Mail Slot Draft Cover
This week, while looking through Avista’s DIY Home Energy Savings Tips, one item stood out to me. “Find and plug draft leaks.” This is advice not only for the winter months, but in the summer, when we are trying so hard to keep the house cool while the temperature reaches 100 degrees outside.
My old 1910 house leaks like a sieve, and this is an ongoing project for me. A couple of weeks ago, I placed gaskets inside my electrical outlets and light switches. Before that, I installed door sweeps along the bottom of my front and back doors.
Magnetic Mail Slot Covers include a flexible magnetic sheet material which allows mail to be easily placed through slot openings with little resistance. The sheet then closes shut immediately to prevent any air drafts created by typical exterior mail slot doors. Mail Slots and Mail Slot Cover for Doors Add a beautiful touch to your home while discouraging mail theft by installing a classic mail slot. Mail slots with a spring-loaded cover prevent drafts, and adding a sleeve will ensure your mail slides through easily. Available in solid brass or bronze in a variety of finishes. Magnetic Mail Slot Cover includes a flexible magnetic sheet material which allows mail to be easily placed through slot openings with little resistance. The sheet then closes shut immediately to prevent any air drafts created by typical exterior mail slot doors. A magnetic receptive material sheet with an adhesive back is provided for wood door applications.
We moved into my house in January 2019. It was cold outside, and we kept feeling a large draft near the stairs.
It was the mail slot on the wall next to the front door. One tiny metal flap that taps against the house when it’s windy is doing a fairly poor job of keeping out the drafts.
Our initial solution was to stuff paper towels in the slot. But after the mail comes, if we’re not home that doesn’t do us much good, since the paper towels and the mail are now on the floor.
I’ve been looking for something to cover this with since we moved in. I’ve checked hardware stores and searched on the internet, but I haven’t really found a good cover for these. I finally found something online that I hope will work.
It’s a mail bag. Its made from quite thick material, so I’m pretty sure it can keep out the drafts. I placed two Velcro strips above and below the mail slot. Then I attached the bag. Super easy solution—It didn’t even require me to use any tools.
This solution is also pretty handy, since it collects the mail in a bag instead of all over the floor.
Lisa, an Avista customer, bought her 1910 house because she loved the old-world character, some of which doesn’t make her house very energy efficient. Lisa is sharing her experience on taking some simple do-it-yourself improvements to inspire others to do the same. You’ll find her stories right here every Tuesday morning.
No really, I’m serious. What could be the longest running international joke between the US and those Canucks to the North is an actual bona fide product. It would be like West Virginia creating an outhouse that played dueling banjos while you went, and calling it the “Deliverance Model”. Whether it was poor (or good) commercial sense to name Canadian-produced insulated mail slots Draft Dodgers is up to you, but its design is pretty cool.
These mail slots come in two halves that are adjustable to complement doors 1 9/16 inches to 3 1/8 inches. However, as with most things in life a little engineering can make these mail slots fit any door or wall size. I recommend T-Rex duct tape, which you learn about in a later post, but the Draft Dodger distributer has their recommendations as well.
Mail Slot Draft Covers
What sets the Draft Dodger apart from ordinary mail slots is their insulation and dirt stopping barrier. Both interior and exterior flaps are insulated with seals to keep the cold air out of the house and the hot air in. Not only are these mail slots insulated with seals around the flaps but also with a thick layer of brushes between the two flaps. This added line of defense keeps dirt, air and peeping Tom’s (or in my case Jane’s) out. It has more defense and filtering agents than the pentagon, or so wikileaks seems to suggest.
The body of the Draft Dodger is made up of heavy duty plastic, and, protected metal flaps help keep rust at bay. Top that off with nylon torsion rods which double as springs for the flaps and you’ve got a sealed insulated mail slot that can handle those fierce Saskatchewan winters and even those not so fierce in Palm Beach Florida.
Mail Slot Draft Cover Letters
Draft Dodgers come in two models and two sizes: The Sleeveless Surface Mount and the ELITE Draft Dodger (also known as the ….well I leave that blank to avoid any uproar). Both of these come in regular letter size but the Elite also comes in a magazine size, which is 1 3/8 inches wider. You also get 6 more color choices with the Elite and a larger swing of about 35 degrees on the flap. The Draft Dodgers web site looks like it’s still a work in progress (the photos section has moderately creepy teen and surfing dog photos), but the site does provide the basics on both models and their finishes. The cost is a modest 35 dollars for the Sleeveless and starting out at 47 dollars for the ELITE model. With prices like these we could all afford to dodge the draft.