Ordinary House Number Mistakes

Excerpts from: Pizza Driver Homepage

1. The porch light is turned off at night so you can't see the number on the house. If the bulb is burnt out, please replace it. Sometimes the number is too far from the light. Sometimes the light outshines it.
2. Part of the number is missing. We can forgive you if the first digit is gone but not the last one. Worn out numbers are also a problem.
3. The number is too small. You have to get out of the car and walk to get close enough to read it. At times, you can't tell it's a number from the road.
4. The number on the house is only two or three feet from the ground. Some numbers are on the grass line or porch floor. How do they expect people to notice? It should be eye level or higher.
5. The number is on the front door. This is a very bad place to put it because people tend to leave the door wide open. That will hide the number completely. People also tend to hang stuff on the door and it blocks or partially blocks the number.
6. The number is the same color as the house. It blends in like a chameleon.
7. The number is a light color and the house is also a light color. For example, a brass number on yellow or white. Please get a number with a dark color.
8. The number is a dark color and so is the house. For example, a black number on brick or wood. Please get a number with a light color.
9. The "front" door is set back from the front of the house. In this case, the number doesn't belong near the door. It belongs on the front of the house.
10. The number is on the front of the roof above the front door. This section of roof sticks out over the porch. When the light is on at night, the number is in the foreground and is outshined by the light in the background. You can't see the number.
11. Sixes that look like eights. Ones that look like sevens. The more fancy it looks, the harder it is to read at a distance. We need a plain looking number.
12. The number is obstructed by Christmas decorations or any other holiday decorations. Sometimes it blocks the number entirely.
13. Silver numbers on black background. In the day, it must be a size bigger and more bold to be noticeable.
14. The number is on the mailbox door. This means it does not face traffic. Instead, it faces the street, 90 degrees away from traffic. You can't see the number until you stop in front of the mailbox. Headlights can't shine on it at night. This is a major problem.
15. Stone engravings with no distinct color for the number. You can't see the number at any distance. It blends in like a chameleon. The number needs a color of its own, distinct from the background.
16. Wood engravings. In the day, it's very hard to see at a distance. The number needs a distinct color. At night, the porch light casts a shadow on the engraving so you can't see it. Please don't have a wood carved number.
17. Motion detector porch lights. They don't activate until you get close. By then, you're usually on foot and this is way too late. We need a constant porch light.
18. The number is a label. This might look good on a name tag, but it's not meant for a mailbox. This is way too small. You can't see it.
19. The number is posted on a vertical column. There is not enough background. Sometimes the porch light shines behind the column so you can't see the number.
20. There is a number on the house but the house is set back from the road. The number is too far away to see. In this case, you need a sign post by the road.
21. The flag on the mailbox blocks the number. Please move it out of the way.
22. Only the last name appears on the mailbox. This creates a problem if the pizza was ordered under a different name. The last name may not be that unique. Also, we would like to use your number as a reference point to find other houses.
23. The number is spelled out in Roman numerals.
24. The number is displayed vertically or diagonally. This isn't much of a problem, but people read left to right. It is more difficult to notice other patterns at a distance.

The Best size

• Bigger is better
• Please do not get anything smaller than four inches tall if the number is shown on a house or street curb. On a mailbox, no less than three inches tall.
• Get bold type. Thick and wide is better.
• On mailboxes, show only your house number. We don't need your name and address. Please don't get small numbers and cram all that information on the side of the little mailbox. Only the house number please!

The Best Color

The idea is to have a light and dark contrast with the background, which is usually the color of the house. This will make the number stand out so it can be viewed from the street. If your house has a dark color, you need a number in a light color. If your house has a light color, get a dark color number. For example, a black number is perfect on a white house. A white number will show clearly on a brick house. A lighted number is even better for easy visibility at night.

If the background or house color is dark, don't put a dark color number on it. Don't put a light color number on a light background. It will not be visible at street distance.

Excerpts from: Pizza Driver Homepage