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  • Re: Fire safety inspection finds lack of letterbox brushes.

    From Scott@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Thu May 8 16:52:42 2025
    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:30:32 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a >requirement and they are missing.

    Very good. I removed mine to reduce the risk of letters being left
    partially inserted into the box. I would regard identity theft as a
    greater risk than a fire so far as the front door is concerned.

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  • From Tim Streater@21:1/5 to All on Thu May 8 16:03:55 2025
    On 8 May 2025 at 16:30:32 BST, "Mike Halmarack" <[email protected]> wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a requirement and they are missing.

    Looking at the other letterboxes the brushes are rigidly fixed
    internally between two aluminium flaps one outside, one inside.

    Ive seen YouTube videos of brushes in a plastic frame that screw onto
    the inside of the door frame but doing this would impede the inner
    flap.

    Effing letterboxes. And the sodding dogs behind them, sometimes.

    1) Letterboxes at floor level should be banned.

    2) Too many letterboxes are rubbish design, I dunno how Postie manages. You push open the flap, only to find that the internal flap has ridges of metal
    and other bits that impede the easy insertion of a leaflet, which catches on them. One gets the impression that none of the letterbox designers have ever tested their designs. Then there's the brushes which further impede matters.

    --
    “It is not the truth of Marxism that explains the willingness of intellectuals to believe it, but the power that it confers on intellectuals, in their attempts to control the world. And since ... it is futile to reason someone out of a thing that he
    was not reasoned into, we can conclude that Marxism owes its remarkable power to survive every criticism to the fact that it is not a truth-directed but a power-directed system of thought.”

    Sir Roger Scruton

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  • From Scott@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Thu May 8 16:21:04 2025
    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all fro

    Good because they are a complete ba*tard when it comes to leafleting
    at elections. They must be bad news for postal staff too, in the
    course of their employment.

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  • From Andy Burns@21:1/5 to Scott on Thu May 8 17:16:19 2025
    Scott wrote:

    Good because they are a complete ba*tard when it comes to leafleting
    at elections. They must be bad news for postal staff too, in the
    course of their employment.

    Was it jgharston who had created some sort of folding device to insert
    leaflets through letterboxes and release them once inside?

    He should have sold them ...

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Nick Odell@21:1/5 to All on Thu May 8 18:53:58 2025
    On Thu, 8 May 2025 17:16:19 +0100, Andy Burns <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    Scott wrote:

    Good because they are a complete ba*tard when it comes to leafleting
    at elections. They must be bad news for postal staff too, in the
    course of their employment.

    Was it jgharston who had created some sort of folding device to insert >leaflets through letterboxes and release them once inside?

    He should have sold them ...

    Who needs a folding device....?

    <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/27/ways-to-leaflet-safely-and-avoid-letterbox-injuries>

    Nick

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  • From Scott@21:1/5 to All on Thu May 8 19:51:55 2025
    On Thu, 08 May 2025 18:53:58 +0100, Nick Odell <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    On Thu, 8 May 2025 17:16:19 +0100, Andy Burns <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    Scott wrote:

    Good because they are a complete ba*tard when it comes to leafleting
    at elections. They must be bad news for postal staff too, in the
    course of their employment.

    Was it jgharston who had created some sort of folding device to insert >>leaflets through letterboxes and release them once inside?

    He should have sold them ...

    Who needs a folding device....?

    <https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jun/27/ways-to-leaflet-safely-and-avoid-letterbox-injuries>

    Thank you Mr Odell. We must be cheapskates. We just use a wooden spoon

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Adam Funk@21:1/5 to Mike Halmarack on Fri May 9 14:41:20 2025
    On 2025-05-08, Mike Halmarack wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a requirement and they are missing.

    Looking at the other letterboxes the brushes are rigidly fixed
    internally between two aluminium flaps one outside, one inside.

    Ive seen YouTube videos of brushes in a plastic frame that screw onto
    the inside of the door frame but doing this would impede the inner
    flap.

    Does it look like I'll just have to buy a new letter box?

    OK, I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Chris Green@21:1/5 to Adam Funk on Fri May 9 16:34:48 2025
    Adam Funk <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2025-05-08, Mike Halmarack wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a requirement and they are missing.

    Looking at the other letterboxes the brushes are rigidly fixed
    internally between two aluminium flaps one outside, one inside.

    Ive seen YouTube videos of brushes in a plastic frame that screw onto
    the inside of the door frame but doing this would impede the inner
    flap.

    Does it look like I'll just have to buy a new letter box?

    OK, I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    Presumably they reduce the amount of air that can be sucked in to feed
    a fire. ... or do they prevent nasty people pouring petrol in?

    --
    Chris Green
    ·

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From Andy Burns@21:1/5 to Adam Funk on Fri May 9 17:00:54 2025
    Adam Funk wrote:

    I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    If it is (and needs to be?) a fire door, then the letterbox is
    considered part of the door ...

