Drag an orange dot to resize; a dashed line shows when it snaps to a common size. Click a dot, then use the arrow keys to nudge 1/8″ (hold Shift for 1″). Every size can also be typed in the panel.
Checks
- 5″ numbers meet the 4″ most fire codes ask for. Pick a colour that contrasts strongly with the plaque.
- Plaque: 19 3/4″ × 9″.
Shopping list
| Qty | Item | Est. |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3/4″ MDO sign plywood, 4×8 sheet (sheet) | $92.00 |
| 4 | Exterior house number, metal, with screws (each) | $32.00 |
| 1 | Exterior primer, quart (quart) | $15.00 |
| 1 | Exterior sign enamel, two half-pints (background and letters) (set) | $22.00 |
| 1 | Exterior wood filler (tub) | $8.00 |
| 1 | #10 × 3″ exterior-coated screws (box of 25) | $9.00 |
| 1 | Clear exterior silicone sealant (tube) | $7.00 |
About $185 · rough estimates, check the store
Parts
| Part | Qty | Length | Width | Material | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Plaque | 1 | 19 3/4″ | 9″ | 3/4″ MDO sign plywood |
Cut list
3/4″ MDO sign plywood, sheet 1 of 1
Kerf 1/8″ included. Every cut runs edge to edge.
Have the store cut it
Most home centers rip sheets on their panel saw. Show them this; do the short crosscuts at home.
- 3/4″ MDO sign plywood: rip into strips 9″, keep the rest.
Steps
- Tape measure
- Speed square
- Pencil
- Drill/driver
- Clamps
- Safety glasses
- Hearing protection
- Dust mask
- Circular saw and a straight edge (or have the store cut the sheets)
- Level (2 ft or longer)
- Stud finder
- Level
- Sander, 120 and 180 grit
1Before you start
Read every step once, start to finish, before you buy or cut anything. Each step names the parts it uses by letter; the parts list gives their sizes.
Set up somewhere flat with good light. A pair of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood on top makes a fine work table.
Wear safety glasses whenever a tool is running, hearing protection for saws, and a dust mask for sanding and for cutting treated wood or sheet goods. Tie back long hair and loose sleeves. Keep children and pets out of the work area.
- Tip At the store, pick straight boards: hold each one up to your eye and look down its length. Skip boards that bow, twist or have big knots near the ends.
- Tip Measure twice, cut once. Most mistakes are a misread tape, not a bad cut.
2Cut and label the parts
Cut every part on the cut list. Cut the longest parts first: if one goes wrong, it can still become a shorter part.
To mark a cut, hook your tape on the end of the board, make a small V with its point exactly at the measurement, and draw a square line through the point with a speed square. Put an X on the waste side.
Cut on the waste side of the line, so the blade's kerf (about 1/8″) comes out of the scrap, not your part. Cut sheets with the good face down when using a circular saw: the blade splinters the top face.
Write each part's letter in pencil on a face that won't show, and stack the parts by letter.
Sand the faces before assembly while they're flat and easy to reach: 120 grit, then 180.
✓ Lay the parts out and count them against the parts list. Measure a few: if one is off by more than 1/16″, recut it now.
STOP. Let the saw reach full speed before it touches the wood, keep both hands clear of the blade's path, and never reach under a board you're cutting. Support long boards on both sides of the cut so the blade doesn't pinch.3Find the studs from outside
Outside walls are studs (usually 16″ apart, centre to centre) covered with sheathing and then siding. A stud finder often can't read through siding, so find them another way.
Look for rows of nail heads in the siding or trim: siding is nailed into studs, so each vertical row of nails marks one. Or measure from the edge of a window or door: there is always a stud right beside the frame, and more every 16″ from there.
Confirm by drilling a 1/8″ test hole where the plaque will cover it: you feel the bit bite into solid wood after the first 1″ or so. If it goes through into nothing, move over 3/4″ and try again. Seal any wrong holes with a dab of silicone.
✓ You have found a stud behind where the plaque will hang, and marked the centre with tape.
STOP. Brick, stone or stucco walls aren't covered here: they need masonry anchors. Use the post option, or ask a pro.4Make the plaque
The plaque is 19 3/4″ wide × 9″ tall: 4 characters 5″ high with 1 1/4″ between them and 2″ of border all round.
Cut the MDO plywood with a circular saw against a clamped straight edge, best face down so the blade's splinters land on the back. Fill gaps in the edge layers with exterior wood filler and sand smooth.
Ease every edge and corner with sandpaper. Paint grips a rounded edge; it peels off a sharp one.
Prime every face and edge, sand lightly with 220 grit when dry, then brush on two coats of the background colour.
✓ The plaque measures 19 3/4″ × 9″ and its diagonals match.
5Put on the numbers
Draw a light pencil baseline 2″ up from the bottom edge. Mark the centre of the plaque, then lay the numbers out on a table and measure the full row: about 15 3/4″. Start half of that to the left of the centre mark.
Most metal numbers come with a paper template: tape it on at the baseline, drill the pilot holes through it, then screw the numbers on with the screws supplied. If there is no template, mark each hole through the number itself.
Keep the gaps between characters even, about 1 1/4″. Judge by eye from a few steps back: round digits (0, 6, 8, 9) look smaller and can sit a hair closer.
- Tip A dark plaque with light numbers (or the other way round) reads best at night under a porch light or car headlights.
✓ From the street, the numbers read clearly and sit on a straight line.
6Hang the plaque on the wall
Slide a stud finder along the wall and mark every stud with a pencil. Studs are usually 16″ apart, measured center to center. Confirm one by drilling a tiny test hole where the trim will hide it: you'll feel the drill bite into wood.
Hold the piece at the height you want and draw a level line along its top with a level.
Drill pilot holes through the back or hanging rail where it crosses a stud, then drive #10 × 3″ screws into the studs: 2 in all.
- Tip Run a bead of silicone across the top edge of the plaque where it meets the wall, so rain runs over it instead of behind it. Leave the bottom open so any water that gets in can drain out.
✓ Every screw went into wood (they pull tight, not spin). The piece doesn't move when you pull on it firmly.
STOP. Keep clear of outdoor lights, outlets and the wires behind them: never drill within 6″ above or below a fixture. Use screws long enough to go 1 1/2″ into the stud after the plaque, siding and sheathing; 3″ is right for siding up to 3/4″ thick.7Finish
Ease every sharp edge and corner with 120-grit sandpaper so nobody gets a splinter.
Sand all over with 180 grit, always along the grain (the direction the wood fibres run). Scratches across the grain show through stain.
Wipe off the dust with a barely damp rag and let it dry.
Outdoors, use an exterior finish: a penetrating deck oil or exterior stain, or primer and exterior paint. Leave cedar bare to weather silver if you like. If it holds soil for food plants, leave the inside unfinished.
Let it dry for the time on the can before using it.
- Tip Try your finish on a scrap of the same wood first: stain looks different on every board.
Conceptual layout, material estimate and assembly guide from the sizes you entered. Not engineering, not a building plan, not stamped or approved. Confirm measurements on site; follow local codes and product instructions; anchor tall pieces before use. Using this plan means you accept the Terms of Use.