How to Remove a Mailbox Post
Before you replace your mailbox post, you’ll need to remove the old post. This task’s difficulty depends on how you or the previous installer secured the old post inside the ground. A post set in cement is a lot more difficult to remove than a post that has only been buried.
If your post’s cement base is set too securely, you might need to choose a different area along the front of your yard in which to install your new mailbox.
Things You Will Need
- Large, thin shovel
- Water bucket or hose
- 2-inch by 4-inch scrap board
- Power drill
- Wood screws
- Automotive jack
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Dig around your post with your shovel. If you hit concrete, widen your hole’s circumference until it is larger than the post’s concrete base.
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Water the soil inside and around your hole and mailbox post to loosen the soil.
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Wiggle and pull at your mailbox post. Continue to attempt to loosen it from the ground. If you make little progress, you can try to pry the post out of the ground with a 2-inch by 4-inch wood scrap and a car jack.
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Screw your 2-inch by 4-inch wood piece to the mailbox post at a 90-degree angle. Attach the piece at a height just low enough to fit your jack beneath. Place your jack beneath the wood piece and pump the jack’s level. Continue pumping to lift the post and its base from the ground.
The Drip Cap
- Before you replace your mailbox post, you’ll need to remove the old post.
- If you make little progress, you can try to pry the post out of the ground with a 2-inch by 4-inch wood scrap and a car jack.
- Continue pumping to lift the post and its base from the ground.
References
- “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Country Living”; Kimberley Willis; 2008
Resources
Writer Bio
Katherine Harder kicked off her writing career in 1999 in the San Antonio magazine "Xeriscapes." She's since worked many freelance gigs. Harder also ghostwrites for blogs and websites. She is the proud owner of a (surprisingly useful) Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas State University.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
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