How to Hang Tile House Numbers: A Step-by-Step Guide to Mount Tile Signs on Different Surfaces

Tile house numbers can add a beautiful, personal touch to your home’s exterior, but mounting heavy signs or art can be intimidating. Whether you're attaching your address sign to brick, burnet adobe, drywall, or other surfaces, here are the steps for secure and safe installation.

The tips below are for Carly Quinn Designs Framed House Numbers. If you are working with other materials or frames, please consult the merchant for proper installation.

Installing Tile House Numbers on Brick or Masonry

When hanging heavy house numbers or art on brick, burnt adobe, or concrete, you’ll need to use the proper technique to ensure stability.

Tools & Materials You'll Need:

• Lag bolts (5/16ths, 2)
• Lag shields (5/16ths, 2)
• Hammer drill and ½ inch masonry bit
• Level to ensure proper alignment
• Painter’s Tape for marking holes
• Sharpie or pencil to mark drilling points
• Optional: General contractor assistance for heavy or complex installations

Follow these Steps:

1. Mark your spots: Place painter’s tape where you’d like to hang the frame. Holding the frame over the tape, use a Sharpie or pencil to mark where the holes will go. Be sure to use a level to ensure the house numbers are straight.
2. Avoid the mortar joints: Drill directly into the brick or masonry. Mortar joints may crumble and cause instability.
3. Drill the holes: Use a hammer drill with a ½ inch masonry bit to drill ½ inch holes where you marked. Make sure to drill to the depth of the lag bolts.
4. Insert lag shields: Once the holes are drilled, insert the lag shields into the holes. These will hold the lag bolts securely in place.
5. Screw in lag bolts: Attach your house numbers by screwing in the lag bolts, ensuring everything is tight and flush against the surface. Leave slightly loose to check for level.
6. Adjust: If the frame isn’t straight, slightly unscrew the lower side, push the piece up, then screw in tightly.
7. Tighten: Finish by tightening both bolts.

Installing House Numbers on Drywall

For drywall installation, it's important to ensure that the numbers will be supported securely. This mounting process is recommended for tile art up to 18x20 inches. But always check the weight rating of bolts.

Tools & Materials You'll Need:

• Molly bolts (¼ inch, 2) for drywall
• Drill and bit
• Level to ensure proper alignment
• Tape for marking holes
• Sharpie or pencil to mark drilling points
• Optional: General contractor assistance for heavy or complex installations

Follow these steps:

1. Choose molly bolts: Use ¼ inch molly bolts for a sturdy hold.
2. Drill holes for the molly bolts: Be sure to check the weight rating of your bolts to ensure they can hold the weight of your house numbers. Avoid drilling into studs as molly bolts work best with drywall.
3. Insert the molly bolts and mount the numbers: Screw the bolts into place and attach your house numbers.

Installing on Framed and Stucco Homes

If your home is newer and framed with stucco, installation can be tricky. Here's what to look out for:

1. Check for wooden sheathing: If there is wooden sheathing behind the stucco, this is ideal. You can use longer lag bolts to go through the stucco and into the wood for a solid hold.
2. Use toggle bolts for empty cavities: If there's no solid backing behind the stucco, use long toggle bolts to support your house numbers.

General Tips for Installing Heavy House Numbers

• Get help: If your house numbers are particularly heavy or large, it’s always a good idea to have a second set of hands.
• Consider calling a professional: If you’re unsure of how to handle the installation, it may be best to call someone who knows their way around different anchors and surfaces. Installing house numbers incorrectly on heavy materials can be dangerous.

What to Do if You Drop a Tile

Tile is known for its durability, but accidents happen. If you drop one of your house number tiles and it cracks or chips:

• Watch out for sharp edges: Broken tiles can have very sharp edges.
• Regrout if needed: If the grout comes loose, you can easily regrout the tile back in place using a matching grout. For Carly Quinn Designs tile, use grout brand “Custom” to match existing grout in the charcoal or tobacco brown colors.

Remember, if the job seems beyond your skill level or you don’t find what you expect when you drill, don't hesitate to call a professional—it’s better to be safe and ensure the numbers are attached securely. Happy installing!