Browse through our wide selection of brands, like Whitehall Products and Design Toscano. If you aren’t finding the perfect product in the results for your current search for mail slot catcher, you can try searching again or using the Department navigation on the top of the page. Dec 06, 2019 A residential wall mail slot offers the ultimate in convenience for homeowners lucky enough to still receive walk-up mail delivery. When installing a wall mail slot mailbox you can choose either: Door Mounted – Bursting forth with nostalgia, a door mail slot mailbox can be installed through a front door (or garage door). Place the front face of the mail slot over the slot opening on the exterior side of the door. Align the long edges of the front face of the mail slot and make them parallel with the top.
- Door Mail Slot Basket Catcher
- Garage Door Mail Slot Basket
- Mail Slot With Basket
- Garage Door Mail Slot Basket
- Garage Door Mail Slot Installation
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Mail slots, also called letterboxes, can be added to exterior walls and front doors to eliminate the need to walk to the mailbox to fetch your mail. Mail slots come with flaps or moving panels that block air drafts, and decorative mail slots come in a variety of colors, from bright brass to copper. The slot cover can have letters embossed on it, such as your initials or words like 'mail' or 'letters' and a filigree design around the perimeter for an elegant, antique look.
1
Remove the door from its hinges by tapping the hinges apart with a hammer and a pin tool or a screwdriver.
2
Locate the measurements of the mail slot on its packaging. Transfer these measurements to a piece of cardboard and cut it out to make a mail slot template. If your mail slot comes with a pre-made template, you can use it instead of the cardboard template.
3
Measure 36 inches up from the bottom of the door and make a mark with a pencil. Measure the length of the door (from knob side to hinge side), while holding the measuring tape at the 36 inch line and mark the middle of the door.
4
Center the mail slot template over the middle mark on the door with the long sides parallel to the top and bottom of the door. Trace around the template with a pencil.
5
Drill a hole at each corner of the traced mail slot with a 3/8-inch drill bit to make a starting point for the jigsaw. Insert the jigsaw into one of the drill holes and cut along the traced lines to make the mail slot opening.
6
Sand down the cut edges of the door with fine grade sandpaper to make them smooth to the touch. Wipe off the sawdust with a microfiber cloth.
7
Place the front face of the mail slot over the slot opening on the exterior side of the door. Align the long edges of the front face of the mail slot and make them parallel with the top and bottom of the door. Draw in the screw holes on the front face with a pencil. Do the same on the interior side of the door with the back face of the mail slot.
9
Insert the mail slot sleeve, if you are installing one, into the opening on the door.
10
Hold the front face of the mail slot onto the exterior side of the door and align the screw holes. Fasten the front face to the door with screws.
11
Hold the back face of the mail slot onto the inside of the door and align the screw holes. Fasten the back face to the door with screws.
12
Place the door back onto its hinges. Tap the hinge back together with a hammer and pin tool.
Things You Will Need
- Hammer
- Pin tool
- Screwdriver
- Cardboard
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- Drill
- 3/8-inch drill bit
- Jigsaw
- Fine grade sandpaper
- Microfiber cloth
- Paper towel
Tips
- If you find that your mail slot is letting drafts into the house, remove the interior mail slot face and install a draft excluder around the perimeter of the slot opening. Then reinstall the mail slot face.
- You can also remove a door by taking off the hinges, which are attached to the door with screws.
Warnings
- Always wear safety glasses when cutting with a jigsaw.
- Do not attempt to cut the mail slot out of the door while it is still on its hinges. Failure to remove the door prior to cutting could result in an uneven cut or physical injury.
References (2)
About the Author
Alexis Rohlin is a professional writer for various websites. She has produced works for Red Anvil Publishing and was one of the top 10 finalists in the 2007 Midnight Hour Short Story Contest for OnceWritten.com. Rohlin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in English from Madonna University.
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When mail sits in a mailbox that is mounted to the side of your house, it can pose a security risk. Identity thieves can take bills and bank statements out of the mailbox and use your information to steal money from you or open accounts in your name. Mail piling up in the box while you're on vacation also tips thieves off to the fact that you're away. You can resolve this issue by installing a mail slot and basket on your garage door. When tackling this project, follow Post Office regulations when placing the mail slot.
1
Position the template of the mail slot provided by the manufacturer onto the inside of the door where you're installing the slot and basket. Create your own template out of a piece of cardboard if no template is provided, using the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Follow regulations issued by the U.S. Post Office for the mail slot, which state that the slot must be placed at least 30 inches off of the ground, have a hinged flap on the top edge, and must be at least 7 inches long by 1 1/2 inches high.
2
Mark the corners of the template onto the surface of the door. Draw lines between the four corner marks to connect them, using a level as a guide to keep the lines straight.
3
Drill a 3/8-inch hole into each corner of the box you drew on the door. Position the holes so that they're on the inside edges of the lines. Wear safety goggles when drilling the holes. The type of drill bit you use for this depends on how the door is manufactured. If the door is wood, a standard drill bit will suffice. If the door is constructed of vinyl, aluminum or steel around a foam core, use a titanium drill bit to drill the holes. Titanium also works fine on wooden doors.
4
Cut a hole for the mail slot into the door with a jigsaw. Cut the hole by starting in one of the drill holes and sawing the door along the line that is connected to the next hole. Wear safety goggles when using the jigsaw. If the door is made of steel or aluminum, use a jigsaw blade designed for cutting metal.
5
Door Mail Slot Basket Catcher
Drill pilot holes for the outer and inner face plates of the mail slot onto the door. If the manufacturer provided a template, use the marks you made when marking the template on the door. If no template was provided, hold the plates against the door over the hole you cut and mark the screw holes onto both sides of the door. Vinyl, aluminum and steel doors are 2 inches thick, but wooden doors with inset sections may be too thin to install plates on both sides of the door. If this is the case with your door, only install the outer plate.
6
Screw the outer face plate onto the front of the door, using the provided mounting screws. Install the inner face plate with the provided mounting screws, unless the door is too thin for an inner plate.
7
Drill four evenly-spaced pilot holes on the inside of the door just underneath the mail slot.
8
Place a screw hook into each hole underneath the mail slot. Using screw hooks enables you to remove the basket when you want to open and close the garage door, or if space in the garage is limited.
9
Hang a wire basket onto the screw hooks. Use a basket that is at least as long as the mail slot, and at least 12 inches deep.
Things You Will Need
- Cardboard
- Level
- Drill
- 3/8-inch titanium drill bit
- Safety goggles
- Jigsaw
- Metal-cutting jigsaw blades (for metal doors)
- 4 screw hooks
Tip
- Installing mail slot sleeves in between the face plates can give the mail slot a more polished appearance.
References (2)
Resources (3)
About the Author
Carson Barrett began writing professionally in 2009. He has been published on various websites. Barrett is currently attending Bucks County Community College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in sports management.
Photo Credits
- Digital Vision./Photodisc/Getty Images
Garage Door Mail Slot Basket
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