Floating house numbers vs flush mounted house numbers. What’s the difference?

Gunjan thakurMarch 14, 2022

House numbers are an incredibly important part of both the design and function of your home. Finding the house numbers that work best not only for the area where they are being mounted but also the overall look and feel of your home can be a challenge. There are many styles of house number including floating numbers and flush numbers, and we want to help you determine which might be a good fit for you.

What are Floating Mounted House Numbers?

Floating mounted house numbers do not actually float, that is a given, what floating numbers do is appear to be floating due to the manner in which they are mounted. Floating house numbers are designed to deliver a floating and shadow line effect.

These numbers are designed with rods and spacers that protrude from the back of the number which secures the rod firmly in place. These rods generally protrude 10cm or so from the back of the number in several areas (depending on your number size) so that the number can be mounted securely, but still give the look and feel of a number that is floating or that is not mounted to anything. Since the rods are directly behind the number, when you look at them directly or head-on, it appears as if the number is not mounted on anything and that it is fully floating.

These rods serve to create an empty space behind and around the number that helps lend itself to the feeling that the numbers are floating. The result is a designer / architectural appearance, and a great way to give a truly modern look to your house numbers. When mounting floating numbers, you still have to keep in mind the colour of the number, the colour of the mounting surface, and the area in which they are being mounted.

Since these numbers do have a negative space behind them, they do lend themselves well to being illuminated. This can be an impactful method for mounting house numbers if you want to add some lights behind them to increase their visibility during the dusk and night-time hours.

What are Flush Mounted House Numbers?

Flush house numbers are what we most often think of when we think of house numbers. These numbers are going to lie flush or flat to the home or the mounting surface with little to no space behind them. These are very sleek and do have a more traditional feel to them.

With numbers that are going to be flush to your home or another mounting surface, you do still need to consider where they are being mounted. With flush numbers, the mounting method is generally either a hole that goes fully through the number so that a nail or screw can be put through the number to mount it, or you can use a suitable adhesive (such as Liquid Nails’) to mount if to the surface. If your number is 150mm or higher, we supply with rods that can be used without the spacer for a flush yet secure mount.

This type of appearance is suitable if you are looking for something that is going to be a bit more traditional and that is going to fit any style, any home, and any aesthetic that you might be working with. This type of installation is also going to be a bit more accessible for some people who may not have access to tools for drilling, or are restricted by the preferred number location etc. If you do not have an area where you can mount floating numbers, flush numbers may be a great alternative that still look great and that is still going to deliver an effective presentation of your house number to anyone passing.

A flush number is going to be a great option if you want something that is going to look great on any home and that is going to fit any design and any overall look and feel. Flush mount numbers are going to be easier to find in some cases and are also likely to have a wider size range and overall design range as floating-mount does limit how thin the font can be and so on. These numbers may also be easier to mount for those that are not really all that handy is you are mounting them yourself.

Which is Right For You?

When it comes down to it, there is no real clear-cut way to determine what is going to work best for you. The best way to determine what works is to take a look at a few different examples and see what you think looks best. You can also take into account where you are going to be mounting the numbers as that can affect what looks best, think about what size numbers you need, if you are going to be backlighting them.

There are some gorgeous floating house numbers out there as well as some stunning flush mount numbers. The key is to look at your options and find the one that best suits your style and the style of your home.

We have plenty of numbers to choose from at House Numbers and are more than happy to assist with any questions you may have!