Picture the scene: it’s Saturday morning and after a busy week at work you have been looking forward to enjoying a lie-in. The alarm has not been set and everything is peaceful; that is, until the sound of the letter slot opens and post falls to the floor, waking the dog who barks at the postman and then proceeds to chew on your newly delivered credit card.

If you live in the type of property that allows for it, then you might wish to consider buying and fitting an outdoor letterbox. Aside from the awkward scenario mentioned above, there are many other valid reasons for looking into the purchase of an outdoor letter box, some more prominent than others.

Firstly, there is the issue of security for both your home and the mail inside your letterbox. Identity theft is a growing concern and would-be thieves who would normally snatch mail from the floor via the letter slot are more likely to be deterred by the sight of a securely locked mailbox. Thieves who are not deterred by the mere sight of the mail box will soon find it incredibly difficult to retrieve any mail via its front aperture, thanks to an internal restrictor bar fitted just inside the unit.

When it comes to your home’s security, an outdoor letterbox allows you to benefit from not having a letter slot in your front door. The lack of a letter slot instantly prevents criminals from being able to reach into your property and, with the aid of a grabbing tool, potentially take items such as car keys or wallets that may have been left close by. Additionally, the lack of a letter slot means that arsonists are unable to push any lit and potentially dangerous items into your house. External, standalone mailboxes can also be constructed so that they are arson proof, with the fitting of an internal fire extinguisher that activates once the temperature reaches a specific level.

Outdoor letterboxes are made from very tough metal such as iron or aluminium. At Lettasafe, we specialise in high quality cast aluminium letterboxes designed to withstand extreme weather conditions. Once deposited into the letterbox, your mail is safely protected from damage from wind and rain. Standard door postbox models, on the other hand, are at risk from water damage in the event of heavy rain or flooding; the mail simply falls to the floor where it can become waterlogged.

An outdoor postbox is also an ideal option if you live in a property where there is some distance between the main road and the house, or if your boundary is marked by a fence or wall. External post boxes can also be fitted either directly on to a wall or affixed to a post.