Do you have a sad-looking, wobbly mailbox? Yeah, we did too— and here is how we fixed it!
FIX THE WOBBLE
Our mailbox had never been set correctly and it was starting to drive me nuts. It was finally time to fix the wobble! Start by digging a hole where you would like to place your mailbox post.
Did you know the US Post Office has specific guidelines to follow for your mailbox placement? You can find all the information and guidelines for installing a new mailbox at this link.
After your hole is dug, you can place your post in the hole and stabilize it with angled braces. Use a level to make adjustments until all sides of the post are perfectly plumb. Once you feel confident that the post is level, fill the hole with a fast-setting concrete. Follow the instructions on the bag to add the recommended amount of water. After the concrete has set, you can backfill the hole with dirt.
TRIM OUT THE POST
Now that we’ve fixed the wobble, it’s time to beautify and bulk up the mailbox post. I’ve decided to trim out our existing post with 1×4 cedar boards to give it a custom look. Everything has been stained with my favorite PPG Timeless Stain in American Chestnut.
THE FINISHING DETAILS
It’s finally time to add some of those fun finishing details. I’ll be adding some black post caps and house numbers to complete the look. One of the post caps that I am incorporating is a lighted post cap. A lighted post cap is a great way to make the mailbox feel unified with the rest of our landscape lighting (more about our landscape lights install here). It also provides a little extra home security and a light source when checking the mail at night.
In order to supply the post cap light with power, I ran a 12/2 gage landscape wire to our mailbox from a low voltage transformer. You can create a groove in one of your trim pieces to hide the landscape wire and run it to the top of the post.
Lastly, I added these adorable house numbers to complete our mailbox makeover.
Our mailbox makeover might be a little over-the-top, haha! Over-the-top, a little “extra,” custom… whatever you want to call it— the important part is that it no longer wobbles!
SOURCES
Mailbox | Mailbox post | Quick-setting cement | Stain | Landscape wire | Low voltage transformer | Post caps | House numbers
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