Are illuminated house numbers weatherproof?

IP stands for Ingress Protection, defined by IEC standard 60529. The rating tells you exactly how well a product resists dust and water. An IP65 rating means the product is fully dust-tight (rated 6 — the highest) and protected against water jets from any direction (rated 5). This covers driving rain, wind-blown water, and sustained European winter weather.

This is the part most buyers miss. An IP rating measures dust and water only. It says nothing about ultraviolet light, frost, or salt — and in Europe those are what actually determine how a house number looks after ten winters.

• UV — fades pigments, chalks paint, and makes plastics brittle and yellow. It matters far more in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece than in Scandinavia, but a south-facing wall anywhere in Europe accumulates real exposure. Anodising resists it because the colour sits inside a hard oxide layer bonded to the metal, not in a coating applied on top.
• Freeze–thaw cycling — the defining European stress. Water finds its way into any hairline gap in a painted or plastic housing, freezes, expands, and lifts the finish. Central and northern Europe cross zero degrees dozens of times each winter, and each crossing is a small mechanical load.
• Salt — from sea air on the Atlantic, Mediterranean, North Sea and Baltic coasts, and from winter road salt inland. Both attack untreated and mild steel components, including fixings.
• Humidity and condensation — sustained damp in maritime climates works into enclosures that were sealed rather than ventilated.

This is the practical case for solid metal over plastic. Anodised aluminium and brass resist UV, frost and salt — the three factors an IP rating never covers. A product can be flawlessly IP65 rated and still look tired after three winters.

Two European environments are harder on outdoor fittings than the rest, and both are worth planning for.

Coastal. Within a few kilometres of the water — the Atlantic coast, the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the Baltic — airborne salt settles on every exterior surface. Anodised aluminium is the most resilient option in the Luxello range for these locations. Rinsing the number with fresh water occasionally, at the same time you clean the windows, removes salt deposits before they concentrate.

Cold climates. Alpine, Nordic and continental installations face repeated freezing, snow load, and road salt carried on the air near treated roads. Solid metal handles all three without difficulty. What matters more is the driver: mount it in a genuinely protected, ventilated position rather than a sealed box, because condensation collecting inside an enclosure and then freezing is what damages electronics, not the cold itself.

Low voltage helps in both environments. At 8–12V there is no shock risk from a damaged cable and no arcing at a corroded terminal — a meaningful safety margin in conditions that are hard on connections.

A quality IP65-rated LED house number made from solid anodised aluminium should last 15–20+ years in European outdoor conditions. The LED components typically have a rated lifespan of 50,000+ hours. Anodised aluminium will not rust, corrode, or fade — the anodising creates a hard oxide layer bonded to the metal surface.

Luxello illuminated house numbers carry a 10-year parts availability commitment — replacement LED panels remain available for a minimum of 10 years from the date of purchase. The metal housing lasts a lifetime; if an LED panel ever needs replacing, it can be ordered and fitted without replacing the entire number.