Preparing Your Mezuzos For The Outdoors Is One Of My Highest Priorities When I Do A Mezuzah House Call.
Nothing destroys good mezuzos as much as the rain and the sun. I employ the best system that I know to make sure that your mezuzos surive in the weather conditions of the New York area.
What the weather does to mezuzos:
Although this white mezuzah case is fairly good at keeping out the water, over time, its ability to keep out the sun decreases.
Just as the sun turns this white case yellow, its rays slowly eat away at the mezuzah. Although I consider this to be one of the best outdoor mezuzah cases available, nevertheless, it should still be replaced every three and one half years. In addition to keeping the water out, it has the added benefit of being roomy inside, which makes it easy to fit the mezuzah in without cramming it in.
Some cases keep the sun out but don’t hold up to water. The mezuzah case in the picture below is called the Ledoros Mezuzah Case. It is a waterproof case but it doesn’t hold up well in the New York area. After several years, the finish will have peeled off. If you are in a somewhat dry area, this excellent case may be for you. I find this case to be very elegant. It comes in several colors, including a dark wood, a light wood, and a cherry wood. You can see the dark wood and the cherry wood in the picture below.
What I do to protect your exterior mezuzos:
I do three things to protect your exterior mezuzos.
1. I use a heat impulse sealer to seal your mezuzos in plastic tubing. I bring the heat impulse sealer along with me on all mezuzah housecalls.
2. I use outdoor mezuzah cases and replace them as often as my customers will agree to.
3. I do my best to pick the spot on the doorway that they will receive the least exposure to the elements while taking into account the requirements of the halacha.