mailbox post: concrete or not?

[gfretwell]

Yup, these days that's .15 CaC-C Just be aware it will eat just about anything but stainless steel.

Screw a piece of Trex on top with SS screws and put the box on the Trex.

[BillN]

replying to gfretwell , BillN wrote: Putting in a new Cedar post. I like the idea someone mentioned about putting stone ballast (pointy 1" to 2" stones) around the post, as these will lock into place and stay relatively put over time (tamp them down as you fill the hole). A big advantage of this is to allow drainage away from the post (make sure to put 4" to 6" of ballast under the post bottom as well). So that's a good reason not to use cement, which will stay moist over time and promote rot. No matter what, a wood post will eventually rot, so having to dig out a cement plug each time is going to be way more difficult than just pulling the post from the stones and then scooping them out.

Make sure to use Coppercoat for the underground portion of a wood post, especially a Cedar one. Place the post in a bucket and fill with Coppercoat to soak the post bottom for hours (its weakest spot for rot). For Cedar posts, apply Teak or Tung oil every few years for the above ground part (just slop it on thick with a brush or cloth and let it soak in), maintaining a nice look as well as preventing rot. Pressure treated wood will likely last longer than untreated Cedar, but it will need to be treated regularly as well to prevent cracking and warping (and moss buildup in damp locations). Personally, my wife and I like the look of Teak oiled Cedar better than pressure treated wood, so hopefully doing all of these things will give us a Cedar post that lasts a decade or so.

[bob haller]

I wouldnt use a wood post underground, better a metal post.

or whats now being used for deck footers. all conrete underground, with a heavy steel galvanized bracket attached to the top of the concrete post. wood post goes on top.

I got ticked at kids taking out my moms mailbox, so I replaced the light metal post with a heavy steel I beam, my best friend tried to get me to concrete it in I refused, and was glad later when that mailbox had to be relocated.

in any case I avoid concrete since if the post tilts, it can be straightened

[O Wren]

Install one of these deck post sleeves in the ground.

Then when a drunken speeding teenage texter drives over your mailbox, you can quickly and easily install a new one.

[BillN]

replying to O Wren , BillN wrote: Since my post above using gravel and Coppercoat, have rethought the whole thing. What seems like the PERFECT solution is using the "SuperPost" sleeves (available at Amazon or the company's removablepost.com website), which are hard plastic sleeves that completely envelop the underground portion of a wood post (including the bottom). These sleeves are permanently set in the ground using either concrete or gravel, but the wood post is REMOVABLE. To replace a damaged wood post, simply slide out the old one and slide in the new. There is a square rubber gasket and cover that goes around the post to provide a watertight seal, preventing water from getting inside the sleeve (these slide up a new post during installation, and then are slid back down to seal against the sleeve once the post is set inside). So the entire underground portion of the wood post remains dry and free from ground contact (the top of the sleeve comes out of the ground a little, which is why the rubber gasket has a brown or white decorative cover). These sleeves come in 18, 24, and 36 inch lengths for 4 x 4 posts, and

36 inches for 5 x 5 (I think they are coming out with 6 x 6 sleeves too).

Feel free then to use a nice Cedar post for a mailbox, which when Teak or Tung oiled above ground (every few years) should last for a decade or two (before putting it in the ground, oil the underground sleeved part along with the rest, just cause it's easy then and will provide extra protection). Even for untreated Cedar fence posts though, there should not be any underground rotting.

[bob haller]

sowhen someone even gently pushes on thepost, it will be not straight.

you will still have to dig it up to make niceand srug

[BillN]

What are you talking about? The post fits against a 24 inch sleeve on all sides, with the sleeve buried in cement, so it should hardly move at all. For severe rigidity, self-adhesive spacer tape can easily be put on two sides of the wood post (prior to oiling/treatment) to make it really snug.

Hallerb, this is the second time you have criticized my posts with poorly thought out responses (this thread is about how to minimize rot when using wood posts, not about using metal posts or illegal I-beams ). Do not troll me again.

[bob haller]

If a vehicle pushes against any post, wood steel I beam etc, it can be pushed out of PLUMB.

