The Thought Process of an Aging Installer

By Mike Zick, MZ Installations

The moment I came up with the subject of this article, I thought this should be easy. Boy, I was wrong because I feel like I have to write my own obituary. I’m not and I’m about as good as a 54-year-old solo installer can be these days. What this article has done is make me look at the current stage in my career knowing that I don’t have many years ahead of me.

There are few things in life that are certain……. Taxes & Father Time. Father Time has never lost in case you haven’t figured that out yet. I have been in the sign and graphics business for over 35 years so that makes me one of the “Old Dogs” in the industry. So being one of the “Old Dogs”, my thought process has changed over the years. Back in the day, it wouldn’t be a big deal to pull an all-night install, work a 100-hour week, or be 75ft + up in the air. I was just doing what it took to get the job done that day. Today I put a lot more thought into things. I’m more worried about the physical risks of the installation or the project scheduled for tomorrow. I also focus on family time more now than I did in the past. It’s truly interesting to me how my focus has changed the older I’ve gotten.

My installation style has changed over the years. These changes are a product of my aging and how physically demanding it is to be an installer. More things just naturally hurt in the morning. I don’t move as easily as I used to. Something pops, cracks, or you feel that twinge. I used to have great eyesight. Now I’m always making sure I have my readers on me or I have an extra pair stashed somewhere. Advil is my best friend right next to the heating pad and ice pack. I’m joking about all that but not really. Things I never thought about when I was younger are on the radar now. If I had known then what I know now, I would have taken better care of myself when I was younger. Now, I must put more planning into my days by making sure I have plenty of water, food, and the right snacks to get through the challenges of the day. Diet, exercise, supplements, and stretching play a big part of me being able to get through my days. If I could give any younger installers any advice it would be to take care of their body…… you only have one.

With age comes experience and with that experience my installation techniques have evolved. I’ve always been a pretty quick installer, but I have realized that I can’t squeegee any faster than I currently can. I also, know that there are much younger, faster, and more talented installers out there. So how do I compete with these installers??? My initial thoughts were that I just needed to go faster. The problem was that I just couldn’t physically do it consistently. One day as I was installing a set of trailer graphics, it came to me that if I wanted to go faster, I needed to minimize my movements. From that point forward I started looking at my installs differently. For example, when I’m working on a trailer, everything is a calculated move. How and where I set my panels, torch placement, to even how far away my ladders and walkboards are away from the trailer. All of these elements work in connection together to keep my speed up to where it needs to be. Being able to move during your install is super critical too. If you can’t move, you can’t install it efficiently. I see installers who are constantly on A-Frame ladders trying to install larger panels and I ask myself why are you doing it that way?? Why are you slowing

yourself down….. you’ve got to move!!! I’ve also developed a process to install my panels that has also cut down my install time. The technique builds flexibility so that if I have any issues, they can be corrected but not disturb the leading edge of the panel. The great thing about this technique is that it will work with any paneled graphic whether it's on a trailer, box truck, walls, windows, or floors. The less I must handle the panels the better and the more efficient I can be. I also place a lot of focus and effort on being consistent in every portion of the install. My consistency comes from where I place a hinge, how much liner I pull, and how far I squeegee down the panel and finish where I’m physically at. The more consistent I can be and truly focus on my movements, the faster I can go. For fun, I’ve raced a few guys down the side of a trailer and I’m done and not broken a sweat. The other guys are worn out and sweating up a storm. It’s all technique and a process.

Part of my installation evolution involves materials as well as tools. Materials have changed so much from when I first started. Back in the day, there were no pressure-activated vinyl adhesives. All the vinyl in the industry was pressure-sensitive, and you better have great squeegee techniques to get that stuff down. There was no air egress technology, nothing was digitally printed, no overlaminates, and none of the great things we have today. As new technology came about, new installation techniques were developed, and we had to adapt. With the new materials came different tools to work, in some cases, specifically with the newly developed films. I’ve gone through dozens of installation pouches, hundreds of squeegees, numerous buffers, many

knives & blades, seam busters, rivet brushes, Stabilo pencils, air release tools, Blade Cage, & tuck tools, torch heads, heat guns, and numerous other tools. There is not one squeegee for every install but, I think I’ve found what works best for me. I use a softer squeegee than I have in the past. Part of this change is to minimize the amount of pressure I’m putting on my wrist. With as much of a repetitive motion as squeegeeing is, I need to preserve my wrist and let the flex in the squeegee do the work. By using a softer squeegee and being more deliberate, I can make every squeegee stroke count……. every squeegee stroke is a $!!

Now that I try and make every squeegee stroke count while I’m minimizing my movements, I’ve turned into more of a cerebral type of installer vs. an all-out attack kind of installer. My current style of installing makes it easier on these old bones.

In 2012 I became a 3M Authorized Trainer and at the time I had no idea how this could benefit me in my future. Being a trainer has given me the opportunity to take myself out of the daily grind. The classes give my body a chance to rest for a few days. It has also given me the opportunity to mentor others and pass along knowledge that I’ve acquired over my years in the business. I can see myself doing more training in the future and less of the day-to-day installs. I don’t want to ever get out of the day-to-day stuff because I feel you need to bring real-world situations to the classroom. I don’t know what the future holds for me. Hopefully, I have many more years ahead of me because I love this industry, the people I’ve met along the way, the people I call my family, and I love what I do. I feel like I still have more to give!!!