Looking for ideas on how to make my street number more visible at dark...

[El Chorizo]

Not the place to ask I guess but this community already seems super helpful, even on unrelated stuff. So, I have low voltage lights in the front yard and even facing the street number. But since the numbers are recessed the light doesn't hit it and no one can seem to find the numbers.

I thought maybe some glow in the dark paint that charges from sunlight might work. Or some type of led strip that charges via solar. Not sure.

Here's an image to give you an idea. Any suggestions?

 

[Esquire]

Oddly enough, I am having larger sconce lights installed as well on my brick facia over the address stone inset like yours. The sconces will sit just above the address and be equal height across the 3 garage stalls.

We live in a villa basically in a forest where all of the villas are very similar in design. The trees make it very dark and spooky. At night, I can barely find my own place, so the well-lit address is necessary.

I have the low voltage all around the outside of the house as well, basically for evening aesthetics. However, they do not effectively light anything very well--which is their intended purpose.

Look into adding sconces. Plus they look sharp if they are oversized.

 

[El Chorizo]

Oddly enough, I am having larger sconce lights installed as well on my brick facia over the address stone inset like yours. The sconces will sit just above the address and be equal height across the 3 garage stalls.

We live in a villa basically in a forest where all of the villas are very similar in design. The trees make it very dark and spooky. At night, I can barely find my own place, so the well-lit address is necessary.

I have the low voltage all around the outside of the house as well, basically for evening aesthetics. However, they do not effectively light anything very well--which is their intended purpose.

Look into adding sconces. Plus they look sharp if they are oversized.

Post some pictures up once you get it done. Are they going to be low voltage powered lights or will they have a cable running to them? I'm worried about the eye sore the cable will cause if I go that route. I also worry that the solar ones are ugly and usually go bad...

 

[Fjester]

Well this is right up my alley of expertise. The problem is the projection, shadows, angles of alignment.
First option is to raise the light source up to a height where it hits the numbers without shadows. You can simulate this with a flashlight at night, start shining the light exactly horizontal with the numbers and move down until the shadows appear. moving the light further away may also help or buy a projector type low volt landscape fixture.
Another option is something like this. (just an example). get a piece of diamond plate aluminum sized large enough to cover the entire existing recessed numbers, then put these type black number onto the diamond plate. Amazon.com

 

[El Chorizo]

Well this is right up my alley of expertise. The problem is the projection, shadows, angles of alignment.
First option is to raise the light source up to a height where it hits the numbers without shadows. You can simulate this with a flashlight at night, start shining the light exactly horizontal with the numbers and move down until the shadows appear. moving the light further away may also help or buy a projector type low volt landscape fixture.
Another option is something like this. (just an example). get a piece of diamond plate aluminum sized large enough to cover the entire existing recessed numbers, then put these type black number onto the diamond plate. Amazon.com

Hrmm, raising the light might be possible. The other method I'm not sure about. I hate drilling into my house!

 

[bluebullet]

How about one of those neon "Sorry, we're open" bar signs? This is the place to ask...

 

[DD214]

Moving the light further away would help and raising the light while moving away would be optimal.

 

[ripHST]

If it was me, I think I would try to find some thin weather resistant LED strips and run a small wire either down to the power below, or up to a solar panel on that ledge. Run the wire in the motor joint and then add some mortar over the top to conceal.....or maybe some color matched silicone caulk.

If you can change the position of the light, that's probably the easiest, but you may end up with your fixture being too conspicuous.

I guess another option would be to get a piece of stone to fill out the space and get the numbers closer to the surface of the wall.

 

[EOD Guy]

Not the place to ask I guess but this community already seems super helpful, even on unrelated stuff. So, I have low voltage lights in the front yard and even facing the street number. But since the numbers are recessed the light doesn't hit it and no one can seem to find the numbers.

I thought maybe some glow in the dark paint that charges from sunlight might work. Or some type of led strip that charges via solar. Not sure.

Here's an image to give you an idea. Any suggestions?

View attachment 1681

Can't tell from the pics, it is an alum plate with the numbers on to or some other base material?

 

[EOD Guy]

I use these a lot to make lighted things.

 

[El Chorizo]

Can't tell from the pics, it is an alum plate with the numbers on to or some other base material?

It is stone with the number carved in. It originally had black paint in the numbers but it faded and now I used black sharpie. Worked surprisingly well, but at night since it's recessed the light doesn't hit it.

 

[EOD Guy]

If I were to do it......... I assume you could drill a 1/4" hole in the lower corner that would allow the power wires to be snaked inside the house.

I'd buy some of the LED tape that I posted above, drill a 1/4" hole through the outside wall to the interior of the house, fish the two wires through that hole, make one continuous length against the sides and as far to the rear as possible.

Make a 1/4" hollow wooden square to hide the edges of the LED strip and wedge that into opening. apply 12V power. Old computer power supplies are 12-15 volts and work well for powering the strip. or you could purchase one from Amazon.

You might only need one strip.