Letterbox for composite door

[AgedTawnyPort]

We have inherited a composite door, only ever had wood before.

Is there any way you can have a traditional letterbox on this sort of door.

Like this rather than this.

If not does anyone know where you can get a nice letterbox for this type of door. I have r placed everyelse with polished nickel coated brass but am stuck on the letterbox.

I think that the letterboxes are fitted during the fabrication process so the most you could do without damaging the door would be to change the exterior flap. You'd have to find something that fits exactly.

Btw - we have a traditional letterbox and it is nowhere near as wide as modern ones and a pain.to put most post through.

you probably can, but start by measuring the slot in the door. It probably has a metal or plastic sleeve fitted to prevent damp getting to the interior or the door.

A traditional letterplate has the brass flap hinged at the top and pushing into the slot, so the slot must be comfortably bigger or the flap will bind.

Remember that a burglar can push a simple home-made tool through the letterbox to turn a handle or key on the inside of the door, so the further away from the lock, the better. Mine is on a panel beside the door, on the hinge side, for this reason. Not many people deadlock the door and take the key out.

Thank you. I have measured the slot and it is too wide for the bolt centres on most 12” letterboxes so I would have to make the hole bigger and go with a 14” one.

It does currently have a sleeved thing in it. Do I need a sleeve? It just looks like foam which I presume I would have to cover.

The 14” one I have bought has also got springs for the flap that are proud of the back.

Piglet John how would I accommodate those - it can’t be a hole that big.

I think I have screwed up here 😂, my new outside light is polished nickel (I thought it was stainless steel) so I have bought polished nickel everything else including a mtm multi point door locking handle which cost £££££££.

I should have just stuck to chrome!

Wow fudge. The construction of those sleeved things seems different. No screw holes as the front and back screws into itself so a traditional flap will always have to be bigger because it has bolt holes within the width of the flap (have painfully learned this in the series of purchases and returns in recent weeks.

The back of the one currently in my possession looks like this, if it were a wooden door Wouldn’t you just chisel out a bit for the springs but you can’t do that here can you.

the bolts don't have to go through the slot. They will hold it more firmly if they go through holes drilled at the sides of the slot.

I have an idea I've seen the sleeves sold separately, a place that sells letterplates may have them.

Look at IronmongeryDirect which has a very large range

If you know the maker of your door you could ask for their fitting instructions

Look at buying a cordless jigsaw.

Sorry PJ I probably don’t make a lot of sense.

The cheap thing that is in there has got the bolts going through the slot but my new one needs holes for the bolts which is fine.

I have got a jigsaw, not cordless but it will do. I am just a bit worried that a hole big enough to get the spring / hinge bit in will be massive.

You only need an angled cut at the top outer edge of the slot, for the hinge spring. If you got a chippy in he might possibly use a router. You don't need to enlarge the whole slot.

A trick for clearance cuts is to smear the spring with lipstick, then press the letterplate into position, the lipstick will mark the door where it touches and needs to be cut away. It can also be done with candle soot.

Thanks, that makes sense. I will measure it and probably have a go ... if not my builder guy started off as a carpenter so he might do it when he is here for something else.

Thanks very much.