Light Bright

NEON SIGNS ARE TRENDING

BY NORA HESTON TARTE

Roger Daniells, owner of C.R. Glow LED signs, they can’t be fixed. If a real Neon, makes and fixes neon signs neon tube cracks, breaks, or just totally for a living. It’s a job he’s been fails, it can get re-worked to be good as doing in Stockton since the 1980s. But new. After all, neon is made to last for about five years ago, he started to see a 30 years or more. LED isn’t. new type of client—individuals looking Roger’s works include small signs to decorate their homes with neon. that say “Cheers” and “Drink Up!” for “I’ve had neon all over my house,” a mobile bartending businesses, short Roger says. cursive sayings for home décor, and

The trend is prominent on Instagram wedding mementos that feature names where you see homeowners and even of the bride and groom. On average, celebrities posting photos of brightly these pieces range anywhere from $500 colored, handcrafted neon signs above to $1,000. their headboards, in their living rooms, To make the signs, Roger has a power just about anywhere. For the most part pole transformer in his shop that he it’s short sayings or names that people can pull 20,000 volts from. “It’s very are requesting. He calls the trend “living dangerous… we have high voltage, we walls,” because the neon makes them have open fires... we have glass you can feel alive. get cut on,” Roger says. “Which one do

Like any cool new thing, there are you want to play with?” knockoffs. If you go on Amazon or Etsy, Using helium, neon, crypton, zion, there are a host of LED-lighted signs and argon and/or colored glass, Roger on sale for a couple hundred dollars can produce just about any color neon. that people can buy and install. There Neon itself is that popular reddish color. are, however, a few setbacks to not Whites, such as a soft, yellowish tone using real neon. “The LED is almost he calls candlelight, is very popular. too clean, where you don’t see any He keeps about one ton of glass in his workmanship in it,” Roger workshop at all times. says. It’s also not as ecoOther colors, however, friendly. “We’re more green are not the best. He warns than LED,” Roger says of the LIGHT UP YOUR HOUSE: against the use of lime green, 100 percent recyclable neon C.R. Glow Neon which draws the color out of works he creates. Perhaps (209) 465-6366 everything. Neon also isn’t the worst part though is that CRGlowNeon@hotmail.com the best light for putting once a light goes out in the makeup on.