How To Remove Mailbox Post

Every summer, my husband takes a group of students to youth camp as part of his job as a youth government minister. In his usual way, two days before he was leaving, he decided to mow the g and exercise a bit of outdoor maintenance. And, as usually happens earlier he is getting ready to go on a trip, this happened.

Aye, that's our mailbox mail service. The post had been wiggly for a few weeks, simply we went through a period of rain a while dorsum, and we idea that it had loosened the footing effectually the mailbox. But, no, the post was broken down inside the ground. One attempt at packing dirt around information technology brought it down to the basis.

We fabricated a mad nuance to the hardware shop to pick upwardly the supplies to supercede the mailbox. We already had several of the items that we needed at dwelling house, merely nosotros needed the wooden mail service. Since the chapeau on the mailbox was also loose, we decided to become ahead and supercede it, too. Here are the supplies and directions on how nosotros replaced our mailbox post.

Supplies:

Mailbox mail service
Mailbox
Mailbox mounting board- This is a piece that fits under the mailbox to secure it to the postal service. Some hardware stores have these available in the mailbox section. If not, y'all can always cutting your own to size.
Screws for the mailbox (check the mailbox package for recommended size)
Power drill
Cement (one bag is sufficient)
Large saucepan for mixing cement
Level
Tape mensurate
Gravel (merely a pocket-size amount)
Shovel
Business firm numbers for mailbox (the kind that screws into the mailbox mail or the type that stick onto the mailbox itself)
Optional: post-hole diggers

This post details how we installed a new mailbox mail using cement. For installing without cement, the post-obit guidelines may exist used, omitting the portions that include the cement.

Start, begin by reading the USPS mailbox guidelines. I'chiliad linking to the site rather than posting here considering they may modify from fourth dimension to time, and it is always best to read guidelines like this for oneself. Find these guidelines hither. Have note of the required height of the mailbox and the distance of the mailbox from the curb. Jot these numbers downwardly because you lot volition need them during installation.

If the old post did not completely come out of the ground, begin by removing the old post. The previous owners of our home did not cement the mail service in the basis, and our basis was soft from recent pelting, then the post came out cleanly, howbeit broken. If the post is cemented into the ground or does not remove cleanly, dig it out of the ground.

Nosotros read several online resources and found that almost recommended cementing the post into the ground. Even though the previous owners did not, we decided to cement ours this time. We needed a bit larger pigsty to add the gravel and the cement. We put the postal service-hole diggers to work removing some of the dirt within the hole.

Add together a bit of gravel to the bottom of the hole. We did not add a set amount. The gravel is to add together a base for the cement. Be aware that the gravel adds to the height of the post. Nosotros had our post at the perfect USPS recommended pinnacle, but one time we added our gravel it inverse significantly. Dig the hole a piddling deeper for the gravel if yous are cementing the post.

Place the post into the ground, pushing it into the gravel equally much equally possible. Mensurate to see if the post is the recommended elevation. Remember to add a few inches for the mailbox.

Grab the level and make sure the mail is level.

Once we were satisfied with the results, we were ready to cement. Mix the cement as directed on the package. Place cement in the hole effectually the post upwardly to shut to the meridian of the hole. Permit dry out for 24 hours.

Fill dirt in around the pigsty.

At present, information technology'southward time to attach the mailbox. Using screws and the drill, attach the mounting board to the elevation horizontal portion of the post. Place the mailbox securely on the mounting board. Add screws to attach the mailbox firmly to the board. Depending on the type of screw, y'all may demand washers. Again, this is dependent on the type of mailbox and the screw size that you are using.

Lastly, be sure to attach your house number to the mailbox. This is required by the Postmaster, so don't forget this pace!

The entire process took us around 24 hours.