keep plastic structures outside. I have several Piko kits and dont want them to just rot away from the sun and heat. Any input for our area would be great.
Thanks
Craig in SE Houston


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## Jim in MO (Feb 28, 2010)

I thought I should post what we finally used for signage on our Piko buildings. We had a local sign shop scan some of the original Piko signs and also made some new designs for other buildings. They then "printed" out the signs on their vinyl machine, (what is used for most signs now-a-days, a board with stick on vinyl letters and graphics). The manufacture of the laminated vinyl products guarantee a minimum of 7 year life outside in the weather which is better than anything else I have found. We then just peeled and placed the vinyl signs on the buildings.

Overall the cost was a lot less than I expected. We printed out signage, etc. for 6 buildings along with 10 or 12 misc. signs with 2 copies of each item (1 for a backup)for less than $50 bucks. The less design they have to do the lower the cost. I brought in as much as I could so they just copied and pasted or scanned and then printed. They also did some design. 

With the amount of time and effort put into this project the professionally made signs helped to make it look really nice.


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