Care and Maintenance Instructions for your Premium Mailbox Product
As with all products exposed to the outdoor elements, your premium mailbox or mailbox accessory will require some periodic cleaning and maintenance to keep it looking nice and extend its useful life. The maintenance frequency depends on where you live and how well your product is protected from the sun and weather. Products in harsher environments require more frequent care. As a general guideline, if your product begins to look dirty or weathered, it’s time to clean it. Please follow these simple guidelines for the different materials used in your product:
Cleaning and restoring powder coated (painted) surfaces:
Rinse the surfaces with clean water to remove all debris and grit buildup. Gently clean the surfaces with a mild soap and water. To remove stubborn blemishes or to help restore the original finish or color, use an automotive wax or a light lubricant such as WD40.
Cleaning metallic finishes such as brass or copper:
Rinse the surfaces with clean water to remove all debris and grit buildup. Gently clean the surfaces with a mild soap and water. Do not use oils, waxes, lubricants, alcohol or solvents on these parts.
Restoring metallic finishes such as brass or copper to their original appearance:
Brass, copper and most other similar metallic surfaces will age over time and depending on the environment to which they are exposed. No two parts will age in the same way because no two parts are exposed to exactly the same environment. Green, red and brown hues that develop on the surfaces are not uncommon and are considered by most to add unique character to the product. If desired you can attempt to remove evidence of aging by stripping and repolishing the components. We recommend consulting a professional who specializes in restoring brass and other similar architectural materials for advice.
Prevention of Water Intrusion
All of Architectural Mailboxes’ products meet or exceed the United States Postal Service Requirements, including the water tightness test (UL 771 Rain Test). To prevent water intrusion, the Oasis and Oasis Jr. products are designed with more features than any other like product on the market, including a seamless one piece top shroud, rubber seals around both doors, and rubber gaskets between all mating joints of different body panels. Even though our products meet the test and include design elements that prevent water intrusion, leakage can still occur. To determine how water may be entering your mailbox, the first step it to try to follow the water path from where you find the water to where it may have entered. This will give you a clue about where the breach has occurred. Here are some steps to take to help prevent water intrusion:
1) Make sure there is no damage to the rubber door seals. Damage can be repaired using small door sealing foam strips commonly available at hardware stores.
2) Make sure both rubber seals around the doors are fully engaged when the doors are closed. For the top door, the magnet stop can be adjusted inward and outward by loosening the screws that attach the magnet, moving the magnet in or out as necessary to allow the seal to engage the door, and tightening the screws. Make sure the door rests fully against the seal when closed to make the best seal engagement. For the bottom door, which is more exposed to direct rain, the door should pull tightly against the seal when locked. To fine tune the engagement, simply bend the cam very slightly in or out to make sure it pulls the door snugly when locked.
3) Make sure the mailbox is level. Water follows the path of least resistance and if the mailbox is not level, rain can follow an unintended path and possibly find its way into the mailbox.
4) Make sure there are no sprinklers aimed at the mailbox such that upward or sideways spray can reach the mailbox. In general, frequent sprinkler exposure to your mailbox or post can not only cause leakage but also shorten its useful lifespan, as water promotes corrosion on any surface.
5) If all else fails, the Oasis and Oasis Jr. mailboxes have small holes at the bottom corners. Make sure these are free of obstruction. If water enters your mailbox for whatever reason, it needs a place to exit so it does not pool in extreme conditions. If your mailbox is installed in a column or pilaster, make sure at least one of these holes is not blocked.