5 Signs You Need New Risers
5 Signs You Need New Risers
March 3, 2023
There comes a point in the life of every band or choir riser where it’s going to need repaired, replaced, or upgraded. This is true regardless of the manufacturer.
Waiting until the last minute to replace your old equipment is never a good idea. Especially when it comes to something as important as the safety of your students.
If you suspect that it might be time for a change, but aren’t sure, here are 5 telltale signs that you need to get new risers.
1. Deck Panel is Starting to Sag
If the deck on your risers are starting to sag, there’s a good chance that it’s because they’re not as strong as they once were. This usually happens because the plywood has fatigued or is separating between the plies. In this case, the deck is compromised and should be replaces as quickly as possible.
2. It’s Making More Noise
Another sign that it’s time to replace your risers is that they’re starting to make a lot more noise than they used to. Creaking, screeching, and grinding are words that are commonly used when describing these sounds which can be caused by the metal weakening over time due to stress which can cause small cracks to form. The areas where parts of the equipment connect together may become noisier over time as well from normal use. This noise is a sign that your risers probably aren’t as safe as they used to be. Along with being unsafe, creaking risers can also hinder your performance if they’re loud enough because the audience will be focused on that instead.
3. There’s Damage to the Support Pieces
Parts of the risers may get bent over time if someone doesn’t use them properly, but it can also happen due to normal use over long periods of time. Damaged pieces can also cause more noise like we mentioned above.
If there’s damage to a support piece, you should see if it’s a component that can be replaced before you decide to replace the entire unit. If the main frame is bent, this is a case where replacing the whole unit is recommended. It’s good to consult with your manufacturer to determine the best solution.
4. Your Program is Growing
Having a growing program is what you want, even though it may provide you some new challenges. This does provide you with a great opportunity to expand your inventory. If possible, it may be better to use this time to upgrade all of your risers to better serve your growing program. This will make sure all of your inventory will work together and will make preparation for your events easier. Having a larger number of participants will allow you to do more configurations. This too means you may need to increase your riser inventory to make all of your performances go smoothly.
5. You Want Better Risers
The fifth and final reason why you may be getting new risers this spring is because you want to. This is probably going to be driven by the quality of your existing ones and the desire to upgrade them. There’s nothing wrong with this because you obviously want your students to have the best equipment possible. High quality risers should be durable, safe, and easy to use.
Conclusion
Eventually, all risers are going to need to be replaced or repaired. This is true regardless of their initial quality. It’s important to make sure your risers are in good condition to ensure your students are safe and your performances go smoothly.
If your risers are showing any of the signs above or if you need to upgrade your risers, contact our experts and we can help put together the ideals solution for your program.
