Address Rock Shopping – What To look For In a Good Address Rock

An address rock can be a wonderful addition to any landscaped area, garden, walkway, or entryway. Not only are they helpful for folks like the mail man and the pizza delivery guy, but they can really add a lot of curb appeal and make a home look nice and classy. Some things to think about when shopping for an address rock:

Is It Just An Address Rock Or Can It Be More?

An address rock doesn't have to simply sit there and display your house address sign. It can do more in life than that! It can be a clever place to hide a spare key for example. Or even better one of the hollow types can be used to hide unattractive objects like sprinkler heads, outdoor power outlets, and small pumps in your yard or garden.  In fact many choose to go with the hollow variety because of this versatility. Plus the hollow types are usually light weight and easy to move around. Most are made of plastic. “Eww, you think to yourself...plastic is ugly!” Well, yes, it can be. But with recent technological advancements plastic can appear amazingly realistic when manufactured using detailed moulds. What's nice about plastic is that U.V. Inhibitors can be actually moulded into the plastic walls. This provides intense protection from U.V. Rays and greatly reduces color fading from the sun. The same is true with the colors – on high end plastic models the colorant is actually melted into the walls so it can not chip or flake off like paint. This is especially important if your address rock will sit in an are frequented by weed-eaters and lawn mowers.

Another address rock option is to use real rock. This is probably the most challenging route. Not only are you faced with the daunting task of finding one of the desired size, but it also needs to be shaped in a manner that will allow for proper mounting of the house address plaque, and special fasteners will be needed to penetrate the hard surface and hold the house address number sign firmly in place. And speaking of number signs (plaques), it's important to choose one that is rustproof, weatherproof and highly U.V. Resistant. The golden rule of number signs is:  99% of them look awesome when you first pull them out of the box! But a year later, after it's been sitting outside in the sun, rain, snow, hail, sleet, wind and freezing rain....it can be a whole different story! Faded, weathered, discolored, all signs of a cheap, poorly made product. In most cases these cheap models are made in China from low quality materials and the address signs just don't hold up. They are made to sell...not to last! But they are cheap, and to some, a cheap address rock is a good one!

A solar address rock is another option. These are available in two basic formats. One type features an LED read out of sorts that displays the house address numbers in a digital format. This digital display is recharged via small solar panels either on the rock itself or connected via a small wire a short distance away. These types are usually rather inexpensive and considered more of a novelty item. The main problem is that the bright digital readout tends to clash with the surrounding landscape. Unless it's R2D2's home, this type of address rock can appear gaudy and out of place.

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Another variety of solar address rock features an LED light that shines on the plaque so it can be read at night. The LED housing contains a small rechargeable battery that powers the light. A small solar panel attached to the LED light fixture recharges the battery throughout the day and preps it for dusk and night time when it casts a gentle glow. This type of setup tends to look a lot classier then its digital TRON styled brethren. And the LED lights have become so efficient they can shine well into the night.  One thing to keep in mind with these solar setups is that that the little solar panel can be rather delicate and prone to damage from hail etc.  So keep this in mind when looking for a spot to put a solar address rock.

So, in a nutshell what should you look for in a good address rock?

- A good quality rock with colors molded, not painted on.

- A good quality, highly U.V. Resistant address sign.

- Look at the included mounting hardware. If it's not stainless steel it will rust. Manufacturers not using stainless steel hardware are cutting corners and chances are they are cutting corners in other areas as well!

- Be careful ordering from any vendor listing long shipping times. In many cases this is a red flag that the address rock is being manufactured in China! The Chinese make killer Bottle Rockets, Firecrackers and Roman Candles...but address rocks...not so much!

- If you are ordering online ask for close-up photographs of the actual rock color and texture so you can be sure it's realistic.

The ultimate address rock shopping list! How about that! The internet is a wonderful thing, is it not? Good luck finding your address rock and feel free to leave any comments below!

Address Rock Bargains

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