| |
Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: 1 hour
|
|
| |
| Tools and Materials: |
|
Hacksaw or chisel, as needed
Cordless drill/driver
Masonry bit, as needed
Hammer drill (optional)
Wall anchors or special masonry screws, as needed
Short deck screws, as needed
Stud finder, as needed
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Wall-mounted mailboxes offer the convenience of accessibility: you can walk just two steps out the front door to check the mail. But there's a hitch. United States postal regulations allow you to install a wall-mounted mailbox only if you are replacing an existing one. Otherwise, you'll need to install a mailbox at the curb.
If you're lucky enough to have a wall-mounted mailbox, but it's a little worse for wear, you can install a new one to spruce up the front of your home. There are a variety of styles, many of which include a rack below the box to hold your magazines, catalogs, and newspapers.
Because you don't need to dig a post, you can install this type of mailbox any time of the year. Here's how (Fig. 1).
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
1.
Remove the Old Box
If the screws and fasteners are corroded, use a hacksaw, chisel, or whatever else it takes to get the old mailbox free.
|
|
2.
Mark the Mounting Holes
Set the box into position, and mark the placement of the mounting holes on the wall. If your old fasteners are intact, check to see if you can simply reuse them to install the new mailbox.
|
|
3.
Install the Fasteners
If you need to attach new fasteners, what type you use will depend on the wall surface on which the box will be mounted.
Masonry
If you’ll be attaching the new mailbox to masonry, you will need a masonry drill bit for any new holes, and may want to borrow or rent a hammer-drill. There are also special screws intended for masonry that install quicker than conventional anchors, with less drilling. In some cases you may be able to simply use the old holes with new masonry anchors hammered in.
Wood or Paneled Exterior Walls
For wood or paneled exterior walls, use a drill/driver to screw short deck screws into the wall surface.
Other Surfaces
For other types of siding, use a stud finder to locate a stud for the screw--it may be the same holes the old fasteners were in, but check to be sure there’s a stud there. If the other new mounting holes don’t have studs behind them, use screw-in wall anchors or other types of hollow-wall anchors because the siding alone won’t be able to support the mailbox.
|
|
4.
Mount the Box
Once the fasteners (or screws) are in place, tighten the screws about halfway to the fasteners or wall. Place the mounting holes of the mailbox over the screws and hang the box (Fig. 2); tighten the screws further from inside the box until the mailbox is secure.
|
|
|
|
