Thanks for visiting House Number Plates. You will find here a great selection of plates and plaques for your home of office and be able to make a decision on what will look and work best for you. They say that your home is truly a reflection of who you are. So it should always speak something that is just you and make anyone who you welcome into it feel like they belong. One of the finest ways to do that is to start at the appearance from the outside. Hand-crafted house number plates that are created just for your home make a normal house a warm and cozy home. You can have these made by artisans who make an actual unique creation, or you can find various designs already made up in home stores across the country.

Solar Address Sign
Not long ago wanting a solar address sign was asking for trouble. The technology was poor and the craftsmanship was shoddy. Most of the manufacturing was done in very cheap shops in the Pacific Rim. The outcome was a product that made the whole market look bad. Today, you can find great solar address signs and numbers that are of high quality and stay lit for many, many hours after the sun goes down. I’ve checked into these and can tell you a few tips in buying the good ones. There is still a lot of junk on the market so please use caution when buying anything solar for the consumer.

House Number Plaques
Like the Plates, these plaques normally show a picture or painting that is of your choosing. Now many people will put something significant to the purchasing of the home, or having to do with the family, or their favorite hobby, or at times, something totally different. The choice is yours. The house number plaques can have the home number along with the background painting or relief and look charming at the post close to the garage door, or any post near the front door. Remember, the plaque should reflect something about you or where you live. And these plaques last forever, so make sure you make something memorable.

House Number Tiles
For years throughout the Southwest, it was pretty common to see the Spanish design incorporate the house numbers done in a pretty tile. This still holds true for many locations and there are a number of retailers that sell the house number tiles that can be set in cement or set like floor tile as well. The design of the numbers is baked in just like any other color is created into the tile, and will last permanently until something breaks it. They are brittle so remember that when handling and shipping these around. One nice thing about the tile is that there are so many available colors and you can even create a design on the tile which can be baked into your special number set.

Custom House Signs
Make your house really stand out on your block with personalized custom house signs that reflect you and your lifestyle. This means that even in a subdivision where every home looks the same, yours will be different as you make it more beautiful with your custom work. These signs can be found everywhere online, but the best bet is to go with companies that have many differing designs and styles so you can find one that suits you and a company that allows you to be creative.

Some people relate custom house signs with those cute sayings that capture our attention. And that’s just what these are. You’ve seen them, and now you can have them in and around your house as well. There are many companies that offer good prices on coming up with whatever verbiage you’d like and creating something that will withstand the elements for years and years. Make sure that is a consideration when ordering your sign; that the manufacturer make it to withstand wherever you are going to place it. Many signs take a beating in the sun all day. Others get sprinkler water almost every night.

One of the most popular custom house signs is made of rustic wood. The wood is carved and treated and can last many years. Pine is a popular wood, along with heat treated poplar. Cypress can last a long time. Check for oak and maple as well. Some companies do an excellent job with PVC. Detailing can include gold leafing and intricate painting. Some signs will include a painting along with words, others simple designs with an arrow. It’s all up to you and how you want to design your sign for your home.

If you’ve already decided where to place a custom house sign, here are a few other places I’ve found them: historical homes and contemporary homes. Some are on the doors to restaurants or on store fronts that are offering special discounts. If you have a second home, these make great signs for your visitors. Some call it adding flair, but I like to think of it making a home an estate. Businesses use these as well to add new businesses to a leader board.

Some have used this sign idea to be a special gift to a wedding couple. If you get the theme right, it will be cherish for all time. Other gifts would include housewarming parties, new church openings, and new RV’s. These make great markers for campsites or for people who travel by RV throughout the country. Custom house signs can be made to any theme and painted any color. There really is no limit on what can be done with the design idea and the finished product.

There are two considerations when designing your custom house signs. First, draw out what you think you want your sign to look like. Next, search online for vendors who do custom work. There are hundreds. But here’s the caveat. Work done at a distance from you may not turn out exactly like you want it and there is many times no recourse to having your painting re-done, especially if the finished product looks anything like your design you submitted. That is why having it done locally might be something to think about.

My findings are that local artisans charge much more, sometimes more than double, for the same work – sometimes with less detail and an inferior product. I would go the route of finding someone online, and developing a relationship with that company to the point that you can trust them to create for you your custom house sign. You will pay less and be more pleased. And some off free shipping to boot.

You have made a great selection if you plan to get house number tiles for your home. I’ve priced these and found out that there are a few things to consider when thinking about having your home number created in tile, or buy tiles of each number and then cementing them somewhere to the outside of your house. In any case, there are terra cotta tiles or material that can be made into your numbers, or you can use white clay which is then glazed. Remember that you can also find ceramic numbers to display if you want to go that route.

I found that the best design is low-relief, which means the numbers on your house number tiles are actually indented into the clay. I didn’t believe it at first, but you can actually see this further away than you can see the beveled or rounded numbers on tile. When these tiles are fired just like floor tiles, they will last for the age of your home. And don’t think you have to go with some terra cota color. There are many colors, vibrant and otherwise, that can serve as the backdrop to your numbers done in an amazing contrasting color. The designers in this industry have been doing it for many years and can rely on their expertise in rich, unique colors and textures and decorative motifs.

