Mail slots are convenient for mail carriers, but intruders may also take advantage of them. Burglars are known to slip wires and cords through vulnerable mail slots (or even a hand) to unlock front doors.1 Other potential breaches can occur with weak front doors and dark corners of your home’s exterior. After all, what is a mail slot but a covered hole in your door?
In order to keep thieves out, here are some tips about fortifying your mail slot and upgrading the rest of your home’s safety.
Did you know that 81% of burglars enter through the first floor, and 34% enter through the front door?1 Picked locks may be the first vulnerability that comes to mind, but another major cause for concern is mail slots.
Avoid choosing a new door with a mail slot. It’s too easy for someone to stick their hand or use a wire to open a lock. It’s also important to choose a door with shatterproof glass so someone can’t smash their way into your home.
The best security doors are heavy and solid to resist kicks and prying. You might also want to consider a screen door or sliding door lock to keep intruders out. Installing your new door isn't too difficult, but you can find professionals in your area to help out if you choose an especially heavy door.
When installing a new door, you can do it one of two ways: by calling a professional or doing it yourself. If you’d like to try your hand at installing a new door on your own, you can follow a step-by-step tutorial or watch a video if you’d rather to see it than read it.
Did you know that 81% of burglars enter through the first floor, and 34% enter through the front door?1 Picked locks may be the first vulnerability that comes to mind, but another major cause for concern is mail slots.
Not in the budget to buy a new door package? Consider covering your mail slot to reduce your risk of tempting an intruder. You can go to your local hardware store and have a piece of thick metal cut and drill holes into your door to cover it or have someone cut a piece of wood to make a plug for your mail slot.
No matter the method, you should ensure that the inside and outside of your door’s mail slot are covered so thieves can’t just pry it off from the outside and work their way in. Make it weather-friendly and add to your home’s heating and cooling efficiency by adding a layer of insulation between the plug or covers. You can even get creative and find a decorative filigree to glue on top to hide the plug once you’re done.
Mail slots are pretty rudimentary. More secure options now exist that can protect your home and mail better.
DuraBox is one brand that’s great. It is installed on the inside of your door so it can’t be tampered with and has a metal locked box that holds you mail.
No intruder will be able to worm their way in by putting a wire or hand through the mail slot. This is completely enclosed, so it’ll be a dead end and a big safety upgrade to your front door.
Mail slots create a hole in your door that goes against the grain, weakening the door’s integrity. If someone tries to take advantage of your door’s weakness and kick it down, a second deadbolt can provide support and protection from them succeeding.
If you decide to install a second deadbolt, do three things: put it in a place that isn’t within arm’s reach of the mail slot, reinforce it so burglars can’t pop it out, and choose a model that has good customer reviews.
Depending on what your door is made out of and the tools you have one hand, you might be able to install a second deadbolt yourself. You can find out how with convenient tutorials or by calling an expert.
There are a lot of deadbolts to choose from today—including locks with traditional keys to more sophisticated options with key pads. Pick a deadbolt with good consumer reviews and high safety standards.
Smart locks give you and your family keyless entry to your home and keep out intruders. You can find smart locks with deadbolts and locking mechanisms like keypads. With all the control to your lock on your phone, you can lock and unlock your home from anywhere.
Air vent diverters control the flow of air coming out of a vent, but they can also be cheap and effective ways to help prevent a burglar from violating your space. Place a plastic, shatterproof diverter at the top of your mail slot on the inside of your door. This stops thieves from reaching upwards with their hands or wire contraptions.
There are hoods specifically designed for mail slots. These can help provide the same or better protection as an air vent diverter, but are usually more expensive. That’s because mail slot hoods are often made of metal instead of plastic and provide a stronger material to deter thieves.
This is a very quick fix and not something you should do long-term. If you don’t have time to fix your mail slot right away or burglar proof your front door, you can tape a piece of cardboard, metal, or plastic over the inside of the slot.
Use something strong like Gorilla Tape and make sure to put out a mail box since the carrier won’t be able to fit anything through the slot. Using tape isn’t the sturdiest solution, but it’ll do in a pinch.
If you don’t want to give up having a mail slot on your door and don’t feel like installing a backup deadbolt, it’s essential you worry about where the slot is in relation to your lock. It should not be in line with the knob or door. Otherwise, you run the risk that a potential thief could use the mail slot to reach up and undo the lock. Place the slot low to the ground and in the middle of the door or to the side opposite the lock.
Add stronger hinges or other reinforcement products will strengthen your doorways and make break-ins harder for intruders to complete.
You can also purchase devices that go across the inside of your door to prevent people from busting through your door. Door clubs are a type of these protective devices that are cheap, easy to put up and take down, and can enhance your home’s security.
Good lighting is a sure way to keep trespassers away. If your front door has a bright light that you keep on at night, they won’t want to stand in the spotlight while trying to break in. The same goes for windows and other doors around your home.
Trim back bushes to remove potential hiding places for intruders.
Add lighting around the perimeter of your home to illuminate dark corners where people might lurk. You can even get motion sensing lighting to give someone a jolt if they’re wandering onto your property and discover they’ve been seen.
One sure way to keep your home safe is with a home security system surrounding your door. Smart locks can help secure your door against threats. Cameras with motion sensors near your door might pick up when someone is attempting to stick their hands or objects through the mail slot or cracks of your door.
A home security system with monitoring can help alert the authorities as soon as it picks up strange activity around your door.
You could consider an independent motion sensing alarm or a motion sensor light. The alarms can be noisy, but they can be programmed to sound when a larger object crosses its field of view, so it won’t have too many false alarms.
The exterior of your home is its first line of defense. It helps protect you and your family from the outside world and an unsecured mail slot could compromise that protection. Try some of these 12 solutions to fortify your home and keep burglars out.
1. Nick Gromicko, CMI, and Kenton Shepard, International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, “Burglar-Resistant Homes." Accessed July 10, 2020.
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