Still putting your eye up to the peephole to see who’s at the door? Still letting your mail collect in the outside mailbox while you’re away? These two door items are a great place to begin a safety survey of your home and make adjustments.
You may be overdue for a peephole upgrade. With some of the door viewer devices on the market you don’t have to get close to the door at all. The technology can allow a clear view from as far back as 7 feet.
More importantly, newer peepholes expand the viewing area. You can see as wide as 132 degrees, taking in images to the left and right and below. So someone squatting below the viewer would be in sight, a terrific safety feature for anyone.
Mailslots haven’t changed much but are a really low tech line of defense most anyone with the right tools can install. The bottom portion of a window sash that is deep enough, also could serve well for a mail slot installation.
Let’s get started.
Materials and Tools for the peephole
- Peephole kit
- Tape measure
- Power drill
- 1/8” bit
- spade bit
- safety glasses.
Installation
- At the door carefully measure to find the center. Then measure five feet from the floor and mark the area.
- Put on safety eyewear. First, use the 1/8 inch drill bit and drill a pilot hole all the way through the door. Be sure you are standing level and the hole is straight. Most drills have a level built into the body that will allow you to see if you are angled dead on. The bubble in the level should be centered. Drilling this small starter hole will make it easier to work with the spade bit and prevent splitting the wood door.
- Swap the 1/8-inch bit for the spade bit. Insert the tip in the pilot hole and drill halfway through the door.
- Go to the other side of the door and with the spade bit drill completely through. You drill only halfway at a time to avoid splintering the door.
- Place the two parts of the peephole mechanism in the hole in the door, making sure that the proper piece is facing out. Screw them together. Use a coin to finish tightening.
While we are at the door, a great way to safeguard your mail and your home while you are away is with a mail slot built into the door. Mail doesn’t have to pile up in an outside mailbox while you are away, tipping off opportunists, and you don’t have to rely on someone to gather your mail for you.
Materials and Tools needed
- Mail slot kit
- Drill and bits
- Phillips head screwdriver
- Jig saw
- Slot sleeve
Installation
- Position the template that came in the kit on the flat surface in the center of the door.
- Using the template, mark the four corners of the slot opening. Use a straight edge and pencil and draw lines connecting the four corners.
- With the 3/8-inch bit, drill a hole inside each of the corners so the edges of the hole just touch the lines.
- Using a jig saw, start at one hole and cut out the opening, cutting from hole to hole along the lines.
- Hold the outside front face of the mail slot level over the slot. Mark the location for the attachment screws. Repeat this process for the inside face plate. If your mail slot comes with a template, the screw hole placements may already be marked.
- Drill pilot holes for all eight fastening screws.
- Insert the slot sleeve.
- Attach the front and rear plates to the door with the fastening screws.
