When Should I Take My Banners Down

People ask when they should take down their banners. The banners are pretty tough and can withstand a lot but leaving them up in high winds wears them out prematurely. Carveth's recommendations are indicated below. The green should pose no problems. The yellow is on the edge. The red is dangerous territory. Below the table are some more ideas to consider.

Beauford Wind Scale
The Beauford Wind Scale was developed in 1805 by British Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort (1774-1857) to help sailors estimate wind speed by visual observations. The scale goes from 0 to 12. It has been expanded to use with ground references. 
On Water  On Land Appearance of Wind Effects
(Knots)  (miles/hour)
0 Less than 1  Calm  Calm; smoke rises vertically
1 1-3 Light Air  Smoke drift indicates wind direction; still wind vanes
2 4-6 Light Breeze  Wind felt on face; hear leaves rustle; wind  vanes begin to move
3 7-10 Gentle Breeze  Leaves and small twigs constantly moving;  small branches sway; smoke moves horizontally; light flags extended
4 11-16 Moderate Breeze  Dust and leaves on the ground move around; loose paper blows around; small tree branches start to sway
5 17-21  Fresh Breeze  Small trees in leaf begin to sway; crested wavelets form on inland waters.
6 22-27  Strong Breeze  Larger tree branches moving; whistling in wires; umbrellas are difficult to control
7 28-33  Near Gale  Whole trees moving; inconvenient walking against wind
8 34-40  Gale  Whole trees in motion; breaks twigs off trees; difficult to walk against wind
9 41-47  Strong Gale  Slight structural damage occurs; shingles blow off roofs
10 48-55  Storm  Seldom experienced on land; trees broken or uprooted; considerable structural damage
11 56-63  Violent Storm  Widespread damage to structures
12 64+  Hurricane  Severe structural damage to building; wide spread devastation

Check your metal ground stake holding up your pole. If it is bent due to the high winds, you should take the banner down until the winds subsides.

They are very durable, but eventually, as with everything, they will wear out. The sun degrades the fabric, and the wind wears it out. The higher the wind, the more wear on the material. You can just leave the banner on the pole and slip the pole off the stake and set the pole and banner out of the high winds and sun. Then set it up when the winds calm down.

You extend its life by flying it only when you’re around and can appreciate it and taking it down when you’re gone. Just like you wouldn’t leave your car open and the engine running all night, “because I’m going to be using it tomorrow anyway,” why leave your banner up all night and unnecessarily wear it out. For example, if you take it down in the evenings and night, you’ll double its life. If you use it only for special events, you could have it for years.