Copper Mailbox

A Buyer's Guide For Choosing a Copper Mailbox

When planning the look of your home you should not just stop at the house itself, in fact one often overlooked area to make a statement about your style is the mailbox. This area is often the first thing people visiting your home see, so you’ll want to make sure that your personal style is incorporated into your choice of mailbox. One great way to really show your own personal style is to install a copper mailbox. Using copper is not only unique, it gives you many different options to chose from.

Copper is a beautiful metal and has been used for centuries. This is because the metal is very durable and can be used in any climate, in fact one advantage it gives you over other materials is that it will not rust. It can even be used near the ocean as even the salt won't corrode it. This means that once you have your initial investment you most likely will never have to replace your mailbox again. This added value is why many people choose to go with copper.

You can also have a variety of finishes when you choose a copper mailbox. For example there is the polished look which is done with a light coat of non toxic lacquer. This type of finish serves several purposes. One, it keeps the mailbox smudge free helping it to retain that freshly installed looked and two, it keeps it from getting a patina finish that happens naturally to copper. Having the copper finished this way keeps it looking new and shiny.

If you choose not to have it top coated then you can look forward to the natural aging process of copper. This is known as patina. Patina is the natural coloration and aging of copper due to weathering. It does take many years for a copper mailbox to begin to get that look and many people buy a copper mailbox just because it will get that aged look to it. Patina is a green shade very close to a sea green color. In fact you can look at the Statue of Liberty to see the shade of green it will turn as she is also covered in patina.

Once you have decided on the finish you will need to determine what size copper mailbox you are going to need. Keep in mind your everyday mailing needs. For example do you need to mail lots of packages or do you receive several magazines each week? You may decide that a larger mailbox is going to be the best solution for you instead of the standard size. A good rule of thumb when deciding on the size is that you will never be upset because you have to much room in the mailbox, so err on the side of caution and choose a larger size.

Once you have decided on the size and the finish for the copper mailbox you then need to decide where to install it. This should first be done in accordance to your local post office's requirements so you will need to check with them to get the required location to install it and the required height. Try to make sure it is in a prominent place so when you are giving directions you can say "look for the copper mailbox"  - what a statement that makes.