This article is meant to inform customers of the advantages of a seat replacement of a bleacher system without the expense of an entire bleacher replacement.
A Popular Upgrade
Many customers often face the dilemma of what to do with bleachers that have been worn down and have lasted decades in a facility. On countless occasions, customers will contact Farnham Equipment Company (FEC) and ask for a second opinion on whether to invest in a full replacement of the bleacher system or seek various upgrades to have the existing seating last even longer. Thanks to the product expertise and experience from FEC’s Service Department, customers will often find that there are several upgrades and repairs available that cost a fraction of the cost of an entirely new bleacher system. One of the most popular choices is a full seat replacement.
If a customer is looking to extend the lifecycle of their facilities’ bleachers for 30+ years, odds are that the seats at some point will need to be replaced. This could be for several reasons: school branding upgrades, wear and tear over the years, fading due to UV lighting in older gymnasiums, or more.
Over time, breakage on the seats is normal and anticipated. Customers may ask, “What factors will help me know if I am ready for a replacement?”. While each situation is unique, here are some common diagnostic questions FEC would recommend a facility assess:
- What is the level of UV light in the gymnasium environment?
- When were the seats purchased, and how are the seats now?
- Where are the seats located? Due to the nature of interlocking seats, the seats need to be removed in sequence, beginning on the right-hand side of the rows. This can add labor to the price of replacement.
- What are the current budget restraints or parameters to make upgrades?
To assist customers with other questions surrounding this potential upgrade, FEC has created a “Q&A” section to answer common questions surrounding this topic.
Q: What are the benefits of having a full seat replacement instead of a full bleacher replacement?
A: A full seat replacement is a great “face-lift” project that will not cost nearly the same amount as a full bleacher replacement. In FEC’s experience, while seats may need replacing, the other parts of the system could be in good shape, need minor repairs, or have upgrades that will help it last longer, all without costing the same as a full bleacher replacement.
Q: Can you explain the UV and how it relates to the fading of seating?
A: The unexpected exposure to UV impacts how quickly the plastic fades and is impacted by several factors. Older gymnasiums can have this problem, as opposed to more modern LEDS. In our experience, Other factors include the presence of skylights, which often produce fade patterns, and the type and method of plastic manufacture.
Q: How do FEC’s current seat options hold up against fading?
A: Hussey Seating Company (HSC) injection-molded bleacher seats have been used for over a decade to this point. The way the plastic is created takes into consideration the nature of fading plastic. HCS’s five-year warranty speaks to plastic color fade, citing:
“Polymer Colors will not fade greater than 5 Delta-E units measured within CIE Lab color space.”
Q: Are there any additional ways to prevent the fading of the plastic courtside seats?
Customers can have UV inhibitors included on the bleacher seats. This would be an additional charge, somewhere in the $12-14 additional per gross seat. However, customers should keep in mind that while this will slow the process of fading, the fading will be inevitable as time progresses.
Q: How much is the cost savings by having a seat replacement instead of a full bleacher replacement?
A: That answer depends on several factors. For instance, the life span of the current bleacher and what shape the understructure is in currently play a critical role. Should the bleacher seats need to be replaced, and there are several other items needing to be replaced or repaired, the cost/benefit might tilt towards replacing the entire system. Factors like budgetary restrains, the projection for the facility/district over the next few years, and the location of the seats needing replacement are all important factors to weigh.
Based on the countless seat replacement projects FEC has handled for customers, it’s safe to say that you can be saving anywhere from $15,000-20,000 on a mid-sized replacement project, all the way up to $75,000 or more for a large high school gymnasium. These options are still, in almost all cases, more cost-effective than a full replacement of the existing bleachers. FEC advocates for repairs, maintenance, and upgrades to have the bleachers last for as long as possible before considering a new replacement.
