Paint your house number on the kerb
There is no legal requirement for kerb numbers. It is optional. However, it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby.
- The kerb is chosen to enable emergency services to look to a common place, away from the physical structure of the house, to identify an address.
- The kerb number should be located about 60cm from your driveway entrance.
- You will need the kerb number to be visible, eg a white number on a black background.
- Some councils dictate the height, font, colour and method of kerb numbering. Each Local Government Area has its own policy. We have confirmed that both Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby councils do NOT have any regulations.
- If your home is situated on a corner, the number should face the street named in your address.
- Reflective numbers are optional, although highly recommended by NHW.
Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby can offer you a DIY kit to paint your own Kerb Number.
Can’t do the job yourself? Our volunteers will happily help out – please contact us to discuss further.
“Thank you VERY much.” – Bill, Turramurra.
Contact us for use of a complete Kerb Number Stencil Kit with all the rules & information you need. We also supply a few traffic cones and high-vis vests to make the procedure as safe as possible. Or alternatively, request the assistance of our volunteers. Please then check your JUNK folder for our reply.
Pay-it-forward Scheme
The Kerb Number Stencil Kit is FREE to request. However, as a courtesy to future persons borrowing the kit, we do welcome a ‘pay-it-forward’ contribution from those who can give to the community in this manner. We would suggest an appropriate amount would be $10. Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby is hoping these contributions will cover the necessary and ongoing costs to replenish the kits – we are not attempting to fund raise.
Please see PAY-IT-FORWARD for more information and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) details.
Thank you for your support of Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby.
Kerb Number Stencil Kit
Each Kerb Number Stencil Kit provided to residents includes the following contents:
- A wire brush, for cleaning the kerb before painting the numbers
- 2 traffic cones
- 1 high-visibility (high-vis) vest
- Laminated Information sheet, ‘How to Achieve the Best Result for your Kerb’
- Laminated FAQ#29 sheet, ‘Is it a Legal Requirement to have a House Number on the Kerb?’
- A ziplock bag containing: your appropriate size Background stencil, Digit stencil(s) for your house number, and cardboard – to protect the stencils from being bent/damaged.
- Packing tape – to join together the digits of the house number
- ‘Bear’ brand tape – to secure the background and house number stencils to the kerb.
- 1 x stencil paint brush – specifically designed for dabbing (see video below).
- 1 x paint tin – WHITE (house number).
- 2 x spray paint cans – BLACK (background) and REFLECTIVE (house number).
- Mineral Turpentine ‘Turps’
How to Achieve the Best Result for your Kerb
The Information sheet, ‘How to Achieve the Best Result for your Kerb’, is a suggested procedure to follow (see below). The procedure has been provided in order to make the exercise as correct and safe as possible. Please read before you do anything. If you get it wrong, you could be upset, and it is difficult to remove an incorrectly-painted number.
Please also view the KerbWatch Instructional Presentation further below, to achieve the best results when using the Kerb Numbering Stencil Kit. This presentation points out the few places where you may go wrong, and how to avoid them. We highly recommend you watch prior to the start of your painting project. We are not all Picasso!
The PowerPoint Presentation, ‘What Could Go Wrong?’, highlights points that we particularly wish to warn you about (see below). Please view it.
What Could Go Wrong?
Just-in-case you haven’t quite grasped the term ‘dabbing‘, we have a quick video showing the action: ‘What do we Mean by ‘Dabbing?‘ (see below).
What do we Mean by ‘Dabbing’?
Stencils
Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby has sourced house number stencils that are the correct size and font according to the Australian Standard AS1744. The stencils chosen are made of 2mm Polypropylene, in order that we can lend them to the community many, many times. We appreciate your care when using them, in order that we can avoid replacement for as long as possible.
Neighbourhood Watch volunteers have crafted the background stencils, necessary for the painting of the matt black background that is painted prior to the house number. Three sizes are provided, in order to allow for up to four digits in the house number. These background stencils should be transported and stored flat, in order to maintain the flat surface necessary to get a good flush connection with the kerb, so there is no bleeding of the paints. We found that a paver pressed into the bottom edge of the stencil helped stop the bleeding.
Paint
The paints and associated procedure provided to residents have had significant testing by Neighbourhood Watch volunteers over many weeks of trials. We have provided in the kits; a can of matt BLACK spray paint, a tin of WHITE paint, and a can of REFLECTIVE spray paint, all selected to be the most suitable for the job.
Please Note
If you are not happy with the kit, or find that something is not working, please let us know.
Neighbourhood Watch cannot recommend or endorse any product or service. You must do your own research.
Neighbourhood Watch Ku-ring-gai & Hornsby 