How to fix damaged letterbox?

handyrookie

Hi everyone,

 

We’ve just bought this property recently and the recent strong winds have left our letterbox in a bit of a mess. The wooden panels have come off and the box itself as is missing the lock. Since it’s concreted into the driveway, replacing the whole thing would be tricky so I’d love to see if I can repair it instead.

 

This is my first proper DIY project so I’m keen to give it a go. I’ve attached a few photos to show its current state.

 

Would really appreciate any suggestions on how to reattach or replace the timber panels and add a lock to make it functional again. 

 

Thanks heaps 😊

EricL

Hello @handyrookie 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your letterbox.

It appears that the panels used were artificial in nature because of the way they have broken up. If you look carefully, you'll see that they have split and cracked with no evidence of timber or fibre. I propose repairing the broken sections with real timber. I suggest using 140 x 19mm SpecRite Merbau Pre-Oiled Decking and cutting them to the same size as the panels that have broken off. You can recycle the screws that were used to attach the panels to the metal rails. 

For a more robust fitting aside from the screws holding the letterbox in place, I also suggest using Selleys 350g Heavy Duty Liquid Nails on the metal edge of the letterbox. This will permanently attach the letterbox to the panels of the structure. In regards to the lock I propose using the Taskmaster 19 x 30mm Drawer Lock. But just to be sure you have the right size, I suggest bringing the old lock with you and comparing it to the ones at the store to make sure you get the right size.

Please note that a bit of oil and tannin may leak out of the oiled merbau timber, this is natural and will take a few weeks for it to drain out naturally. But once it's settled you can then paint the Merbau panel in the same colour as the original.

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric