Buying The Right Mailbox To Save On Future Repairs
I was standing at a local big chain coffee place two days ago waiting for my drink when I noticed the front page of our local paper. There was a huge picture of a mailbox leaning over at a 45 degree angle and a huge dent. This thing had be hit by something solid.
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As I read the story it turns out that this damage was not done by a car or even a baseball bat. Some teenager had tackled that mailbox as well as 21 others just like it. It seemed like the sort of damage that would be done by a car not a human.
So Bob, what does this have to do about mailboxes then? Well based on the pictures these people are going to be stuck replacing their mailboxes and in some case probably their post too not to mention having to reinstall their posts. These costly repairs could have been avoided though. Most mailboxes don’t come out and say that they are designed to break away when they are hit because it makes them sound not as sturdy I think. On the contrary, the best mailbox post system should be strong and sturdy and still be modular so that if they do get hit, the homeowner isn’t stuck replacing the whole thing. When I describe a post as modular, I mean that it is in parts instead of one solid piece. If a solid post breaks you are stuck replacing the whole post which can be around $175 normally not mention you have pull out the old one and put in the new one. With a modular post you are normally replacing one part that is a fraction of the post cost and doesn’t require a reinstall. |
| The first mailbox and probably the best one as far being modular is the Gaines Keystone with Deluxe Post. 9 out of 10 times when this post is hit, the customer has to only replace the beam which is the part that connects the post to the mailbox. It is made of cast aluminum which is really strong but since the post is bolted to that piece it allows it to break away cleanly. This feature can easily save you $200 per repair.
Another mailbox that is modular is the Victorian Pedestal Mailbox. This is one of the most popular mailboxes out there. It is not only priced very low but it has a great look to it as well. Pedestal mailboxes are even more expensive when it comes to reinstalling because they have a concrete base. Luckily for these mailbox the pedestal is in three parts. Most of the time the customer just replaces on part instead of the whole pedestal like with more expensive solid pedestals. I know that there are many things to consider when purchasing a mailbox and most of the time you don’t want to think about the possibility of it getting hit. I would strongly encourge people though to make sure that the mailbox they are getting is modular. Having the ability to break away will save them money in the long run not to mention frustration as well. Written by Robert Urgo. Robert is the web master for MailboxWorks.com. He has been working here for 7 years and has done almost every job so you can count on him for expert advice. If you have any questions you would like him to address in future posts email him at webmaster@mailboxworks.com |
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