With a new build or renovation, it is best to decide on your letterbox early, because the spot on the facade or in the wall affects the finish of your home. With the Fenix and the WALL there are two distinct solutions: a recessed letterbox that disappears into the brickwork and a design letterbox that sits on the facade or the joinery. On this page you can read how to make a well considered choice.
With a new build home, the letterbox is often fixed as soon as the facade or the cavity wall is being built. If you choose a built-in letterbox, you provide the necessary recess in the masonry or the cavity wall at the moment when the brick is still accessible. The Fenix is such a built-in letterbox: it disappears into the facade and shows only a sleek front. That requires coordination with your architect or contractor, but it delivers a facade in which nothing protrudes.
A surface-mounted solution is more flexible in timing. The WALL is a design letterbox that you place on the facade or on a joinery profile, even after the finishing is complete. That makes it interesting when the facade is already sealed, or when you would rather show the letterbox visibly as an architectural element instead of letting it disappear.
With new builds, orientation comes into play as well: the spot where the postman delivers along the street side determines where the letterbox logically goes. Coordinate that with the entrance, the path and the accessibility, so that mail delivery continues to run smoothly according to the guidelines that bpost applies.
With renovation, the wall is rarely pristine anymore, and that changes the consideration. If you still want a built-in letterbox such as the Fenix, then a recess must be made in the existing facade. That is possible, but it requires more preparation and skilled work than with a new build. Discuss with your contractor whether the construction of the wall allows it.
Often a surface-mounted model is then the calmer choice. You mount the WALL on the existing facade or on the joinery, without breaking into the wall itself. You keep the existing facade and still get a neat, contemporary front. For renovations where the facade has just been painted or insulated, that is a practical advantage.
Both the Fenix and the WALL are made of aluminium and available in a wide colour palette of more than 2000 RAL shades, so that the letterbox can match the joinery, the facade brick or can set a deliberate tone of its own. If you want a parcel compartment or a combination lock, that depends on the model and the version you choose; an authorised sales point helps you determine the right variant.
A letterbox is a small element with a long lifespan, so it pays to look at design, installation and use together. Think about the height at which the postman delivers, about the space for larger envelopes, and about how you yourself empty the letterbox. A built-in letterbox is usually emptied from the inside, while a surface-mounted model can also work with a door on the street side.
Material and finish determine how the letterbox gets through the seasons. Aluminium is easy to maintain and keeps its line, provided you choose the finish and the installation correctly. Place the letterbox in a sheltered spot where possible, and follow the regulations of bpost and your municipality for the delivery of mail.
Are you unsure between built-in and surface-mounted, or between the Fenix and the WALL? Start the selection guide and answer a few targeted questions about your facade, your timing and your wishes. That way you arrive faster at the model that suits your new build or renovation.
Further reading: Built-in letterbox · Design letterbox · Start the selection guide
With a new build you often choose a recessed letterbox such as the Fenix, which disappears into the facade and is provided for early in the shell construction. With a renovation, a surface mounted model such as the WALL is more practical, because you place it on the existing facade without demolition work. Both are available in aluminium and over 2000 RAL colours.
Frequently asked questions
Go through the selection guide or find a recognised dealer near you.