My mailbox is very wobbly and sags deeply to the side. I tried stuffing dirt in the base where's there's a gap, but that doesn't work. What is my best course of action?
Fixing a wobbly, leaning mailbox
mailboxrepair
Related Solutions
You have a couple of options that I can think of, assuming that the ground around the post is fairly firm:
- Wedge something in next to the post. (thin rocks, cut down cedar shingles, etc.)
- Fill in the gap next to the post by pouring in sand
If the ground's soft, you'll need to re-compact the soil around the post. (and if it's not soft, you can always loosen it up, then re-compact it, as in some cases that may be the easier fix)
If you know who hit it, buy a new mailbox, and send them the bill. They are liable.
If you don't know who hit it, there's more incentive to save a buck by fixing this one, since most insurance companies will raise your rates if you file for a hit and run, and the raised rates will cost more than just fixing it.
If you can't get the nuts off, either cut them off (if you use a nut-splitter the studs may still be usable) and haul the whole base in to a welder, or have them make a whole new base (the post is pretty thin and may not weld well) and drill holes for new anchors to park it beside the old one.
Put anti-seize on the new nuts - someone will thank you (or your ghost) the next time this happens.
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Best Answer
Start by removing the mailbox from whatever it is supported by - the plastic mailbox "post" is a sleeve that's set over some actual post. It may just slip on (so you can just lift it off) or it may have a few screws you need to remove before you can lift it off. (It appears to be this model of "Step2" mailbox, and the assembly instructions do have screws into the post)
When you have removed the mailbox itself, dig the post out. If the post is rotten, or broken/cracked, you'll need a new post. If the post is OK, you'll just need to set it firmly in the ground. If you get a new post, same.
People are terribly fond of setting posts in concrete - it usually causes more problems than not, but it seems great short-term. All you really need to do is set the post vertically in the hole, add only a couple of inches of soil, tamp that soil down firmly, and repeat until the hole is full. The small amount of work involved in tamping is all you save by using concrete to set posts.
Once the post is set, slip the mailbox back on the post. If it was screwed in, replace the screws.