    Or it could just be an overzealous service company doing landlord
    inspection and wanting to dish some maintenance work out to someone?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Roger@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Fri May 9 20:40:06 2025
    On Fri, 9 May 2025 17:00:54 +0100, Andy Burns
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Adam Funk wrote:

    I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    If it is (and needs to be?) a fire door, then the letterbox is
    considered part of the door ...

    Or it could just be an overzealous service company doing landlord
    inspection and wanting to dish some maintenance work out to someone?

    I have a friend who lives in a council flat. A few months ago
    the council had workers going around the estate making sure that
    the council's own flats had letterboxes with brushes and
    replacing those that didn't.
    --
    Roger

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  • From fred@21:1/5 to Mike Halmarack on Sat May 10 09:25:06 2025
    Mike Halmarack <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:

    On Fri, 09 May 2025 14:41:20 +0100, Adam Funk <[email protected]>
    wrote:

    On 2025-05-08, Mike Halmarack wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack >>><[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a
    requirement and they are missing.

    Looking at the other letterboxes the brushes are rigidly fixed
    internally between two aluminium flaps one outside, one inside.

    Ive seen YouTube videos of brushes in a plastic frame that screw onto
    the inside of the door frame but doing this would impede the inner
    flap.

    Does it look like I'll just have to buy a new letter box?

    OK, I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    A very interesting question.
    The fire safety inspector's report noted the unacceptable state of
    missing brushes.

    Is the door on a flat opening into a common area/stairwell? If so then I
    can see the validity of the requirement as I'd expect a fire door being required with intumescent strips and smoke control brushes round the
    perimeter. As stated up thread the brushes could control in/outdraught in
    a fire and limit smoke transfer to a degree. You might be lucky that they haven't made an intumescent letterbox a requrement. Is there a self
    closer on the door and does it have the appearance of a fire door (solid construction, wooden not pvc and any glass wired).

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From AnthonyL@21:1/5 to Tim Streater on Sat May 10 12:20:40 2025
    On 8 May 2025 16:03:55 GMT, Tim Streater <[email protected]> wrote:


    Effing letterboxes. And the sodding dogs behind them, sometimes.


    Oh I don't know. Many years ago when I was a Sunday newspaper
    delivery boy and the papers were big plus supplements one could have a
    great tug of war with the vociferous canine on the other side and
    after 5 minutes leave the resident with the remnants of their Sunday
    reading.


    --
    AnthonyL

    Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Max Demian@21:1/5 to AnthonyL on Sat May 10 18:11:06 2025
    On 10/05/2025 13:20, AnthonyL wrote:
    On 8 May 2025 16:03:55 GMT, Tim Streater <[email protected]> wrote:

    Effing letterboxes. And the sodding dogs behind them, sometimes.

    Oh I don't know. Many years ago when I was a Sunday newspaper
    delivery boy and the papers were big plus supplements one could have a
    great tug of war with the vociferous canine on the other side and
    after 5 minutes leave the resident with the remnants of their Sunday
    reading.

    Why didn't you just let the dog take the paper?

    --
    Max Demian

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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  • From AnthonyL@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Sun May 11 20:38:15 2025
    On Sat, 10 May 2025 18:11:06 +0100, Max Demian
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 10/05/2025 13:20, AnthonyL wrote:
    On 8 May 2025 16:03:55 GMT, Tim Streater <[email protected]> wrote:

    Effing letterboxes. And the sodding dogs behind them, sometimes.

    Oh I don't know. Many years ago when I was a Sunday newspaper
    delivery boy and the papers were big plus supplements one could have a
    great tug of war with the vociferous canine on the other side and
    after 5 minutes leave the resident with the remnants of their Sunday
    reading.

    Why didn't you just let the dog take the paper?


    Owner training!


    --
    AnthonyL

    Why ever wait to finish a job before starting the next?

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Adam Funk@21:1/5 to Chris Green on Mon May 12 11:35:32 2025
    On 2025-05-09, Chris Green wrote:

    Adam Funk <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 2025-05-08, Mike Halmarack wrote:

    On Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:29 +0100, Mike Halmarack
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    Whoops! To finish what I started.

    The recent inspection found only one fault with the door itsef, which
    I can fix. Another problem is the letterbox, which is currently
    standard across all front doors. The original internal brushes are a
    requirement and they are missing.

    Looking at the other letterboxes the brushes are rigidly fixed
    internally between two aluminium flaps one outside, one inside.

    Ive seen YouTube videos of brushes in a plastic frame that screw onto
    the inside of the door frame but doing this would impede the inner
    flap.

    Does it look like I'll just have to buy a new letter box?

    OK, I'll ask the potentially stupid question. What do letterbox
    brushes have to do with fire safety?

    Presumably they reduce the amount of air that can be sucked in to feed
    a fire.

    I suppose so. Maybe the technology has improved.


    We have had a letter box mounted on the front wall for years. I
    consider a slot in an outside door to be a significant security risk, especially with a thumbturn inside the door --- and I think for fire
    safety the most important thing is being able to open the outside
    doors from the inside without having to find a key.


    ... or do they prevent nasty people pouring petrol in?

    I don't see how that can work if you can "pour" letters through.

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)