How to Install Mail Slots in Doors
Putting in a door-mounted mail slot is one way to avoid inclement weather or make life easier for those of us with mobility problems. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Choose a style of mail slot that fits your taste and home style. You can find mail-slot kits at most lumberyards, hardware stores or home centers.
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2
Decide on an appropriate height for placement of the slot. This may be determined by door design or physical requirements.
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3
Remove the door from its hinges by removing hinge pins, and place the door on saw horses or a handy work surface.
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4
Trace the pattern for the slot with a marker or pencil. Make sure that the slot is centered and level. Some kits come with a paper pattern to use, while others use part of the kit itself for this step.
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5
Drill a 3/8-inch hole in each corner on the inside edge of the slot layout you traced onto the door. These will be starting points for the jigsaw (saber saw) blade to fit into.
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6
Insert the jigsaw blade into one of the holes and follow the pattern around all four sides.
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7
Attach the outside faceplate (the plate with the flap) to the outside of the door with the provided mounting screws. The plate may be attached to the sleeve (a tube that covers the rough edge of the hole and passes through the door), or the sleeve may be a separate unit that you will fit by turning the door over and resting the sleeve inside the hole and onto the outside plate.
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8
Attach the inside plate to the door with the provided mounting screws.
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9
Consider mounting a basket to catch the mail before it hits the floor. Some manufacturers provide baskets. Make sure to put the basket low enough that magazines will be able to fit into the slot.
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10
Put the door back on its hinges.
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Tips & Warnings
In some areas you must have a medical waiver signed by a physician before the postal service will deliver to a mail slot. This is especially true in apartment settings that might have centrally located mailboxes.