Ceramic house numbers are also available as I mentioned, and in various styles. You can normally find the traditional look, a Victorian style, arts and crafts look, and various styles in between. There are color varieties here, as well. Simply have an idea what you want and search for your color of background and/or font. These also make a nice gift if you know someone who is updating their home or who has been thinking of placing house number tiles on their home. They do compliment the home just as house number plates do, and they call attention to the front of the house giving it nice curb appeal.

When shopping for your house number tiles, make sure you pick out something that has good contrast to see from the street, but that also holds the design of and style of your home in mind. Look for abundant and playful detail with bright colors. The normal size should be around 4.5 by 6 inches for each number. When planning your design, make sure you leave enough room for the tile overlay. Each tile butts up against the other so the spacing is designed by the manufacturer.

Installing house number tiles is fairly easy. They can be cemented to the house, or fastened with brass screws. The screws are used for tiles that come with small mounting holes. Make sure that the house number tiles are at least 4 inches in height to meet code. Because the numbers are made out of tile, there is no worry about the elements since they can withstand heat and cold. So take your design and shop for your numbers and watch the personality come out of your home with house number tiles.

The solar address sign is called the ultimate lighted address sign, but tread here with caution. Some signs are simply crap. Others are designed to be rugged and not cost and arm and a leg. They have varying colors to match your paint or textures, and the numbers can also be colored. They are designed to show your home address number to the world, but sometimes solar can be a troubled buddy. It happened that back 5 years ago, solar was the new technology on the landscaping scene and companies rushed to create anything solar and get it on the shelves of the home improvement stores across the USA. What happened is that many of the units designed were simply made of the cheapest material because manufacturers were selling the sizzle of solar rather than a durable product for the consumer.

Now, a few years later, there are new companies involved and quality has gone skyward. You can find excellent solar address signs that will hold up to the elements without a problem. They won’t last forever, but remember that they are maintenance free and energy free. The light is from an LED, light emitting diode, which recently has been designed to give off more light than ever before. This replaces lamps. The LED’s practically never fail, so you never need to replace them. How they work is pretty simple.

Remember that the unit has to get sunlight at some time. The more sunlight the merrier. If the solar address sign is going to sit in a dimly lit area, your sign won’t stay lit at night very long. This is because the solar cell on the unit actually charges two AA fast charging NiCad batteries which are then used to power the LED’s through the evening. It is simple, but there are a few problems. Low light will cause you to have a light that won’t stay on long. And the NiCad rechargeable batteries don’t last forever and must be changed. This is because just like a car battery, the charging and discharging eventually exhausts the batteries and they’re done.

But people are moving to these solar address signs. They seem to be a cool, practical light that will have your house numbers glowing throughout the evening. And they beauty of them is that you can hang them anywhere and not worry about running cable or electric cord. Mount them near the door where the sun reaches and you have a very impressive light. Since they come in various sizes and colors, it will be easy to match one to your decor. And the solar lights of today still come in two qualities, so make sure that your vendor will take the sign back if you are not happy with your purchase.

Something tells me you will be and will love the cutting edge and green feel that solar gives you. Plus the fact that you’re not running electrical wires all over the landscape makes it that much more special. Getting a solar address sign should not be a problem. You can find them online or at a home improvement center, but the best deals can be found by visiting the various websites online and looking for high quality.

Here’s what I did to find some beautiful house number plaques for our home: First, you need to sit down and with some paper, sketch out what design you would like on your plaque. Most of these go right on the front of your home, so keep that in mind. Have an idea on the size of the plaque and the style. For example, you can have an oval shape, or a rectangle, or even a diamond shape. The edges can be beveled, rough, sanded, you get the idea. There are a lot of variables and before you venture to someone who can create this for you, it is best to have as many of the questions answered as you can.

The first thing you will notice once you get your house number plaque hung is how beautiful it looks and sets off your home. It really is a great addition and you will be wondering why you have waited so long to create one of these for your home. If you value quality, make sure that you find a plaque designer that is creative and can add to what you have already thought out as a design.

Your design should incorporate something about you or your family, or your ancestry. You can also make this something about your neighborhood. For example, when I created my sketch, I had a few designs that included surfboards and beach scenes because I live near the beach. At the same time I wanted to bring out the tropical feel that my house has without going total surf house, so I added a few palm trees and a shell or two. This, along with the house number, made a wonderful design for our home and is something we really do treasure. It makes the house look that much nicer.

Don’t go cheap on buying your house number plaque. You want something that your house deserves; superior quality and elegance. Make your home the pride of the neighborhood with your beautiful plaque. What happened on our block is that our neighbors actually wanted to know where we got the plaque so that they could design one and get it for their home, too. One fellow even put one near his back door for when they have parties out there people can see his home is his beach getaway.

You’ll have fun putting the design together and be open for the designer at the house number plaque company to give you tips on how to improve your design. And remember to get something done in a material that will withstand the elements. The plaque must be weather-proof. In addition, find out what sort of hanging mechanism you will be using to apply the plaque to your home. Make sure that it will be secure for many years, but you can take it down should you need to paint the exterior of your home. Have fun with your creation and get your home outfitted today with your new house number plaque.