The History of the Mailbox

You may be surprised to note that mailboxes were not common until the 1900s. In fact, it wasn’t until 1923 that it was required each house have a residential mailbox or letter slot.

During the early 1800s nearly all letters in the USA were taken to the post office to be mailed. Similarly, each individual had to check with the post office to see if they had received any mail. During the second half of the 1800s, mail started to be delivered to citizens in cities, and eventually, to everyone. There was a period when USPS employees delivered to the citizens themselves, rather than the house. Due to this, the mail would be delivered across the same area multiple times a day. This is when mailboxes began to be encouraged and eventually, required.

At the beginning mailboxes didn’t even have any mandates when it came to size and shape. This meant that individuals could use nearly anything for a mailbox. Now there are many requirements when it comes to your mailbox, such as height, door size, and more.

Mailboxes have gone through many changes through the years. Residential mailboxes can come in all sorts of styles, including locking mailboxes. Mailboxes may be manufactured from plastic, wood, and more. Cluster box units were developed to serve many individuals in just one, single box. It has been suggested in recent years that door-to-door delivery be replaced entirely by CBU delivery to save on money. This has been met with a lot of protests.

Mail delivery is an important part of US history. The mailbox allows for both outgoing and incoming mail. It provides storage for all types of items; a postcard from a relative overseas, a letter from a family member, a business letter for employees, advertising for companies, a package ordered online, and more. The mailbox is incredibly important, even if it has been around for a shorter time than any of us thought. It is so essential, in fact, that one may have believed it had been around as long as the US Postal Service. 

Advantages of CBUs

You can’t look into the USPS without finding articles and opinion pieces revolving around ways to assist with their financial struggles. There have been a multitude of proposals, from eliminating Saturday delivery to adding postal banking to all post offices. Another idea that has been thrown around is the idea of eliminating door-to-door delivery. What this means is that in future developments, all mailboxes will be cluster box units. In some cases old developments may even be encouraged to make the switch. If you aren’t familiar with CBUs, we’re here to explain all the fantastic advantages that come with them.

Most American citizens are aware of the USPS financial situation. Due largely in part to declining mail volumes and a law requiring the Postal Service to pre-fund retiree health benefits, the USPS rarely makes a profit. In fact it turned a profit this financial quarter for the first time in five years. However, without further reform, it is unlikely that this is a trend that will continue. With this in mind, one must consider the amount of money the USPS would save by switching to CBU delivery. CBUs allow letter carriers to make fewer stops, thereby saving time and money. Instead of walking around an entire block to deliver the mail, a letter carrier would be able to stop at just one CBU and service the entire block. This would make mail delivery much faster.

CBUs are also much safer than traditional mailboxes. The typical door-to-door mailbox has no type of lock or security. This opens you to the possibility of mail and identity theft. Citizens are particularly vulnerable around tax season, when thieves are seeking tax documents and checks. They may go through all mailboxes on the block, or just mailboxes with the outgoing mail flag up. CBUs require a key to gain access which creates an extra barrier between thieves and your mail.

Another advantage of CBUs is that they remove headaches for ordinary citizens. With a typical residential mailbox, you have to maintain it. You must make sure the post is secure and that the mailbox is painted. You have to mow and shovel around the post. Depending on where you are, you may even have to shovel a path to your mailbox or risk the letter carriers refusing to deliver your mail. With a CBU, all those hassles disappear. All you have to do is walk (or drive) to the CBU, take your mail, and go.   

Residential mailboxes go through a lot of use, and often they will show it. CBUs are designed to be

more resistant to use and the elements, especially if they are made for outdoor use. A CBU will not require painting and regular maintenance. Not only is this good for the mailbox, but it is good for mail and parcels too. With extra protection parcels and mail are less likely to get wet and damaged from the elements.

This final advantage we want to discuss today admittedly will not apply to all CBUs, but it will apply to some. Many CBUs do not have only tenant mail compartments, but parcel lockers as well. This eliminates the need for you to make a trip to the post office to pick up your packages. It also means your packages won’t be left on the porch for all to see. Packages are secured in a durable parcel locker, accessible only by key.

There are many reasons why CBUs are a great option. If you encounter them at your next home, give them a chance before you write off these high quality units.  

Frozen Mailbox Locks

It may be a mild winter across much of the USA, but that’s not the case for everywhere in Canada. In fact, many of the outdoor community mailboxes have frozen in the cold weather! While we are used to car locks and car doors freezing, it’s not so common to have our mailboxes frozen shut.

Some Canadian citizens have resorted to de-icing fluid to get into their mailboxes, with mixed results. Canada Post has advised residents to contact them directly, rather than attempting to get into their mailboxes themselves out of fear of the mailboxes being damaged.

This has been a problem for many citizens who are waiting for checks, medications, and important documents in the mail. In addition, letter carriers are also unable to access mailboxes, so even if residents do get into their mailboxes they will likely be missing some of their mail.

