Letterbox: Frequently asked questions

There is a good selection of letterboxes in the range. They all work the same way, as two parts of a set, one for inside and one for outside. They all have a weather seal and draught seal. They are all have a sheath to fit through the door, and are all suitable for UPVc or wooden doors.

My letterboxes are my flagship product, so I don't sell a "budget" one. They are all of professional quality, with aluminium openers and a high quality weatherproof finish. As with all things, you get what you pay for, and there are a couple of models which are manufactured to a higher standard, but they really are all excellent.

The exact dimensions of each model are...

Description	Price	External size	Min hole size	Aperture size	Door thickness	Opener
12" Polished gold	£13.68	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" Polished gold	£13.68	272x70	228x43	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" Polished gold (gold trim)	£15.00	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" Polished gold (gold trim)	£15.00	272x70	228x45	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" Satin aluminium	£13.68	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" Satin aluminium	£13.68	272x70	228x43	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" White	£13.68	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" White	£13.68	272x70	228x43	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" Black	£13.68	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
12" Silver (silver trim)	£14.88	305x70	262x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" Silver (silver trim)	£14.88	272x70	228x43	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" Chrome	£16.80	305x70	261x43	254x37	37-80*	170°
10" Chrome	£16.80	272x70	227x43	222x37	37-80*	170°
12" Top of the range (gold)	£28.80	304x70	262x41	254x36	38-54*	100°
12" Top of the range (silver)	£28.80	304x70	262x41	254x36	38-54*	100°
12" Pro quality (gold)	£47.52	309x76	260x45	252x35	38-79*	180°
12" Pro quality (chrome)	£47.52	309x76	260x45	252x35	38-79*	180°
12" Pro quality (satin silver)	£47.52	309x76	260x45	252x35	38-79*	180°
Standard commercial (stainless)	£67.26	312x70	258x45	256x43	37-**	100°
Large commercial (stainless)	£86.40	334x100	278x72	278x62	37-**	100°

Sizes in millimeters, width first then height. The door thicknesses are a range from the min to the max. (Show sizes in inches...)

Do you know the size of the hole in your door? ...

The "Opener" is the max angle to which the opener to go before it hits its stop. The Top of The Range letterboxes have a smaller angle, but the hinge is made of Stainless Steel so it is much stronger and not prone to breakage.

The "Min hole size" is the size of the hole you will need in your door. The hole can be larger than this, up to the external letterbox size. If your hole is bigger than that the letterbox won't cover. You should have a small overlap, but 2 mm is enough.

*Door thickness; See FAQ below for notes on door thicknesses, especially on the Commercial Letterboxes

Q. My door is only 30mm thick. Can I get one of these letterboxes to fit?

A. When you screw the front and back of the letterbox sections together they only go down the sizes shown above - between 36 and 38mm. However you can cut the section down with a hacksaw if you need to and allow for a thinner door. This doesn't show on the finished job or weaken the letterbox, although you won't be able to send it back to me after its cut if it doesn't work out.

Q. My door is thicker than that, can I make it fit?

A. The standard screws which come with the letterboxes are only long enough to accomodate doors up to about 55mm or 57mm thick. After that you need longer screws. Dont worry, though, we keep the long screws in stock all the time and will supply them free of charge if you tell us when you buy. If your door is more than about 67mm thick the only letterbox which will fit is the Top Of The Range model. The longer screws which come with the others don't stretch above that.

Q. I am in business fitting doors, and often fit letterboxes. Can I get a discount?

A. Discounts are available for tradesmen if you buy several at a time. Enter a larger quantity on the website and the correct prices will come up.

Q. If it doesn't fit can I send it back?

A. Yes, I will swap letterboxes for a different size or give you a refund if you send back the original in perfect condition and pay the postage charges. See our Terms and Conditions for details.

Q. What's the difference between a letterbox, a letterplate, and a faceplate?

A. In the trade the items I am calling letterboxes here are actually known as Letterplates. Letterboxes are in fact the boxes you would screw onto a post or a wall with an opening for the mail and a box to contain the letters. A letterplate, then, is an opening in the door to take mail comprising the inner and outer sections and a sleeve. That leaves the third option, a faceplate, which is a plate which screws on to the front of the door over the hole but leaves the back of the door to its own devices. I have used the term letterbox here because my research tells me that most people think of these things as letterboxes, not letterplates. Sorry if you are confused, but if there's one thing I've found out in this business it the fact that there are few standards and what standards there are are not taken very seriously. You can also buy a draught seal to screw onto the back of the door, but this will only work if you have a wooden door. Most UPVc doors are hollow so they need a sleeve to go through the door and stop mail from falling down inside it.

Q. I am not very good at DIY, is it hard to fit?

A. People put off fitting a new letterbox for literally YEARS! In fact I think if people knew how easy it is I would make a fortune selling new letterboxes to them. So...I have produced this instructions page to help you out. Go on, all you need is a mouse and a screwdriver.

Q. What's the problem with door thickness on Commercial letterboxes?

A. The commercial letterboxes come with an intumescent liner. This is a set width of just under 38mm so that it fits a door of that thickness perfectly. There is no problem fitting a thicker door, but contact me first because I will have to supply a suitable intumescent liner.