letterbox II

A letter box can be a sizeable hole in the exterior door. For exact measurements see the new EU regulation : DIN EN 13724 Postal services - Apertures of private letter boxes and letter plates - Requirements and test methods. A snip at only 103.30 €

A letterbox is the only part of a property that is publicly accessible 24 hours a day and exposes the premises and its occupants to all four main risks defined by the Insurance industry: from fire, water damage, malicious damage and weather-related damage.

Fires can easily be started via the letterbox, water from an outside hosepipe can do great damage, other nasty things can be dropped through one and then of course there's the risk of burglars getting in by fishing for the key or undoing a latch etc.

There is a web site out there that gives detailed instructions on how to construct a tool to open doors. But I'm not putting the link here, as it might give thieves the wrong idea !

There are various safety devices available to reduce the risk:
             a cover                               a fire retardant cover           mans best friend

       

Another solution is to make or get a free standing one ..