Rod Sessions, Author at Hampshire Flag Company

Outdoor cafe barriers displaying branding for Elgars Coffee Shop and Restaurant, set up along a cobblestone street with customers seated at tables

As I look out the window on a windy but blue-sky day at the start of August, my mind wanders to warmer Spring days spent sitting outside in a cafe or bar, watching the world go by while sipping a coffee or something stronger.

Those bar or coffee owners are probably looking at making the most of their outside space and, in turn, reviewing their outside seating and café barrier systems. Is the current system fit for purpose, and does it entice people?

Short of buying new systems or banners, we are always asked, “How do I maximise the life span of café barriers?”

Below, I will explore and detail how to look after your Café Barriers. You have invested heavily in these items and want them to showcase your branding and site at their best.

First, let’s break this down into hardware, banners, and complete systems.

Cafe Barrier Hardware

We provide four hardware systems:

Espresso

Black powder-coated post and base, cross rail and spring clips.

Cafe barrier with HFC branding on a blue banner, supported by silver posts.

Medio

Chrome finish post and base, cross rail and spring clips.

Prestige

Stainless steel finish post, base, and cross rails.

Primo

Chrome finish post and base, as well as cross rails.

Each of these is hard-wearing and should last for years; however, here are some tips to keep them as good as new for as long as possible:

Try to keep the bases out of standing water. The bases have small feet to keep them off the ground, but excess water will cause rusting issues, so try to keep them as dry as possible.
When moving posts and bases, lifting is preferable to rolling. They are heavy for a reason, so lifting can sometimes be problematic, but lifting rather than rolling is always better whenever possible. Rolling could damage the base.
Never lift the post and base as a whole unit with the cross beam and barrier, tempting as it might be. Doing this will only damage the cross beam and end clips. Always disassemble the banner and cross beams first and move the post and bases independently.
Always check fixings are tight. Loose fixings mean wobbly café barriers and are more likely to fail.
Posts and bases can be cleaned with hot water, a soft cloth and mild detergent. Do not use strong detergents. Dry off with a towel to remove any excess detergent.
Cross beams should be checked for wear and tear. Ensure the beam is not bent (Customers like to lean or sit on them). If they are bent, they will need to be replaced as the stell integrity is then damaged and could cause injury down the line should someone lean or sit on it again)
Cross-beam end clips should also be checked to ensure they work correctly and sit well on the post. Replacement end clips are available should any be damaged.

Cafe Barrier Banners

We provide banners in many fabrics to suit customer needs and the environment they will use.

Let’s explore each and how to look after them:

1. Airmesh—Our lightweight option allows wind to permeate through and is recommended for windy sites. Airmesh can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent. Alternatively, the mesh banner can be removed from the hardware and placed in a washing machine on a low-heat wash with non-biological detergent. The colours will then stay intact, and any grime should be removed. Dry on a line or the barrier itself, so creases drop out.

2. Knitted Polyester—Another lightweight option. Knitted Polyester can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent. Alternatively, the knitted polyester banner can be removed from the hardware and placed in a washing machine on a low-heat wash with non-biological detergent. The colours will then stay intact, and any grime should be removed. Dry on a line or the barrier itself, so creases drop out.

3. Display Polyester—This is a higher–grade option with a premium look and feel. It can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent. Alternatively, the banner can be removed from the hardware and placed in a washing machine on a low-heat wash with non-biological detergent. The colours will then stay intact, and any grime should be removed. Dry on a line or the barrier itself, so creases drop out.

4. Canvas is a premium option for a high-end look and feel. It can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent.

5. PVC is a versatile and cost-effective material. It can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent.

6. PVC Mesh—This material is Versatile and great in windy conditions as air flows through it. PVC mesh can be washed in situ with a soft sponge and mild detergent.

For all and any of the banners, regular inspection of the hems is advised, and when taking in overnight, roll up along the hemmed edge and around the cross beam.

