Apartment, Block and Unit Number Signs

• Apartment blocks with numbered doors on several floors
• Townhouse complexes with house numbers at each gate or door
• Student and staff accommodation
• Retirement villages and care complexes
• Developments handing over new units who need a whole set quickly
• Complexes replacing missing or mismatched numbers

• Door numbers. Small plaques or individual numerals fixed to the door or the wall beside it.
• Unit plaques. A panel carrying number, floor and block, sometimes with a name slot.
• Block and floor markers. Larger letters or numbers at stair landings, lifts and corridors.
• Gate and wall numbers. House numbers for townhouses, mounted on the wall or pillar.
• Braille and tactile versions. See accessible and tactile signs where tactile signs are required.
• Photoluminescent or reflective options on request, subject to confirmed availability.

Choose one numeral style across the whole complex. Mixed fonts and finishes are the most common reason complexes look disorganised.

• Brushed or polished stainless steel; see stainless steel letters.
• Brass numerals for a warm, traditional look; see brass letters and signs.
• Powder-coated aluminium in black, white or a brand colour; see aluminium letters.
• Acrylic plaques with engraved or applied numerals
• Laser-cut flat numerals or engraved plates; see engraved metal plaques.

Outside units suffer sun and rain, so metal numerals usually outlast printed ones. Indoor corridor plaques can use acrylic or vinyl without worry.

Unit number signs are almost always unlit. They rely on corridor, stairwell or gate lighting to be read, so contrast between the numeral and the background matters more than any lighting of the sign itself.

Where a number must be seen in dark access ways, a back-lit or reflective option can be considered, subject to technical assessment and confirmed availability. In most complexes, improving the lighting near the door does more for legibility than lighting the number.

• Unit numbers are for the final approach; estate wayfinding gets people to the right block first.
• The entrance sign identifies the complex as a whole.
• For offices, door and room labels are covered by office door signs and meeting room signs.
• For a name plate on a desk, see desk nameplates.

• Numeral height. Door numbers are usually read from a metre or two away, so modest sizes work; entrance and gate numbers need to be larger, as a rough guide around 25 mm of height per 10 m of viewing distance, confirmed on site.
• Surface. Fixing to glass, steel, timber or masonry needs different methods, such as adhesive, screws or studs.
• Contrast. Dark numerals on pale doors or the reverse; avoid mid-tones.
• Position. Place numbers at a consistent height and side so residents and visitors learn where to look.
• Rental and body corporate rules. Doors may be common property, so check that the landlord, body corporate or managing agent consents.

• Quantity of units: sets generally cost less per unit than single orders
• Material and thickness
• Plaque versus individual numerals
• Size and font
• Surface preparation and fixing method
• Block and floor markers in addition to doors
• Installation time and access
• Removal of old numbers

Wipe stainless steel, brass and aluminium with a soft cloth and mild cleaner. Avoid abrasive pads. Brass may darken over time unless lacquered or polished; see signage cleaning and maintenance. Replace missing numbers promptly so the set stays consistent.

We supply and fit unit numbering by appointment from our Rivonia base. Apartments and townhouse complexes are found in all of these areas.

• Signage in Sandton
• Signage in Johannesburg
• Signage in Pretoria
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