3 Key Tips for Choosing Highly Visible House Numbers

Homeowners don’t always think about the house numbers’ visibility. And how many are aware that house numbers are nearly always the first impression neighbors and guests encounter when approaching the residence or when looking for the address?

Often, big box retailers offer a limited selection of house numbers and letters. Many poorly crafted house address numbers also come with challenging installation issues. These factors can create major difficulties for homeowners looking to make this crucial improvement to their homes.

In this article, we will reveal the top three secrets to improving house numbers visibility for your home.

1. The Size of Your House Numbers Depends on the Distance from the Street

The first key tip is to determine the size of your house numbers based on distance. Measure the space between the mounting location and the middle of your street. This is where guests will likely first try to read your home address.

Once you have the distance from the midpoint of the street to the address number location, select the proper size for clear readability from the street. Large house numbers may be necessary depending on the distance. Use these guidelines to determine the size needed.

Note:  The height of the house number is measured from the top of the number to the bottom of the number.  Signage rules concerning vehicle speed and the number of car lanes do not typically apply to house numbers since guests typically slow down in residential areas to find house numbers.

2. Improve House Numbers Visibility with Contrasting Colors or Finish

The second key tip to selecting the perfect house numbers for visibility is to ensure that the finish and/or color of the address numbers you select to install have a sharp contrast to the surface that you intend to mount them upon.

When high contrasting house address numbers are utilized, the visibility and impact of the house numbers rise significantly.  But when colors and/or finishes are similar to the background where they are to be mounted, your address will be impossible to see at any distance.

Homeowners with address numbers mounted far from the street should choose high-contrast colors for visibility. Ideal colors include white, black, red, and metallic shades like nickel and silver. These options help ensure the house numbers stand out from a distance.

Today, homeowners may also choose reflective house numbers and lighted or illuminated house numbers for added visibility.

3. Choose the Right Font Style for your House Numbers

The final tip to choosing the perfect house numbers for your residence is to carefully consider the impact of the type of font you select.

Decorative, thin font styles, script fonts, and serif-style fonts will decrease the visibility of your address. For instance, vintage and Victorian house numbers often have a highly stylized design. Art Deco house numbers also feature intricate styles that can be hard to read from a distance.

Thick sans serif fonts (like Helvetica) will maximize the visibility of your house numbers. The MailboxWorks offers many modern and contemporary house numbers. These designs are specifically crafted for high visibility.

Style-conscious homeowners might prefer a unique font style for their house numbers, even if it compromises readability. However, safety-conscious homeowners recognize the importance of clear visibility. It’s not only guests who could miss the address but also emergency responders in a crisis. Thus, readability is vital.

Even the spacing between the house numbers when you mount them is crucial to readability (designers call this spacing “kerning”).  When your house numbers are mounted too close to each other, the lack of space between the numbers creates visibility issues.

Conversely, when you mount the numbers too far apart, they may not appear as a single numeral like “12031.” Instead, they might look like separate numbers, such as “1” “2” “0” “3” “1” or even different addresses like “120” and “31,” which can confuse visitors trying to locate your home.

Enhance Your Home with the Perfect House Numbers

To integrate all three of these tips into a sure-fire way to select the perfect house numbers and letters for your home, try this exercise.

• Type your desired choice of house numbers in a word processing program at the size, color, and font size needed.
• Print those house numbers on a sheet of paper in a color similar to the background you will be mounting the house numbers. If the house numbers are large, you may have to cut out and tape the numbers together on the actual background you will be mounting them.
• Tape your printed house numbers to the spot where you plan to mount them. Then, walk to the furthest distance from which they will be viewed.

By the way, if you must view this test strip from the street, it is much safer and more realistic to do so from the comfort and safety of your vehicle than by stepping out into a busy road.

Once you see how your chosen house numbers look from the view of your guests and neighbors, you can adjust the size, color, and font type. This way, your house numbers will create a welcoming impression that guests will appreciate year after year.

If you still have questions about house numbers visibility, or if you need help placing an order, please contact us and we will be glad to assist you.

Categorized in: Mailbox Tips & General Information