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I want to put a floor mounted parcel box at my gate. It would be free standing in a spot where I would clear some hedge.
My plan was to dig a hole, mix some concrete (or postcrete) by hand. Shovel it in, flatten it with a spirit level and a bit of wood. Drill some anchor bolts and install the box.
Is it that simple. I think it would only be a couple of bags of ready mixed powder.
Are there any big pitfalls that mean I should just pay someone to do this? Box is relatively expensive but concrete isn't in that volume.
Used repair mortars a bit at work but that was more like plastering. It was small areas too, normally 30x30cm. I was more interested in the chemisty and fire tolerance than anything else.
Yes, it's a piece of piss. Wouldn't dream of paying somebody to do that.
You could try and set some threaded rod in the concrete and save yourself the drilling step.
Agree with above, any time I tried to drill into postcrete it just cracked.
You could try and set some threaded rod in the concrete and save yourself the drilling step.
That's what I'd do. Probably make a jig so the rods are held in the right place - drill a bit of ply at the right spacing, nuts either side of it to hold the rods and make sure you keep the nuts clear of the concrete so you can undo them. Could even put a nut on the base of the rods to increase pull out resistance. And don't be wiggling the rods around until the concrete is fully cured - give it a few days.
Or just mix ballast and cement in a wheelbarrow (on a big flat sheet of osb/ply is easier) those postcrete bags don't go very far.
Thanks. Threaded bar is a good idea.
Buy a garden tub/plant pot/under bed storage box of a suitable size.
Anything bigger than a bag of sand will be at least 25kg with the post box.
Set rods through the bottom and up through wood strips set across the top.
Bury it level and fill your creation with cement/sand/aggregate mix (with water!)
Anything bigger than a bag of sand will be at least 25kg with your post box
when you dig the hole don't go mad, there could be a cable in there.
My neighbour was putting in a post and managed to hit the electrical supply to his house with a pinch bar. He was a lucky boy.
I'd try and make your pad a minimum of 4" thick. Any less than that and scrotes will just lift the box and pad and take the whole lot away! 🙂
And you could just shutter it and make it raised - this will stop any surface water getting in too.
As above drilling concrete with a DIY drill and DIY masonry drill bits can kill your drill bit, and drill (been there and done it)
As others said if you can put something into the wet concrete that will save alot of effort. TBH You will get 15 years or so if not more out of some treated timber.
- My 3p worth
- Dig hole say 40cm deep and 30x30 wide
- Get 4 x 50cm lengths of M10
- Make 2 square templates and drill appropriate holes . Full depth and nearly through
- Ram the 4 length of studding into the base plate
- Wrap gaffer tape or hose pipe round the studding where you want the bolts to sit .
Pour concrete over base plate and stuffing to 20cm then wiggle on top template. Bubble across to make it level Neville then top up concrete and float the top so it looks priddy . If your shuttering wax the boards and whack em ax the concrete is settling to get a better release and finish
Mix your own concrete, i wouldn't use postcode. 1cement, 2 sharp sand, 3 aggregate. Will be stronger, id go at least 15cm thick. Can also fill the bottom of the hole with rubble.
I did pretty much exactly this. Bought a parcel box and a couple of bags of premix because that was easier.
Hole dug, wooden frame because I needed to raise it up a little so the door would clear the top of the dwarf wall by the gates
Made a wooden template for the bolts out of random bit of ply and then mixed filled flattened and set the bolts in.
Love my parcel box as means I rarely miss any parcels though I have had a few delivery drivers totally not see to and chuck stuff over the gate for me to the drive over! Fortunately that was a book and survived just fine