4 Reasons to Choose Decorative Mailboxes

For some people the mailbox is an afterthought, but for others it matters. For those customers we always recommend a decorative mailbox. Decorative mailboxes have many virtues but it’s important to know

they’re not just for the style conscious. Here are four reasons to consider decorative mailboxes for your home in Orlando or the surrounding area.
 

1.       The look. Without a doubt the biggest reason to use decorative mailboxes is simply to create the perfect look. Decorative mailboxes range from traditional to modern styles, built of the highest quality materials and always made to stand out. They come in a wide variety of metal finishes with decorative elements including the address numbers/name letters, the posts, the boxes themselves and the fine details. Decorative mailboxes are available for single residences, duplexes, and apartments or office buildings with dozens of slots. The point with all of these choices is to give a mailbox that does more than just hold the mail—it adds to the overall look of a high class operation and adds to curb appeal. The mailbox is one of the first things you see as you approach, and investing in a nice one is worthwhile.

2.       To make your place easier to find. How much does your home or office stand out from the others around it? How clear and visible are the address numbers? A decorative mailbox can solve both these problems. Decorative mailboxes always stand out and can make a home easier to find or a business more noticeable. Many feature large, tasteful address numbers or separate, matching address plaques that can be mounted on the door or wall. People will definitely spot you.

3.       To match the surroundings. What do you do if your business is in a historic neighborhood? What if your home used to have a beautiful vintage mailbox, that’s no longer usable? What if you simply want to match your mailbox to a classic aesthetic or to area streetlamps and benches? While not all decorative mailboxes are in antique styles, many are and they allow you to put a brand new, secure mailbox in an area that features historic elements. You will match your surroundings and uphold the image you want while still getting a great modern mailbox.

4.       Quality. Decorative mailboxes are generally high end mailboxes made to last. The locks and doors are secure, the entire mailbox is welded to be water-resistant, and the finish will outlast the cheap paintjobs of big box store mailboxes. A high quality mailbox will last longer without the problems of fading, rust, leaking or water damage that lower quality mailboxes will experience. 

What kind of mailbox style are you looking for?

Incorporating Your Mailbox

Welcome to March, the time to be preparing for April because the warm weather will have definitely arrived by then and it will be Lawn & Garden month.  While people are always focusing on their flowers and flower beds there is a part of many people's landscapes that unfortunately goes overlooked or which people get stumped by.  This common item which exists on many people's properties is the good old mailbox.  Many people sadly don't do anything with their mailbox and let it stick out like a sore thumb which takes away from the rest of their landscaping efforts.  The reality is there are numerous ways to make your mailbox far more attractive than it is and make it work with the rest of your property so that it isn't an eye-sore.

If you have your mailbox on a post then there are several ways to make it more attractive.  First one you can do is turn the surrounding area into a flower bed.  Then plant a flower in front of it which when fully grown will be almost up to the bottom of the container.  On the back plant an attractive climber which can cover the post from the rear.  Now instead of having an unattractive mailbox sitting alone it is surrounded with flowers and looks far better.  You can also install a decorative mailbox that goes with the flowers or your overall landscaping theme. 

In addition to planting flowers around your mailbox you can try painting it different colors.  The best way to do this is find flowers with colors that will complement your mailbox's colors.  These flowers don't even need to cover the post, the aim with this approach is to create a color design that is appealing to the eye and not make the mailbox feel alone and out of place.  If you're looking for an older more rustic style you can search for a wooden mailbox.  A wooden mailbox can be allowed to age and then have vines growing up its post which will give the feeling of being slowly reclaimed by nature.  Just make sure you're mail stays protected.

Another way to incorporate your mailbox is by moving away from the traditional post.  Plenty of people have found success by having the pillars at the end of their driveway which match the house's architecture work as locations for their mailboxes.  They can be embedded in the pillars or hang off the front of it.   This removes the need of the mailbox being its own entity and it blends right in with your existing landscape.  There are many more variations for implementing your mailbox into your landscape, so share pictures with us of what you've done!

Refurbishing Your Community

It’s a new year, and while the ground may still be frozen, now is a good time to start figuring out what you need to do when it has thawed.  For those who are a part of a Home Owners Association, there is most likely lots of planning and work coming up for the new year.  As the winter weather melts away to spring there will be maintenance and upkeep work all over the community.   Roads and driveways will need to have those pot holes filled, and any other damage from the cold elements will need attention. 

In addition to repairs and cleaning properties up for spring, now may be a good time to replace elements of the community that have grown old and seen better days.  One object which can often be overlooked, but is important, is mailboxes.  They bear the brunt of the weather year round and eventually time takes its toll on them.   Ordering new mailboxes may seem boring, or unimaginative, but there is actually a surprising amount of variety out there.  These days you can choose the style of each part of the mail box and the material it is made from; for example you can have a cast aluminum mailbox post, with an Atlantic mailbox that has a copper finish. 

Another thing that needs to be given more attention by a lot of home owner communities is the gutters and shingles of the houses.  The freezing and melting process, especially if there has been a lot of snow, often causes damage.  Broken gutters can cause water to pool in unwanted locations which leads to water damage.  Shingles that have broken down can also lead to moisture accumulating in the roof or lead to leaks.  Letting any of these issues fester will only lead to exponential repair costs down the road. 

Lastly, check your buildings’ foundations.  Especially if the properties are older or if water has a penchant for pooling next to any building.  If people have basements, but rarely use them, then it is easy for water leaking in and pooling to go unnoticed.  This can lead to all sorts of problems if not fixed expediently.  It can cause more damage to the foundation, it can create a breeding ground for unwanted pests and if the basement is used for storage it can cause water damage to residents’ belongings.

Decorative Mailboxes: Two Tales of Mailbox Theft and Vandalism

Watch out…your mailbox can be stolen or vandalized.

Decorative mailboxes are an absolutely crucial part of any home, business, or organization. Some decorative mailboxes have a strong history with the nearby community. Take the famous Van Dorn mailbox in front of the Yankee Pedlar Inn, for example. 

This Van Dorn mailbox model is one hundred years old. When these mailboxes were first installed in Torrington, Connecticut during 1911, many of the mailboxes were quickly uninstalled because they were considered to be unattractive. However, some of these mailboxes remained. 

At the Yankee Pedlar Inn, the mailbox was removed from the sidewalk. The owner of the inn, named Sanjay Patel, has been doing his best to retrieve the mailbox. He has spoken to people from the historical society for assistance. 

It is believed that this mailbox served as a reminder and characteristic of the downtown area.

Unfortunately, mailboxes can be vandalized. In Manalapan Township, New Jersey, a mailbox which was estimated to be worth two thousand dollars was spray painted with two lime green circles. The vandalism of this expensive mailbox must have occurred sometime on August 24^th or August 27^th, according to the owner. 

If you have noticed a recent outbreak in vandalized mailboxes in your neighborhood, it is important to call the authorities and to receive as much information as you can about the suspects. There are options you can take, such as lining your mailbox with cement so that it is smash-proof. You could use PVC piping as well. If repeated use of vandalism occurs, you can always resort to a video surveillance system which can assist you in tracking down the culprit. 

In both of the above cases, any of these ideas would have been helpful ways to prevent mailbox theft or vandalism from occurring. At the very least, the video surveillance would have helped both cases to discover either who stole the mailbox at the Yankee Pedlar Inn, or who spray-painted the two thousand dollar mailbox in Manalapan, New Jersey.