How to Choose a Home Mailbox

Home mailboxes have come a long way from simple boxes to place your mail in. A wide range of styles and materials allows them to become expressions of taste and they can greatly enhance the look of your home. They add to your home's elegance and give a great first impression to your visitors.

An enormous range of mailboxes are available including traditional, decorative, themed and contemporary styles in a wide range of colors and materials. You are sure to be find the perfect mailbox for your home in all this enormous choice.

Basic Mailbox Considerations

The first thing you need to decide is between a wall-mounted mailbox or a post-mounted mailbox to go beside the curb. This will of course depend on the delivery method of your local post office. If the mail truck stops by the curb then you will of course need a curbside mailbox, if your mail is delivered on foot you can have a mailbox mounted on the wall next to your front door.

Do you need a lockable mailbox? If you are using a curb mounted mailbox you will definitely need it to be lockable to keep your mail secure. You may also want to purchase a mailbox with a newspaper slot if you have your newspapers delivered.

Styles and Materials of Mailboxes

You should try to match the style of the mailbox to the exterior of your home. Mailboxes come in two general types, contemporary and traditional and you should choose the one appropriate to the style of your home. There are many different materials used including galvanized steel, aluminum, plastic, cedar and brass. Where you live will have some bearing on the material that you choose is if you live in a coastal area or very humid area you will need to make sure your mailbox is rustproof so that it lasts for many years. Aluminum is a good choice in these areas as it is rustproof and light.

Heavy duty or standard gauge steel is also rust resistance and durable and also a good choice. Although plastic mailboxes are rust resistant and very durable they are much less elegant and decorative than metal mailboxes. For this reason most people prefer metal mailboxes to plastic. If properly maintained brass mailboxes will also last for many years.

Mailboxes are often painted with high gloss or semi gloss paint and the copper mailboxes that you can purchase are usually aluminum or galvanized steel with a painted covering to simulate a copper finish.

Regulations for Mailbox

Make sure before you purchase your mailbox that it meets any local laws, including the United States Postal Service guidelines if you live in the US. Inform your local post office to check that the height and placement meets their regulations. You are usually required to place a curbside mailbox between 6 inches and 8 inches from the road edge.

Conclusion

Mailboxes can add elegance and individuality to your home especially if you carefully choose one that compliments your home's style. Make sure you purchase one that is big enough for your needs and consider buying a lockable mailbox to keep your mail safe and secure. Choosing from the enormous range of mailboxes available can be daunting but you will be pleased you took the time to choose the mailbox that will good in front of your home for many years to come.

Seed Newsvine

Bookmark this article in your preferred program

Comments

Add Comment

Popular Articles in this cathegory

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.