Three Quick Tips for Maximizing Residential Mailboxes

August 22, 2011

Whitehall Post Mount MailboxBecause of its proximity to the home, many homeowners fail to maximize the potential of their residential mailbox.  Here are three quick tips that will allow any homeowner can get the most out of their residential mailbox.

Step One:  Address Your Mailbox

The first step to maximizing your residential mailbox is to affix your home’s address on it with Mailbox Address Plaques or Mailbox Address Numbers.  By affixing an address to residential mailboxes, you help ensure that your postal carrier places the right mail in the right mailbox.  Additionally, by placing your address upon your residential mailbox, you provide a helpful and easy-to-spot guide to your home for guests and service personnel who are unfamiliar with where to find your home. For instance, this is a great added benefit should you ever put you home on the real estate market.

When placing mailbox address numbers on your residential mailbox consider placing them along the side of the mailbox or along the top (using a mailbox topper). This is preferable over affixing mailbox address numbers upon the mailbox door because when the mailbox door is opened the address numbers can no longer be seen.

It’s best to place mailbox address numbers along both sides of residential mailboxes so that they may be seen from either direction.  However, if only one side is chosen for the placement of address numbers, it is recommended that you choose the side facing the traffic nearest your residential mailbox.  As with any mailbox alteration, it’s always best to contact your local postmaster to see if there’s a community standard for where to locate the mailbox address and what height or sizes the mailbox address numbers should be.

Special Lite Locking InsertStep Two:  Locking Mailboxes

Due to the increase in mail theft over the past decade, one of the most important improvements homeowners can make to their residential mailboxes is to install a locking mechanism on their mailbox or to order new Locking Residential Mailboxes.

For homeowners with residential mailboxes that do not need to be replaced, a locking insert can be installed into many Post Mount Residential Mailboxes.  For homeowner’s installing a new residential mailbox, the cost of adding a locking mechanism is often nominal in comparison to its effectiveness.  To add it, simply call your local postmaster and get permission to install a locking mechanism and then order your new locking mailbox or locking mailbox insert from The MailboxWorks.

Step Three:  Maintain Your Residential Mailbox

The first impression given to guests, neighbors and those driving by your home is your residential mailbox.  There are three primary maintenance tasks that should be done to keep your residential mailbox looking top-notch:

First, once every season (four times a year), follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and clean your mailbox.  Many recommend using a mild cleaning solution and a wet towel so just take those items out with you when you go to retrieve your mail.  Then wipe down the exterior and interior to keep your residential mailbox looking its best.

Second, after the residential mailbox is cleaned, take a few moments to check all moving parts.  Often, when we retrieve mail, we are in a hurry or we send a child to retrieve the mail and we don’t really look to see if the mailbox is in good working order.  So, once you clean your residential mailbox take a look to see if any parts need to be replaced or sprayed with a lubricant such as WD-40.  If a part needs to be replaced, you can order a new one thru The MailboxWorks, the web’s largest supply of mailbox replacement parts.

Third, in late Spring or early Summer, check to see if your residential mailbox is plumb.  You don’t need a plumbline, just look at your mailbox from three or four directions and ensure that it is standing tall.  If you find your residential mailbox leaning to one side or another,  the late Spring or early Summer is a good time to correct it as the ground is no longer hard from the winter ice nor hard from a summer drought.

By considering these three quick tips, you can maximize the use and effectiveness of your home’s residential mailbox.

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