How to Protect Your Mailbox from the Snowplow

Looking forward to holiday mail? You may want to add a little protection to your home’s mailbox before the neighborhood snow plow puts a stopper on its receipt. A little protection can prevent a sudden halt in mail service - and the need for you to replace your meager mailbox in near-Arctic temperatures.

What’s the Best Way to Help Your Mailbox Survive the Snow Plow?

1. Dig Deep.
Make sure your mailbox mount is installed at least one foot into the ground (the deeper the better), encasing it in cement for extra support.

2. Bolster Your Box.
Opting for thick metal posts over wood. Brick and stone surrounds likewise boost visibility and better protect your box. (Just be sure to check local homeowner’s, postal, and city ordinances before your grand redesign.)

3. Go For the Big Reveal.
Shovel around your mailbox after a heavy snowfall, aiming for at least 2 feet in each direction, giving the snow a better path and preventing your box from bombardment.

4. Put Some Bling On It.
Boost visibility with reflective flags and markers.

5. Practice Defensive Maneuvers.
Defend your box with specialty hardware designed specifically to outwit vandals and snowplows, such as…

• Metal Snow Shield
  Inexpensive and simply designed mailbox snow shields can help you eliminate the need for winter mailbox repair.
• A Mailbox Swing
  This joint connects your box to the pole so that, if hit, it will absorb the impact and swing the box 360 degrees around, minimizing damage.
• Boom System Style Posts
  Solutions such as the SwingClear install in minutes, and works similarly to the above swing, but without the full rotation.
• Snow Deflector
  Snow deflectors, such as Mailbox Buddy, are easily stored in the spring and erected each fall. Anchoring in the ground with a 5-foot T-post and U-straps, simply slide the lightweight, weather-resistant shield into place for protection from snow – and plows.
• Postal Wedge
  Installed easily with a post-hole digger and a tamper, the structural steel design of the Postal Wedge offers protection against snow plows, weather, vandalism, and more.
• SlopBuster
  The SlopBuster absorbs and redirects snow thrown from plows, withstanding up to 600 pounds of force.
• Adding Steel Rods as a Mailbox Snow Shield
  Installed at least 1.5 feet away from your box on either side, sinking steel rods and encasing them in concrete makes for an effective deflector. Paint them brightly to further boost visibility.
• Make Your Own Wooden Mailbox Shield
  Looking for a DIY mailbox protection solution? The folks in Holland, Michigan have a few ideas.

6. Go Postal.
Request a variance from your local post office if snow plow damage is a frequent occurrence. Though post office stipulations advise your box must be located between 6-8 inches from the curb face/street edge, setback variances are possible –as is the potential swap to a drop-box or mail slot.

Did your new mailbox installation turn out to be a swing and a miss? Count on the trusted services of Mr. Handyman to put things back together fast. You can request service from Mr. Handyman near you or call and we can help you weather your winter worries.