Seal up letterbox in front door

neilio

I need to dog-proof my post so I’ve purchased an external post box to attach to the front of my house so I can seal up the letterbox in my front door so no letters come through the door and get destroyed by my dog on the floor. I don’t want to buy one of those cages for the inside of the door. What is the best way to seal the letterbox? I thought I could buy a metal plate of some kind to replace the front flap but nothing seems to exist, so I’m hoping someone on this forum has some good ideas. Ideally it would look like a letterbox flap from a distance and be something I can remove in future if I decide to sell my house and reinstate the letterbox.

Doozergirl

Leave the letterbox on the front. 

Do something like stuff it with insulation so it doesn't open, screw a piece of wood over the inside hole and paint it.  

greenface2

what type of door . ? why not put a timber batton in between the front and back flap and seal it with some strong adhesive to each other . I would suggest fix-all high tack or sticks like SH*t. squwadge either side and press them together . Is squwadge even a word . It should be 

TELLIT01

I hope the external letter box is large enough to accept any package or large envelope which may be delivered.  My brother-in-law is a postie and is constantly complaining about not being able to put these in the external boxes.  It's not simply a case of the opening in the external box being the same size as the one in the door - the one in the door doesn't restrict the length of the item it can accept. You could end up having to do lots of trips to your local sorting office.

EssexExile

We had a dog like that, we put a letterbox in the garage door. Our front door is wood so I just put wooden panels over the hole inside and out.

Section62

neilio said:

I thought I could buy a metal plate of some kind to replace the front flap but nothing seems to exist, so I’m hoping someone on this forum has some good ideas.

Plating over the letterbox might not be the best idea... but if that is what you wanted then for something that could work search for "Finger Plate"

https://www.toolstation.com/stainless-steel-finger-plate-radius-corners/p85692

You'll need one which is large enough, and also suitable for outdoor use.

Jeepers_Creepers

Open letter flap on outside. Cut cardboard rectangle to fit neatly. Close flap, trapping card. Go inside, ditto. Before positioning the internal card, carefully fill void with expanding foam, position card and close flap on it

Later, make sign - summat like "The letterbox is to your right, you moron" - and stick it to the external cardboard should the postie still lift the flap and try and post through there.

Or, take close-up photo of your dog's toothy snarl, print that out and stick it to the cardboard instead. That'll make them learn faster.

grumbler

Section62 said:

neilio said:

I thought I could buy a metal plate of some kind to replace the front flap but nothing seems to exist, so I’m hoping someone on this forum has some good ideas.

Plating over the letterbox might not be the best idea... but if that is what you wanted then for something that could work search for "Finger Plate"

or, better, for letterbox blanking

Jeepers_Creepers

There really is a solution for everything :-(

GaleSF63

neilio said:

I need to dog-proof my post so I’ve purchased an external post box to attach to the front of my house so I can seal up the letterbox in my front door so no letters come through the door and get destroyed by my dog on the floor. I don’t want to buy one of those cages for the inside of the door. What is the best way to seal the letterbox? I thought I could buy a metal plate of some kind to replace the front flap but nothing seems to exist, so I’m hoping someone on this forum has some good ideas. Ideally it would look like a letterbox flap from a distance and be something I can remove in future if I decide to sell my house and reinstate the letterbox.

That would probably be a waste of time anyway if your dog is anything like mine was. She had the basket torn off the door in about 3 days. AND the flap that was originally on the inside of the door. 

I put a bit of sellotape on the letterbox (outside) for a little while till the postman got used to the box next to the door and never had any trouble except for some reason the person who delivered a local councillors newsletter always put it through the door.  The dog was welcome to that but she didn't seem interested.