How to Remove a Brick Mailbox
A run down, old brick mailbox is not the first impression you want your home to give to the world. If you are ready to replace your brick mailbox, consider your options carefully. A brick mailbox probably was installed with a concrete foundation. Removing that block of concrete will require some heavy labor. You can choose to move your mailbox over by a couple of feet if the U.S. Postal Service will allow it. If you have no other spot for the mailbox, roll your sleeves up and get ready to do some hard labor.
Remove the metal box from the brick. Reach into the metal box with a small screwdriver and unscrew any hardware that is holding the mailbox in place. Slide the mailbox out of the brick. Shimmy it back and forth a few times to get it started if the box seems to stick.
Knock down the top half of the brick. Use a demolition hammer to break the brick from the top of the mailbox. Working with only one half of the structure at a time will prevent you from injuring yourself when the brick falls.
- Remove the metal box from the brick.
- Knock down the top half of the brick.
Knock down the bottom half of the structure to the foundation.
Rent a jackhammer from an equipment rental location. Ask the sales associate to give you a quick demonstration before you leave the store. Put on a mask and protective eyewear before operating the jackhammer.
Start at one edge of the slab, roughly 6 to 8 inches from the edge. Jackhammer all the way through the concrete to the ground below. Use a pry bar to pull the loose section of concrete out of the ground. Move over 6 to 8 inches and repeat. Continue this process until you have removed the entire slab.
- Knock down the bottom half of the structure to the foundation.
Shovel the foundation pieces into a wheelbarrow. Contact your city's waste management department to find out how you should dispose of the concrete. Fill the hole with soil.
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Writer Bio
Lisa East Hunter is a consultant and freelance writer in Phoenix. Her background in marketing and technology led her to explore all avenues of writing. She is currently dividing her time between freelance writing and her consulting business. Hunter has a Bachelor of Science in management information systems and marketing.
