Nobody wants to experience a fire, a medical emergency, or any other crisis in their home. But in the event that such a thing does happen, it’s crucial that emergency responders be able to get to you as quickly as possible. While their response time may seem out of your control, there is one thing you can do to help. The good news is, that thing is very easy: Make sure your street address number is visible!
In some emergencies, even seconds can be a matter of life or death. Particularly at night or during bad weather, a difficult-to-spot house number could make all the difference. Some homes’ numbers are not visible from the street, faded, or even completely missing. If yours is one of those homes, this is the perfect time to correct that. Here are a few tips for making sure your house numbers are visible:
Make it visible from the road. If the front of your house isn’t close enough or angled properly to be seen from the street, numbers can go on your mailbox. Make sure the numbers aren’t obscured by landscaping, and ensure that they’re big enough to be easily seen (most sources recommend numbers be at least four inches in height).
Create contrast with the background color. Black on white or white on black are good, highly visible combinations, while brass or bronze numbers can easily blend into a background.
Pick something permanent. Painted numbers can fade over time, making them less visible.
Display numbers horizontally. Vertical numbers may seem easier to place on a beam or beside a door, but they are harder to read quickly.
Your house number may seem like a purely aesthetic concern, but in case of an emergency, it could become much more important. If your house numbers are difficult to see, now is the time to make a correction!
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