Last updated: March 29, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Letterboxes are essential, but they can too often cause irritation when they rattle and flap in the wind. If you’ve found that your letterbox is causing you to grate your teeth or turn the TV up, you might be wondering what you can do to fix it. Here are some of the best ways to stop a letterbox from rattling.
IN THIS ARTICLE
5 Ways to Stop a Letterbox Rattling
1. Using Magnets
Most letterboxes are made out of metal, so you can keep them shut using little magnets. This allows post through the letterbox but helps to keep the breeze out and prevents your letterbox from flapping in adverse weather.
You can purchase small neodymium magnets online with ease, and these can be used to seal the letterbox shut until it needs to be used. You’ll need around 4 for a secure seal, but 2 could work too if you don’t live anywhere particularly windy.
To use the magnets to properly stop your letterbox rattling, you will need:
- A metal letterbox cover
- Magnets
- Glue or something to adhere the magnets to the door
- Felt
- Magnetic metal fragments
You will want to attach the felt to the inside of your metal letterbox cover. This alone will help to reduce the noise when the wind causes the flap to move. From there, attach the magnets to the front door using a strong adhesive.
Once the magnets are attached, mark down on the felt where they will meet the letterbox protector. Using an equally as strong adhesive, you will then need to attach shards of a magnetic metal (i.e., an old saw, tin cans) to the felt in the corresponding places.
This should hold the letterbox protector closed, even when the wind is strong. If the rattling noise coming from your letterbox continues, and you have another moving part within your letterbox, you may wish to do the same procedure to this flap too. Alternatively, there are other methods that you can try to reduce the noise.
2. Using a Towel or Rag
Not everyone has the money or time to spend on fixing their letterbox with magnets and shards of metal scrap. If you need a quick fix that will prevent the majority of the noise caused by moving parts in your letterbox, a tea towel, flannel, or rag will do the job.
This method, whilst effective, does create a draft. If your home is quite cold, or you don’t wish to let a breeze in, it’s worth considering a different method. If a small breeze is worth the peace and quiet, then all you need to do is fold your rag or fabric up so that it will fit into the hole of the letterbox and slip it through.
A piece of fabric that is long enough to thread through with a reasonable amount of length on both sides will work best, as this will be able to stop rattling in either direction.
3. Check the Springs
A letterbox will usually have springs which are essential in order for the letterbox outer flap to be able to move properly. Sometimes, after years of wear and tear, these springs can rust away or become damaged.
To check to see if your letterbox springs are the issue, open the outer flap and examine the corners. You should be able to spot the springs – if they’re there. You will see that they’re an orange-brown colour if they’ve started to rust. If they’re loose, you may notice movement.
Should you see either of those things, it is a sign that your letterbox springs are likely the cause of your rattling. To fix this, there a few things that you can do. First and foremost, you can use coins to stabilise the outer flap.
If you glue a coin to the inside back of your letterbox flap, you should find that this helps to stabilise the flap. You might want to use a resin or something over the coin to keep it flat and prevent letters from attaching themselves to it.
4. Check the Bristles
Letterboxes have bristles on them that help to reduce access to the home and work to prevent a draft. Sometimes, though, these come loose. When this happens, bristles can drop down and prevent the flap from closing completely. This can then lead to issues with rattling and can also cause a draft.
When this happens, you can trim away the dropped bristles with scissors, or, if too many have dropped to be able to clear them away, you can simply remove the bristles and replace them with a new set.
5. Replace the Letterbox
As with any DIY project, if you don’t feel you know what you’re doing, or you are concerned that it isn’t going to work – or if it doesn’t work – there is always the final option of simply replacing the item.
Letterboxes can be bought for quite cheap online and can be relatively easy to fit. Alternatively, you can hire a handyman to fit the new letterbox for you if you’re not sure what you’re doing or don’t have the time to be messing around with your front door.
This also gives you the opportunity to pick one which is less likely to cause so much noise. You may opt for a letterbox with less metal, or with a basket on the inside to collect your post, for example.
