Somebody went too fast down my street and took out my mailbox. Whoever it was didn't make the gentle turn in front of my house, jumped the curb, and sheared off the metal mailbox post at ground level. Unfortunately their car was still drivable, so they drove off. Come springtime a new metal post will be installed in new concrete. Can't do that right now for obvious reasons. What have you all done to replace a mailbox in the middle of winter?
Winter mailbox post replacement?
- Thread starter sciphi
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Put a post in a five gallon pail and half fill it with concrete.
The 5 gallon pail method seems to be the most common around here.
I would go get a drain or trenching spade with a long handle and install a new post and mailbox.
trenching spade from Lowes:
trenching spade from Lowes:
Sounds good. Another question: Should the concrete be mixed and left to freeze, or brought inside to cure?
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I would go get a drain or trenching spade with a long handle and install a new post and mailbox.
trenching spade from Lowes:
Go ahead and try that in frozen ground. Let me know how far you get.
I would go get a drain or trenching spade with a long handle and install a new post and mailbox.
trenching spade from Lowes:
Go ahead and try that in frozen ground. Let me know how far you get.
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Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I would go get a drain or trenching spade with a long handle and install a new post and mailbox.
trenching spade from Lowes:
Have you ever tried to dig up frozen ground with one of those?
I like the big pail and concrete method. Then when the ground thaws, bury the pail and concrete in the ground, with more concrete and a little bigger hole. In the meantime, you can place several cinder blocks around the pail and post, to protect it from the lousy driving mailman.
You can even paint words on the cinder blocks..... like No Bills Here
Originally Posted By: skyactiv
I would go get a drain or trenching spade with a long handle and install a new post and mailbox.
trenching spade from Lowes:
Have you ever tried to dig up frozen ground with one of those?
I like the big pail and concrete method. Then when the ground thaws, bury the pail and concrete in the ground, with more concrete and a little bigger hole. In the meantime, you can place several cinder blocks around the pail and post, to protect it from the lousy driving mailman.
You can even paint words on the cinder blocks..... like No Bills Here
Last edited:
+1
But make sure the finished height above the curb is not too tall. Silly Postal regulations.
But make sure the finished height above the curb is not too tall. Silly Postal regulations.
Had that happen last winter. I used a five gallon bucket and supported post by using two 40# bags of sand I purchased at our Bomgaars store.
Cure the concrete inside during freezing weather.
Yup, don't allow concrete to set in freezing temperatures. It comes out weak & crumbles easily.
I had my mailbox clamped to a sawhorse for a couple of weeks back after one blizzard of the '90s.
A 5 gallon bucket just filled with sand should work fine. If you want concrete (which will work even better), keep it from freezing while curing (minimum of three days). You're not going for a permanent solution, so I'd just use the sand.
And as for the spade - good luck if the ground is frozen. Maybe a pickaxe...
If you want a permanent fix now, rent a ground heater, then reset the post and keep in warming blankets for a few days. Not worth the cost or hassle, but hey, if you need it done now... This is BITOG, isn't it?
And as for the spade - good luck if the ground is frozen. Maybe a pickaxe...
If you want a permanent fix now, rent a ground heater, then reset the post and keep in warming blankets for a few days. Not worth the cost or hassle, but hey, if you need it done now... This is BITOG, isn't it?
Check out this boat anchor mailbox idea
http://www.pinterest.com/lakeside87/porch-mailbox-ideas/
Looks pretty indestructible/
http://www.pinterest.com/lakeside87/porch-mailbox-ideas/
Looks pretty indestructible/
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