Your home number serves multiple purposes. Primarily, it informs people that they have reached your domain. But at the same time, it can also serve as a nice accent to your curb design. Likewise, it can function as a source of illumination especially if you decide to light it up or you choose to use a solar-powered numeral sign.
That being said, if you’re considering installing a new numeral sign for your home, you may want to be more thoughtful about it because it’s definitely not just a clear “identification component” for your property. To help you pick the perfect numeral sign for your home, here are some guidelines to consider.
1. Where are you going to place it?
Ideally, a numeral sign for the home should be placed on the letterbox, the gate, and/or the door or porch post near the door. You can just choose one or two places to put your home numeral sign but there really is no rule to putting it on other areas of your property.
You have to carefully consider the location for the numerals because there are materials that may be smarter to use due to the “conditions” of the place.
Likewise, you may want to go with a style that suits perfectly with the design components of the area to create a continuity of design.
2. Positioning is key.
The efficacy of your home number relies on placement. As such, make sure that it’s visible from the street. For the numeral sign on your letterbox, put it on the side of the letterbox facing the traffic. This way, the mailman and other people searching for your home can easily see it from the street.
3. Color contrast is important for visibility.
Make sure that the color of the home numeral doesn’t blend into it its surroundings. This means choosing a hue that pops. Gold and silver are beautiful and safe choices but they need to be well lit to pop into view outdoors. They’re rather pretty for units in apartment buildings though.
You can go with other colors as well. Green, red, blue, black, fuchsia, and others as long as they’re easy to see but still go with the dominant style of your property.
4. Factor in the size as well.
The size of the home numeral should be considered too especially if it’s placed quite a distance from the street. The general rule to follow is – the bigger, the better. Again, this is for better visibility and readability.
We all know that woman
But mostly, for numbers that are placed on the house or curb, four inches is considered a good size. Meanwhile, for home numerals placed on the letterbox, three inches is the recommended size or height.
5. Avoid fancy typefaces.
Fancy fonts like old letters and cursives can be rather confusing. Go with basic and bold typefaces that are thick and wide – nobody will confuse the ones and sevens, or the sixes and eights.
Also, avoid those numeral sign styles that align numbers in a vertical or diagonal fashion. These are difficult to read for many as the eyes are trained to read from left to right.
6. Lighting matters.
It’s important that your home numeral is visible no matter what time of day it is. You also want to make sure that it’s visible even when it’s raining heavily or it’s foggy out. The right outdoor lighting features can help you with this.
You can install a little light over the number or opt for glow-in-the-dark or stylish solar numerals that light up automatically when it gets dark.
With properly lit home numbers, you can be sure that friends, and even the food delivery service will have no problem finding your house on a dark night.
7. Weather-resistance is crucial.
Since the home numeral is placed outdoors, you need to pick one that can withstand the changing weather.
If you’re inclined toward stick-on numerals, make sure that the material you select will not melt with rain or snow. Southern states are not good for this type of application.
Not something you should have to worry about in this state (Illinois). If you prefer the sleek and modern screw-on options for your stone mailbox, you want them to be easy to clean and sturdy because the weather can easily alter their appearance.
So, those are the guidelines for picking home numerals to use for your property. There are so many options to choose from if you wish to buy. There are hobby stores and specialist shops that carry these products and you surely will delight in the selection available.
But whichever material, style, or size of home number you go for, you can certain that these products will perform their true purpose well if you take into consideration the guide provided here.
Article was put together with the help of:
Jay Flavell is the General Manager at Sandleford Holdings. He has been working in the DIY & Home Improvement industry since 2007 and has vast experience sourcing and developing products from overseas suppliers in the Far East. Jay has also been successful dealing with a number of major DIY & Home Improvement retailers throughout his career.
Beau Flavell has been a Product & Account Manager for Sandleford Holdings since July 2017. He completed his VCE at Brighton Grammar School and also holds an A-Class Electrician License. Beau has been working on developing a new range of innovative letterboxes and currently lives in Melbourne, Australia.
