During the summer of 2020, it became apparent that our mail was not safe overnight. The major tipping point was a text alert from our cellular carrier saying “pay now or have your service shut off.” WHAT?! A review of bills showed we didn’t receive a bill for three months! One of our vehicles registration stickers never “made it” either.
A plan was to install a locking mailbox that could hold at least a week’s worth of mail, which would save the chore of walking out every night after the carrier showed up.
This ended up being the product we chose, and price wasn’t it. Many of our neighbors have Salsbury mailboxes, and that was a minor factor driving us in this direction. We ordered the companion post, and waited for a break in the heat to install it. It would end up sitting on our side yard for 9 weeks before that happened!
The first iteration we envisioned was moving the box onto our lot enough to allow the carrier to park entirely out of the street. This is completely against Postmaster guidelines, but is common in our area. This meant clearing a row of juniper brush as well.
Brush is cleared out, and it was time to measure out where the new box would live.
After a few measurements and cost calculations, we decided to install the mailbox per Postmaster guidelines at the street. Expanding the end of our driveway with concrete wasn’t something that would happen soon enough to make that layout work.
Our post was 48 inches tall, and our mailbox only needed about 13 inches above ground. We didn’t think we needed a 36 inch deep setting, cut the post 12 inches, and dug 24 inches. Our soil is really compacted in areas, and this was no exception. A standard post hole digger chipped at the surface, and our jackhammer was needed to keep this project moving. It was also a good excuse to exercise one of the generators.
Concrete mixed, post leveled and plumbed. Now it is time to wait for it to cure.
Our old beat up, patina box with non functioning lock looks meek next to the Fort Knox of mailboxes.
No more stolen mail. Our mail carrier left a note saying how much they liked it, which was a nice affirmation. Being able to check the mail once a week, without worrying if the box is secure, is good peace of mind too.