Frozen locks aren’t the only problem Canadian residents have had to face this winter. Some community mailboxes have been challenging for citizens to get to at all. This is due to a buildup of snow and ice blocking some of the mailboxes.

The decision to end door-to-door delivery and replace it with outdoor community mailboxes was already fairly unpopular across the country, but this has only made matters worse. Citizens are left asking why mailboxes weren’t outfitted with better locks, or built under an enclosure. Others are asking who is responsible for clearing the snow and ice. Some even complain that making their way to the mailboxes is dangerous because of snowy and icy conditions.

There have been few reports of similar conditions happening here in the USA, though of course outdoor community mailboxes are less prevalent here compared to Canada.

Hopefully temperatures will soon be on the rise and residents will begin getting back into their mailboxes.

Decorating Your Mailbox: Christmas

Looking for a way to spruce up your mailbox for the holiday season? We have some great tips for decorating your mailbox for Christmas!

Residential Mailboxes

·        Add a Christmas themed mailbox cover to your mailbox. Many retail locations sell these, making this a very simple way to decorate.

·        Wrap lights around the mailbox post, or even on the mailbox itself. Remember that your letter carrier must be able to get access to the mailbox when you are doing this! The colors of lights you use depend on the theme of your yard. Multi-colored, white, and blue lights are all popular for Christmas decorations.

·        Use elements of a wreath, or even a wreath itself! Adding swags of pine to the sides or on top of your mailbox will give it a very festive look. With some mailboxes it may even be possible to hang a small wreath on the mailbox itself.

·        Attach outdoor decorations to the top of your mailbox. There are many small decorations that you may choose from. Try decorations such as wrapped presents, santas, and more.

·        A very easy way to make your mailbox more festive is to wrap some garland around your mailbox post. It will add extra festive color to your yard.

·        Attach a bow to your mailbox. This can be on the post, or the face of the mailbox itself. Just remember to keep the mailbox accessible!

Cluster Box Units

What you can do with CBUs is a bit more limited and depends on what authority you have when it comes to the units. Once you know what you are able to do, here are some tips!

·        For CBUs that have flat tops, you can easily place Christmas themed items along the top. If it is outdoors the decorations should be weather-resistant. This idea works best for indoor units, on top of which you may place any type of Christmas knickknack.

·        Some CBUs are more decorative and may have slanted tops. Depending on the top, you may be able items to the tops such as bows.

·        Some companies have created holiday decals. These decals can stick to all sorts of surfaces. Place them along the sides of your CBUs!

·        Many CBUs have shorter posts. If yours has a longer post, you can attach garland or lights to it like you would a residential mailbox!

We hope that these ideas were helpful! Happy Holidays! 

CBUs VS Door-to-Door Delivery

Recently, there has been a great deal of discussion regarding which method of delivery is better. On one hand, there is door-to-door and curbside delivery, which has been around for many years. On the other hand, there is cluster box unit delivery, which is already common in apartments, but not in neighborhoods with individual homes. Yet door to door delivery is something that has been phased out in other countries, and could be phased out in America as well. Today we are going to look at the pros and cons of making a switch to CBUs.

Cluster Box Units (CBUs)

A cluster box unit, also known as a CBU, is a single structure that holds multiple individual’s mail. This type of mail delivery is very common with apartments. A letter carrier gets access to the entire unit and is able to deliver multiple people’s mail in one place. This way, a mail carrier can deliver a handful of people’s mail at once instead of walking from door to door. This unit is placed in a centralized location to be accessed by many people.

Door-to-Door and Curbside

Both door-to-door and curbside delivery has been commonplace for a very long time. Door-to-door and curbside both see letter carriers delivering mail to individual homes. The only difference is with door-to-door, they must walk to each door while with curbside, letter carriers can often drive from mailbox to mailbox. Curbside is fairly common in more rural areas with rural letter carriers, but is also in cities.

Pros

The biggest pro to switching to CBUs is that it will save a great deal of money. According to the USPS, CBUs will cost $160 per address a year, versus curbside which is $224 and door-to-door which is $353. That is a huge cost difference. This is because letter carriers are using less gas, their vehicles are lasting longer, and mail delivery takes less time.

Another great pro for CBUs is security. With standard residential mailboxes, there is no type of lock. Mail can easily be accessed by any individual that thinks to open the mailbox. This can lead to stolen mail and sometimes even stolen identity. With a CBU, the only people with a way in are the letter carriers and the individual’s who have a key for their mailbox.

Cons

A big flaw with CBUs is that while many people can walk a block to retrieve their mail, individuals who are elderly or disabled often have a much harder time. This is even truer in inclement weather, such as rain and snow. It could lead to this demographic getting hurt, though some have proposed that if CBUs are installed there should be exceptions for the disabled and elderly.

Another flaw is that CBUs have an initial cost that is fairly expensive. Not only that, but it is not entirely clear who would be responsible for maintaining the CBU. This includes not only keeping snow away from them, but keeping them in working order.