If its concreted in it will have to be completely dug up, removed then reinstalled and concreted again.

if its just placed in the ground and backfilled you can dig around it a bit, get it plumb, and backfill a fraction of the work.

ideally no one should use a wood post, since sooner or later it will rot.

now I have been posting here for perhaps 20 years, if you dont like my advice then ignore me or refute what I post. I REALLY DONT CARE!

The best advice I have got in many years was when purchasing my pole light. over 30 years ago, the salesman said dont conrete it in, so you can easily straihten it if needed......

well its been pushed over by a mailman falling on the sidewalk, been pushed at when a out of control car left he road and hit it, its had several unfortunate events, its gotten a few bumps but is very easy to make it straight again

[BillN]

pushed out of PLUMB.

reinstalled and concreted again.

get it plumb, and backfill a fraction of the work.

advice then ignore me or refute what I post. I REALLY DONT CARE!

over 30 years ago, the salesman said dont conrete it in, so you can easily straihten it if needed......

at when a out of control car left he road and hit it, its had several unfortunate events, its gotten a few bumps but is very easy to make it straight again

Advice is one thing, mindless criticism is another. That was why it was hard to ignore you, which I will certainly do in the future. Signing off.

[bob haller]

yeo your mindkless criticism accomplises nothing of value here.........

[EverYmaN]

replying to Fred, EverYmaN wrote: with pressure treated wood placing it in a concrete base will help to prevent rot.. being pressure treated it is less porous on the sides but the top and bottom will have been cut from a larger log and so will not have the pressure treatment so it it wise to seal for longer life.. if you are using a soft or more porous wood then it will LIKELY act as a pool and not allow local shrubs to absorb the moisture like they do in soil

[Dave]

replying to Chuck Payne, Dave wrote: Hi Chuck, Your suggestion to use ballast stone and landscaping fabric sounds great! Would metal or pvc posts also work? Also, is the typical 24" depth adequate in very sandy Florida soil? Thank You very much.

[gfretwell]

If you tamp that sand in as you backfill, it will be plenty without anything else. (assuming you are not right on the beach)

[Dave]

replying to Chuck Payne, Dave wrote: Hi Chuck, Your suggestion to use ballast stone with landscaping fabric sounds great! I will be using a 4x4 vinyl fence post filled with sand. Is the typical 24" depth adequate in the very sandy Florida soil? Thank you very much for sharing your experience and insight. Dave

[deputydogjak]

Can you set the post in all rocks instead of concrete and/ or dirt?

[Marilyn Manson]

See here:

There are guidelines for "Where to Place the Mailbox" and "Installing the Mailbox Post".

Concrete is frowned upon.

[invalid unparseable]

Good advice on height and location. I have a neighbor with a fancy tall mailbox that appears to have been whacked several times by the mail trucks rear view mirror.

I had to concrete my post as it would have taken a jack hammer with rock about a foot down. It is not located where someone might hit it but a neighbor has one on a curve where it has been hit and has it hinged so post will not break.

[Marilyn Manson]

Post hole related...

I recently tried the following product for a couple of posts for a gate that we put in an asphalt driveway. I've done lots of posts in concrete, and the guy I was working with does concrete for a living, so it's not like we were "afraid" of using concrete, we just wanted to try this product. It's for a family member, so if it fails, we'll just fix it. It's been 9 months and the gate gets used multiple times every day. So far so good. We'll see how long it lasts.

Expensive, but it cures in minutes.

After it cured, but before we trimmed it.

[invalid unparseable]

I just poured in the dry concrete mix and added water. May not cure uniformly but works and is cheap and quick.

My post had bottomed out at about a foot and a half and I would have needed and extension to keep it up with just dirt. As mentioned, rock next to my road is solid. Even a heavy chisel like bar hardly dented it.

I pointed out house in back for sale was built by stone mason contractor with rock dug for foundation.

[MAGA]

I dug a 12" hole x 36" deep, dropped a 4" vinyl deck post sleeve into the hole, plumbed the sleeve vertical and poured concrete around it.

Now, whenever some filthy drunken democrat ( like Paul Pelosi ) runs off the road and takes out my mailbox, all I have to do is pull the broken post out of the sleeve and drop the new post in. Easy-peasy.