Looking forr advice on replacing brick tower mailbox

[dyno dan]

My place has a brick tower out front, in which the mailbox is inserted. It is from the 70's, and is made of plastic. Now it is warped and starting to crack. he door no longer shuts unless you whap it into place.

So, question one: It is obviously glued to the brick hole somehow. Any suggestions on removal?

Question two: What should I use to secure a new one into the hole?

This all assumes that I'll be able to find one to fit, of course. I'm tempted to just knock the whole thing down, but unfortunately it also contains the mailbox for my across-the-street neighbor.

Thanks,

-dan z-

__

[Dean Hoffman]

There are plenty of dual or double mailbox stands available if your neighbor goes along.

I'm no help other than that.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Posting a photo would help.

Getting it off should be easy enough with a hammer and chisel of some sort. Unless it is mounted to a pole going into the brick. Look for screws on the side at the base.

There are some construction adhesives in calking cartridge that can hold the new one in place. I don't recall the brand but I built a stone wall with that about 20 years ago.

[micky]

It certainly would. I envisioned bricks on either side and above the box, bricks that were laid after the box was attached. I think you envision something else.

Maybe you can use a dremel or angle grinder to chop away parts of the box from the inside, until you find the part that is screwed to some part of the tower. A replacement the same size should be easy to find and then use Ed's advice.

But my advice is to knock the whole thing down and don't worry what neighbor wants. After all, it's half yours, the half that really counts. Protect your rights.

[rbowman]

I would start with a heat gun (hair dryer) and see if that loosens it up. Any idea what type of plastic it is? Does it feel waxy? The various polyethylene/polypropylene flavors are resistant to most solvents so they are difficult to glue so you may be dealing with a mechanical connection from mortar. You may be able to soften it enough to peel.

[trader_4]

+1 And I'd only put the construction adhesive in a few spots so that it can be removed easily if needed. Silicone caulk would work too, it doesn't have to be real strong, which construction adhesive is. Removal, chisel, big screwdriver, tire iron if you have one, pry bar, etc. Hopefully a replacement can be found that is the right size and shape.

[dyno dan]

Thanks for the replies. Pictures at: \

I used flash fill for the photos, and that illuminated the back of the open box. Blowing that up, It looks like the back is a separate piece to which the shell is attached. If I can figure out how to get that apart, that should solve the removal portion. Maybe there will even be something behind it to which I can attach another box with screws or glue.

Obvious are my "splint and J.B. Weld" repairs to the broken door.

-dan z-

(My mail today was soaked by rain. Hope to solve this soon!)

__

[micky]

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't want to tear down the brick tower. Unless you have a big impressive mansion, what else do you have to look big and impressive besides the brick tower? Nothing makes a homeowner look more "to the manor born" than gateposts or an impressive mailbox tower. I wish I had one. Now I get mail through a slot in my door but when we had a rural mailbox out by the road, It was just two pieces of 4x4, an upright and another piece at right angles, painted white, like every other poor soul on the street. No one could tell we were secretly rich, or had dreams of becoming that.

[micky]

This is even better than I thought. You look not just rich but that you've been rich for generations.

Is it plastic? Maybe. Even if it's metal, your advice is good. For metal, just change to vice-grips for twisting, and maybe two pairs for pulling.

I think you can get a new mailbox exactly like the old one. But easier than that would be to remove the one next to yours and put it in where yours is now. You can put your old one in its spot. Tell your neighbor it was hit by a car. Hit and run, but you got the license plate: LNP7134 is a good one.

If your neighbor's box is having trouble too, when you find one for yourself, you might want to buy two, so they will totally match, if little stuff like that matters to you or him.