Help
Straight answers about Corten steel, house numbers, mounting and NZ shipping from our Gisborne workshop.
Corten (weathering steel) forms a stable, protective rust-like patina outdoors instead of rusting away like ordinary mild steel. That’s the warm orange-brown look people love.
While it weathers, it can leave run-off stains on light walls, pale timber, concrete or paving below. For clean faces or light cladding, mount with a small stand-off, use a drip edge, or place numbers where runoff won’t mark anything important. On dark fence timber the effect is usually minor once the surface has stabilised.
Most pieces leave our workshop as raw 3 mm Corten — a mill finish that will weather naturally once outdoors (speed depends on rain, salt air and sun).
If you need a more developed look from day one, ask about pre-weathering options when you order. Either way, the steel keeps changing slightly over the first months until the patina settles.
Height is the character height (top to bottom of a digit or letter), not including mounting gap:
Use the live preview on the House Numbers page, or message us a photo of your post/fence and we’ll suggest a size.
Clean face — no fixing holes in the character. Ideal if you want a seamless look and will use adhesive, stand-offs, or your own mounting method.
Pre-drilled — mounting holes cut in each character so you can screw straight to timber, posts or cladding. Faster DIY install; the holes are part of the finished look (as on many of our product photos).
Yes — every piece is profile-cut in Gisborne, New Zealand from 3 mm Corten steel.
Lead times depend on the queue and order complexity. Simple house number sets are usually turned around promptly; custom DXF jobs may take longer. We’ll confirm timing when you order or request a quote. Need it for a specific date? Tell us — we’ll be honest about what’s realistic.
We ship NZ-wide. At checkout, shipping is estimated from parcel weight/size.
Standard — town, city and normal street delivery.
Rural — RD / rural delivery addresses cost more (an extra rural surcharge on top of the base rate), because couriers charge more for those runs. Type your address in the cart — if it looks rural we’ll flag it, or you can choose Rural yourself.
Yes. Upload a DXF (or describe what you need) on the Custom Quote page. We profile-cut custom signage, garden pieces and one-offs from 3 mm Corten.
Clean closed outlines work best. If you’re unsure about the file, send it through anyway — we’ll check and reply with a price.
For most outdoor installs: leave it alone. Rain and air develop the protective patina. You don’t paint or oil it like timber.
Avoid trapping constant wet mud against the steel or sealing it under a finish that stops it “breathing.” A rinse with a hose if it gets filthy is fine. Over time the colour deepens and settles — that’s normal, not a fault.
Still have a question?
We’re happy to help with sizing, photos of your site, or a custom cut.