Why you need a modern letterbox?
In 1923, it was made compulsory to have a letterbox to ensure Royal Mail could deliver mail to every house in Britain. Back then most front doors in Britain had a simple slot with a flap in their door. This is where the post could be delivered every morning. However, these simple slots are not really the best option on the market anymore. There are lots of modern letterboxes out there for you to choose from that are far more practical as well as decorative.
Reasons why we should replace our ‘simple slot’ letterboxes:
For one, a simple slot letterbox lets in an awful draft. If you purchase one with a draught excluder fitted to the back then you run the risk of making your postie hate you! With a draught excluder, it’s not just a simple case of pushing the letter through. Most flimsy paper letters we receive are not sturdy enough to push through a draught excluder. So they just end up being crumpled and stuck between the slot and the draught excluder. That is unless your postie tries to help the letter make its way through the draught excluder … but that involves your postie having to risk his or her own fingers by pushing your letter through the letterbox to make a gap in the draught excluder to help the flimsy letter break its way through. In worse case scenarios this can lead to your mail being covered in blood from a severed digit. Not to mention you having to fish a couple of fingertips out of your pile of bills!
Secondly, if you own a pet, namely dogs (lets be fair your goldfish isn’t likely to have a munch on your latest postal delivery), you may consider a different style lettrebox. Coming home to a greeting of scattered chewed up bill confetti isn’t much fun. Frankly the simple slot just isn’t good enough to keep your post away from inquisitive canine mouths.
Lastly, simple slots aren’t all that pretty and why settle for that when there are so many aesthetically pleasing styles and shapes of letterboxes to choose from?
So what Kind of modern letterbox should you replace your ‘simple slot’ with?
There are a whole host of letterbox designs that can be attached to your wall, gate or fence. You can even choose stand-alone letterboxes or American mailbox style letterboxes, that can keep your post dry and secure while adding a unique feature to the outside of your house. This may also get you brownie points with your postie, as it will save his or her legs from having to walk up your garden path.
Whatever type of letter box you choose, you can also choose a style to fit in with the look and period of your home, with letterboxes coming in Georgian, Edwardian, Modern and ultra-modern styles to name but a few.
Also, with the rise of online shopping and people preferring to have their purchases delivered straight to their front door, larger letterboxes have become popular so that small parcels and newspapers can also be stored safely until you return home.
There are legal requirements that you have to adhere to though, so your creativity can't run too wild. Letterboxes should have an aperture at least 250mm by 38mm, and should ideally be positioned 1.07m from the ground (according to Royal Mail Customer Service).
What if you can't bare to part with your simple slot for a modern letterbox?
But if you really can’t bare to part with your draughty simple slot then an option for those of you wanting to protect your mail from your darling pooch, is a letter cage. These can be simply attached to the back of your slot to catch your mail and keep it safe until you come home.
All letterboxes featured in this blog plus many more can be found at https://www.housenameplate.co.uk/letterboxes.html
