Print This Article Post Comment Add To Favorites Email to Friends Ezine Ready

Enhance The Appeal Of Your Home With The Right Mailbox

By: John Morris Home | Home-and-Family | Home-Improvement


Today, mailboxes come in all sorts of designs. Anything and almost everything can be an inspiration for a mailbox design. From cars to airplanes, animals to buildings, these mailboxes are a beautiful site when displayed outside your home. They make a great welcoming piece to any home as well as adding a lot of charm and interest to your curbside.

I. Mailbox Selection Tips

1. Decide On Your Budget
Prices vary for different styles and materials used; do expect that the more intricate the workmanship is, the more expensive your mailbox will be.

2. Choose A Style You Like
Carefully examine your home's appearance and the garden that surrounds it. For example, if you have a country home, a country inspired mailbox is best. Also, if you are a dog lover, a doghouse mailbox can add more interest.

3. Ensure There Are No Sharp Edges
Adults and children could get hurt if they accidentally bump a mailbox with sharp edges.

4. Check All Hinges
Hinges must be secure, nothing is worse than a mailbox with a door that has fallen off. And there's no point in purchasing a mailbox with a flag indicator if it won't stay up or down properly.

5. Ensure Size
Make sure the mailbox will be large enough to handle small packages in addition to regular letter size mail envelopes. Also, be certain that the mail receptacle is sufficient for the mail that you usually receive.

6. Well Crafted
Inspect the workmanship well and make sure that all joints are neatly put together. Make sure too, that it is well painted and sealed. Your mailbox has to be prepared for all weather conditions.

7. Suited For Outdoors
A cast aluminum mail box is very durable and can withstand sun, rain and snow for years; this can be a good choice when picking out a mail box.

II. Enhance Your Mailbox With An Attractive Curbside Garden

- Choose a mailbox that will best suit your home. Find the right finish and the right design.
- Decide on a color scheme for that area of the garden.
- Secure the pole with concrete, so as to avoid wobbling.
- The bottom should be measured; it has to be forty two inches from the ground.
- Paint a design to the mailbox post, such as flowers and butterflies, if you love flowers, or paw prints if you are a dog fan.
- Terracotta pots with flowering plants and can add a little life to your curbside garden, as well as creating a pretty landscape.

III. Installation Instructions:

- Select a spot for your new mailbox and push the stake that comes with the kit for mounting.
- Carefully clip the magnetic torpedo level unto the side of the mailbox post and make sure that it is straight.
- The wooden support post should have a hole in one end that will fit over the metal post and secured to the ground. Tap the wooden posts end with a hammer to push and drive it onto the ground, making sure that it fits tightly.
- Using the screws, fasten the mounting bracket to the tip of the post. Check that all brackets must have pre-drilled holes for attaching the screws.
- Affix the support bracket with screws.
- Attach the wooden mounting plate atop the post with screws. Note that if there are no pre-drilled holes, you must drill some in order to prevent cracks.
- Assemble all the pieces of the mailbox, such as the door and handle and the flag.
- Drill the pilot holes and put the assembled mailbox on the mounting plate and fasten the plate by putting screws through the sides.

IV. Interesting Facts:

- The post office demands your street address number to be properly placed at the side of the mailbox, facing the mailman.
- If your home is situated at a corner and the box location is on another street, it is required that both numbers and street name will be on the box or the post.
- It is not required that you put your name on the mailbox, unless you want to.
- Offensive graphics or drawings intended to make fun of or ridicule an individual is forbidden.
- Advertisements on mailboxes are not allowed.



Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

About the Author:
For more great mailbox related articles and resources check out http://mailboxes.outdoorvista.com

Tags: , , , ,

Please Rate this Article

 

Not yet Rated

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Home-Improvement Articles Via RSS!

Recent Related Articles From Home-Improvement

  • Liquid Vertical Injection Machine
    By: Angela | Aug 24th 2010
    A liquid vertical injection machine for injecting wood preservative liquid onto railroad ties by injecting liquid through the unused spike hole or holes in a tie plate used to secure a railroad tie to a cross tie. Read

  • Dealing With Garden Pests

    While tending to my own garden, I have found that one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a gardener is to walk outside to check on your plants. Read

  • Setting Up A Garden Shed
    By: JessicaThomson | Dec 2nd 2009
    Setting up a garden shed is not a very difficult job and you can easily make it by reading the instructions which are mentioned above. You should try and be creative while choosing a place for the shed in your garden because thinking out of the box will provide a unique look to your garden. While buying or planning for a ga ... Read

  • Mounting Lights For The Best Effect
    By: Leroy K. Calstard | Feb 14th 2007
    With a budding artist in the house, you want to mount his paintings on your walls and bring attention to them. What better way than to use track lighting? Today's track lighting is as pretty as it is practical, and you have a wide range of styles to choose from.

    Even for the non-handy among us, track lighti ...
    Read

  • Mounting Lights Doesn't Need To Be Difficult
    By: Vince Paxton | Feb 14th 2008
    If you're like me then as soon as your child has drawn something beautiful then you simply have to hang it on the wall and display it for all to see. Trouble is many people fail to notice their work of art. Read

  • Adopt The Best Gnome For Home And Office
    By: Sofia Ferrai | Apr 29th 2010
    gardengnome world is at your service to supply you some of the exquisite garden gnomes you have ever seen. Order your garden gnome at exclusive price range to enhance the beauty of your home and office. Read

  • Adopt The Best Gnome For Home And Office
    By: Adams Smith | Jun 10th 2010
    gardengnome world is at your service to supply you some of the exquisite garden gnomes you have ever seen. Order your garden gnome at exclusive price range to enhance the beauty of your home and office. Read

  • Adopt The Best Gnome For Home And Office
    By: Adams Smith | Jun 17th 2010
    Gardengnome world is at your service to supply you some of the exquisite garden gnomes you have ever seen. Order your garden gnome at exclusive price range to enhance the beauty of your home and office. Read

  • Behind The Invention Of A Better Garage Storage Solution
    By: Chris Gill | Mar 7th 2009
    Ironsides Storage Solutions’ Holey Railâ" provides a window into how inventiveness and quality control can improve even the most innocuous items around your household. Read

  • How To Install A Security Camera With A Motion Sensor
    By: Zainab Al-Qaisi | Jun 2nd 2010
    The steps to install your security camera with a motion sensor. Read


Copyright © 2005-2011 eArticlesOnline, LLC - All Rights Reserved
Terms of Service | Privacy Policy