One of the biggest concerns that have arisen in other countries is the actual placement of the CBUs. Many believe that CBUs will end up being placed in areas that are unsafe for individuals to access. This is an issue that has been raised many times in Canada as CBUs are installed. Many people worry about safety from passing cars, or the neighborhood itself.

So as you can see, there are pros and cons to installing CBUs instead of using door-to-door delivery or curbside delivery. If the cons of cluster box units are considered and addressed, they can be a great cost efficient method of handling mail delivery.

Mailbox Shopping Guide

Looking to buy a new mailbox? We’ve compiled this nice, handy guide to help you out.

Residential mailboxes:

The most basic step is to decide if you want a wall mount mailbox or a post mount mailbox. Depending on where you live, there may be regulations stating exactly where your mailbox must be placed.

Next, choose a style of mailbox you like. Choose something simple, something styled, or something unique. We recommend you choose a type of mailbox that fits well with the type of home you have.

Follow instructions when installing your new mailbox. The USPS has some posted guidelines HERE.

Commercial mailboxes:

First, you need to figure out who is going to be distributing mail to your mailboxes. Is it the USPS, or someone else within the building? Commercial mailboxes may come with a postal lock or a private master lock. Always be sure the units you are looking at are USPS approved.

Now you have to calculate how many tenant doors you need. This is the big determining factor in what options you have. You need to know this, and also how much space you have for your unit(s).

Next decide if you want your unit to be wall mounted, or if you need a pedestal. Wall mounted units can accommodate more tenants than a pedestal unit. Pedestal units generally can serve only 16 tenants, maximum. Pedestal boxes can be easily installed outdoors to concrete.

Determine what type of unit you want in terms of style. Do you want something standard, or something decorative? Do you want to include a parcel locker, or handle package delivery with another method? Once you choose a unit all that’s left to do is buy and install!

Looking for a commercial mailbox? We have plenty of options at DirectClustermailboxes.com! You can check out our main site, PostalProducts.com, to find a link to residential mailboxes.

Decorative CBUs

Have you ever considered using decorative cluster box units instead of the more standard ones? They offer the same security as standard CBUs, but with a more attractive design. All these decorative CBUs are powercoated over durable stainless steel. Today we’re going to feature several of our different designs for your consideration.

12 Door Decorative High Security Cluster Box Unit

This stylish CBU will add appeal to new developments, and are a great way to upgrade old ones! It is available in black, bronze, green, grey, and white. It features 12 tenant doors and one parcel compartment.

16 Door Decorative High Security CBU

This beautiful CBU is easy to install, with the mounting pedestal included! Make your building look upscale with these quality decorative CBUs. This item includes 16 tenant doors plus two parcel compartments.

These two items are the main designs for our decorative CBUs. For most of our decorative mailboxes, the bases and tops are sold separately. You can follow this link to see our full selection. Consider adding some elegance and flair to your cluster box units! 

All About Us

On this blog we have covered a lot of topics, such as mailbox maintenance, safety tips, and USPS news. What we haven’t talked about much is our own products on DirectClusterMailboxes.com!

However, we have a lot of products to choose from, and featuring specific cluster mailboxes is a fairly daunting task. Instead, we’re going to choose the different categories of mailboxes you, the customer, have to choose from.

F-Spec Cluster Box Units

These USPS approved Cluster Box Units are perfect for your centralized mail delivery needs. Our cluster mailboxes are secure and durable, approved throughout the USA in all types of weather conditions. We realize how paramount it is that everyone’s privacy and security is maintained when it comes to their mail. Because of this, we’ve designed our units to be as safe as possible. Follow the link to browse our large selection.

Decorative Cluster Box Units

Our decorative units offer all the same durability and security of our standard units. The only difference is the design. We carry six standard colors to choose from, which is powdercoated over the stainless steel units. If you are in need for a Cluster Box Unit but want something that is more formal or decorative, than these are the units for you. If you are interested in exploring all the styles we have to offer, simply follow the link above.

Outdoor Parcel Lockers

Our outdoor parcel lockers come in two forms: free-standing and wall mount. The locker style of these units allow for larger parcels to be delivered securely to your building. We have multiple color and door options. Packages are being sent more and more frequently, and that seems unlikely to change. Invest in keeping these items secure.

CBU Replacement Parts

 Sometimes accidents happen or parts need to be replaced. That is why on our site we offer CBU replacement parts. We carry keys, locks, doors, and conversion kits. Ordering replacement parts as you need them is extremely important to maintaining the security of your unit. Follow the link to see all we have to offer!

CBU Decals

Use custom mailbox accessories to identify specific units. Our decals are weatherproof, meaning that no matter what conditions the units are faced with, the cluster boxes will be able to be easily identified. 

And there you have it! Those are our main categories of products on our site. Don’t stop there, though. Go ahead and browse further!