Okay, so I’ve been wanting to upgrade my mailbox for a while now. You know, something a little more secure and, let’s be honest, a bit more stylish. I finally decided to go for a rear-loading 16-door mailbox. It seemed like a good choice for my apartment building, and I figured I could handle the installation myself. How hard could it be, right?
First things first, I got the mailbox. After that I picked up some tools from the hardware store. I made sure I had a drill, some screws, a level, a measuring tape, and some safety goggles – gotta protect those eyes!
Next, I needed to find the perfect spot. The old mailbox was on the front wall, but since this one was rear-loading, I had to install it on the back wall. I measured everything out carefully, making sure it was at a comfortable height and that all 16 doors were easily accessible from the inside. Used the level to make sure it wasn’t crooked, because nobody wants a wonky mailbox!
Then came the fun part – drilling! I marked the spots where the screws would go, double-checking my measurements, and then I started drilling the holes. Let me tell you, drilling into brick is no joke. My arms were definitely feeling it after a while.
- Measured the space for the mailbox.
- Marked the spots for the screws.
- Drilled pilot holes.
Once the holes were ready, I lined up the mailbox and started screwing it in. This part was a bit tricky, trying to hold the mailbox in place while simultaneously screwing. I managed to get it done. After that, I took a step back to admire my handiwork.
Almost There
Now, the mailbox was up, but it wasn’t quite finished. The old mailbox on the front had to come down. With my trusty screwdriver, that was the easy part. It came off in a couple of minutes and just left a few screw holes.
Finally, I filled in those holes with some filler and after that is dry I’ll paint over them, and it’ll be like the old mailbox was never there!
And that’s it! My new rear-loading 16-door mailbox was installed. It was definitely a bit more work than I initially anticipated, but totally worth it in the end. Now we’ve got a secure and good-looking mailbox. If you’re thinking about doing something similar, just be prepared for a bit of a workout, and double-check those measurements!