Four choices decide whether your house number does its job: how big the letters are, what they are made of, how they contrast with your wall, and whether they are lit. We help homeowners across Canada make these choices every week. This is what we tell them.
How big should house numbers be?
Letter height decides how far away a sign can be read. A common rule in the sign trade is about 1 inch of letter height for every 10 feet of viewing distance for comfortable reading. Our home signs come in two heights:
- 8" letters suit a front door, porch or walkway wall that people see up close.
- 10" letters are the better choice above a garage, or when the house sits back from the street.
Script fonts read smaller than block letters at the same height. If you love a script face and your house is far from the road, go with 10".
Which material lasts longest outdoors?
Both materials we use for house signs are made to live outside in Canada, through snow, summer sun and freeze-thaw.
- Cast acrylic (ΒΌ") gives a deep matte black with crisp, clean-cut edges. Cast acrylic keeps its colour in the sun.
- Alupanel is aluminium composite: two thin aluminium skins around a solid core. It comes in glossy black, matte white and brushed silver, and stays rigid and flat.
Either way, we mount the sign on stainless standoffs. They hold it just off the wall, which adds depth and a shadow line, and lets water drain away behind it.
Pick a colour that contrasts with your wall
Contrast matters more than colour. Hold a photo of your wall next to the options in our online designer, or upload it and see the sign in place.
- Light brick, white siding, board-and-batten: matte black.
- Dark siding, charcoal stone, black brick: white, gold or silver.
- Red or brown brick: black or white both work. White stays readable longer at dusk.
Backlit LED house numbers
LED modules mounted behind the letters light the wall around them, so the numbers stand out in a soft glow after dark. You can choose white or yellow light. Gold letters with a warm backlight are a favourite on dark houses.
A backlit sign needs power at the wall. When you request a quote, tell us where the nearest outdoor outlet or light fixture is and we will plan the wiring with you.
Where to mount your sign
- Above the garage: the most visible spot from the street on most suburban homes.
- Beside or on the front door: right for houses close to the sidewalk, and for townhouses.
- On a gable or feature wall: a statement spot for a larger script sign.
- On a garden or pillar wall: useful when the house itself is hidden from the road.
Wherever it goes, make sure trees, a porch roof or a parked car will not block the view from the road, and that headlights reach it at night.
What a custom house sign costs
Every sign is priced to its design: the size, the finish and whether it is lit. Send yours from our home sign designer and you get a firm quote and a rendered proof within one business day. In the GTA our installers mount the sign with no deposit, and you settle once it is on the wall. Anywhere else in Canada, shipping is free.