Total System

Always take it apart when moving, and do not try to lift two posts and bases by its connected cross beam.

Do not drag the cross beams across the floor, as this will damage the end clips.

The strength of the system is partly dependent on the setup design. For example, posts and bases arranged into an L shape will always be much more resilient to wind than those placed in a straight, long line.

Conclusion

As with most things, the more you look after the cafe barrier system, the longer it will last, and the better it will reflect positively on your branding.

Monitoring all the elements of the system every time you take it in and put it out again will give you a good indication of any issues. Hopefully, none of your customers will try to sit on the banner cross beam and bend it (we have seen this on many occasions), but being vigilant about this will also help.

In the UK, we crave outside areas to mix in, drink, and eat. I think it is because of the lack of sunshine and our belligerence that we WILL enjoy the fresh air. Let us all want that experience: a well-looked-after seating area with great branding and a fit-for-purpose café barrier. Roll on the summer.

Short White Aluminium Wall Mounted Flagpole

The most common questions we are asked about flags, is ‘how long will it last?’ or alternatively ‘is there a longer lasting material?’

The quick answer to these questions is a flag will only last for as long you look after it, and the longevity of the flag is impacted by the weather conditions, pollution (I.E vehicle fumes), where the flag is sited and your diligence in looking after it.

The very nature of flags is they are intended to fly in the lowest of winds, so the flag will unfurl and be seen. You don’t buy a flag for it to be sat limply at the top of our flagpole, right? (Of course with no wind this is exactly what happens). Anyhow, like any fabric the more it is used the more likely it is to wear and fade, so you need to be prepared to purchase new flags regularly.

The question then is how regularly do I need to get a new flag as they can be expensive which is prohibitive. Well the answer to this is you need to look after your flag much as you would your favourite piece of clothing.

To ensure your flag looks as good as it can for as long as it can you should:

Make sure there are no obstacles fouling the flag when it flies, like trees, buildings etc. If a flag is constantly hitting obstacles it will of course shred. Now most of us know this from the outset, however having been making flags for 40 years we have seen some let’s say surprising sites where flags are flown and shred almost instantly.
Keep a watch on your flag, and if you know there is going to be a storm or gale then take the flag down and bring it in. We would recommend any winds above 40mph you need to do this. Ironically unless you are a meteorologist and have an anemometer to measure the speed you won’t know the wind speed. In normal terms then, watch weather forecasts locally and if you know or can see it is windier than usual bring the flag down. storms do tend to also happen overnight when you may be asleep, so the recommendation is to take the flag down overnight too, and especially when the weather forecast shows storms at night.
Pollution unfortunately has a huge impact on your flag too, both on the integrity of the fabric and fading of the colours. Unfortunately, at the moment this one can’t be avoided until the world has a different or more popular way of powering vehicles and machinery. To combat this, we would recommend regular washing of your flag. Our flags can be machine washed at 40 degrees, and dried flat and then ironed on a medium 150 degrees centigrade. Do not dry clean. Cleaning instruction come with all our flags and are on the label stitched to the flag. The same thing also applies to sites that are near the coast, salt air will impact the flag, and you will need to follow the same procedure as above.

Other options to help prolong your flag is to order your flag with an antifray strip. This is a sacrificial piece of material sewn onto the fly end of your flag. Whilst this will not prolong the life of the flag itself, it will be the first part of the flag that frays. The idea is you check on your flag regularly and as soon as you see the antifray strip fray, you take your flag down and send back to us to remove the strip totally, wash, and add another strip. This we do at a minimal fee and considerably less than purchasing a new flag.

As a side note, if you are unlucky enough to have your flag fray, it is worth talking to us as we offer a wash and repair service.

Bottom line then, a flag needs to be treated well and looked after. The better you look after it the longer it will last. There is no hidden secret or magic material that will work better, it is good old diligence and common sense, that will keep it flying proudly.

Author: Rod Sessions

How to look after your Café Barriers