Look! New House Numbers

Our brand-new house digits couldn't be more different than what we inherited. With a die-cut machine available at his office, my husband cranked out these fantastic mirrored numbers. Here's how he did it:

The short explanation, in his own words:

I exported an Illustrator file with the numbers (outlines only, no fill) to .dwg format (readable by AutoCAD), scaled it up to the right size, and then sent the file to a laser-cutter (like printing).

There are plastic fabricators in Chicago like Petersen Brothers Plastics on Pulaski Rd. that can do it, usually they need a digital file that reads vector graphic information.

And these were the sad, little old ones:

See more great house numbers on AT here (top ten) and here (numbers from Chiasso).

Next up: Washing our home's filthy brick. Suggestions or services??

Comments (8)

nice update. how did you install these...some kind of construction adhesive?

posted by ephillips on June 13th 2008 at 9:37am
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I was going to guess...brick clips?

And don't you mean "our" husband? hehehe...

posted by spossberg on June 13th 2008 at 10:00am
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I like the new numbers more than the old, but you may want to paint the border something higher contrast from your brick like black or something funky like orange. Emergency personnel prefer large high contrast house numbers. My inherited house numbers were also added in the 60s and my mother said they look like a wood shop project - I'm planning on replacing them this summer.

As for your brick, I have almost the same kind - that light creamy tan with all those ridges on the face. My brick is similarly filthy and so I've done some reading up on the subject. I was hoping I could get a high pressure nozzle and just spray the whole house down. Unfortunately that is discouraged on older brick. Cleaners and other chemicals are also discouraged (look online for "cleaning historic buildings brick" or something like that to see the sources I found). Apparently I'll be going at the house with a bucket of clean water and a nylon scrub brush. No quick and easy answer here.

posted by ryanmarie on June 13th 2008 at 10:10am
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hi - the white acrylic parts were mounted to the brick using masonry anchors and countersunk screws. The mirrored numbers are attached to the white part using a plastic solvent.

i'll continue looking into brick cleaning option and report back...

posted by heather on June 13th 2008 at 10:35am
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brillz, they look great!! :)

as for the brick, could you look into pressure washing services? don't they take care of brick?

posted by animalhouze on June 14th 2008 at 7:22am
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Are the mirrors glass or plastic?

posted by quiltmaster on June 14th 2008 at 8:23am
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You can pick up an inexpensive power washer and some Krud Kutter and do it yourself for about 1/3 the cost of a service and have the tool available to do it next season.

SUPREME CHEMICAL/KRUD KUTTER HW32H/4 MULTI PURPOSE HOUSE WASH 32 OZ

http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(y5h1c0uwft00ng45bduv1245)/productDetails.aspx?SKU=1207430

posted by Night Eagle on June 14th 2008 at 11:09am
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quiltmaster: the mirrors are plastic.

posted by heather on June 15th 2008 at 3:30pm
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