Installing a Mailbox
Post
By: Mark J. Donovan
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Over the years I have had to install several new 4x4
mailbox posts. Initially I tried just digging a hole, sliding it in,
backfilling it with loose dirt and eyeballing it for straightness.
In recent years I have learned a few techniques for
increasing the longevity of the mailbox post and increasing its aesthetic charm.
Below are instructions for installing a mailbox post the right way.
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First go to your local Home Improvement store and purchase
a pre-fabricated pressure-treated 4x4 Mailbox post to your liking. Also pick up
an 80lb bag of Sakrete concrete and a 2.5gallon bucket. Next find two stakes
about 1.5’ long and two 1”x3” boards about 6’ long. A screw gun and level will
also be required. Also locate about a dozen hand size stones.
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Once you have identified the location for your mailbox, dig
a hole sufficient enough for the 2.5 gallon bucket to sit in comfortably. The
bucket should sit approximately 4 inches below the finished grade of the
surrounding area.
Now place and center the post in the bucket. Place the
stones around the post. This will help to roughly stabilize the post. Then screw
one of the ends of the 6 foot long 1x3s to the mailbox post, approximately 3
feet from the base. Repeat this process with the second 1x3 board, however place
this board 90 degrees opposite the other.
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The boards should lead out to the ground. Adjust the boards
so that the mailbox post is perfectly vertical. Use the level to confirm that it
is. Make sure you put the level on multiple sides of the post to confirm that it
is indeed level.
Next pound one of the stakes into the ground about 8 inches
from the end of one of the boards. Raise the board up a couple of inches (while
keeping the post level) and screw it to the stake. Repeat the process with the
other stake and board.
Next empty the contents of the Sacrete concrete into a
wheelbarrow. Add about a gallon of water to start and mix thoroughly. Add water
as needed until the mixture has the consistency of a thick cake batter. After
this is completed poor the mix into the bucket. Fill it right up to the top.
Then let the concrete sit up over night.
Once the concrete is hard, back fill the area with topsoil,
covering the bucket. Then remove the boards and stakes and apply some
grass-seed to the disturbed area. All that is left is to mount the Mailbox to
the top of the post and you are in business.
Find a Pre-Screened Contractor in Your Area
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