Drive a wooden stake into the ground on one side of the post, about 2 feet away. Span the distance between the post and stake with a piece of lumber. Fasten it to the post with one screw. Straighten the post in that direction, then fasten the board to the stake with two screws and drive another screw into the post.
Dig a hole larger than the post and put gravel into the hole until the post sits on top of the gravel at the right height. Then add gravel around the post a little at a time and keep packing it in.
Dig a Hole: Create a hole about 2-3 feet deep and wider than the post. Add Gravel: Place a few inches of gravel at the bottom for drainage. Insert the Post: Position the post in the center of the hole. Backfill with Gravel: Fill around the post with gravel, compacting it as you go.
No concrete needed. Bury an empty 6 or 8 inch tube two feet deep, and flush with the ground. Compact the soil around it. Then center and level your mailbox within the tube, and fill around the post with sand. Tamp the sand down too a bit, then cover lightly with sod.
If you're installing a mailbox without concrete, use an anchor to support the wooden post. You can screw the anchor into the ground using a crossbar for leverage and then set your wood post on the bracket and attach it using bolts.
One of the simplest methods is simply attaching something to the bottom of the post before putting it in the ground. One method is to nail a piece of wood to the bottom of the post. This device is often called a deadman and is shown in Figure 1.
After you've selected the location use a shovel to remove dirt and rocks from the dig site, and make sure to dig at least 2 feet deep for a 7 foot tall post, and double the size of the post's parameter. After you've dug the hole you can dump 4 inches gravel into the hole and place the post in the hole as well.
Depending on your local municipality, using concrete mailbox posts may be may prohibited. The reason for this is that concrete posts pose a safety hazard to motorists and their passengers. If a car strikes a concrete post, the driver or passengers could be seriously injured.
Installing the Mailbox Post
A 4″ x 4″ wooden support or a 2″-diameter standard steel or aluminum pipe. Avoid unyielding and potentially dangerous supports, like heavy metal pipes, concrete posts, and farm equipment (e.g., milk cans filled with concrete). Bury your post no more than 24″ deep.
When water gets into these cracks and spaces, rot becomes inevitable. That is the reason why many homeowners and builders choose to skip the concrete when erecting their fence posts. Instead, they choose to set their wooden posts with a mixture of soil and gravel.
Add gravel into the hole for improved drainage. Stomp it down with a stick or tamping bar. Place your post in the hole so that it's straight and level with the other posts in the fence or structure. Get an assistant to hold it steady or secure it with stakes and screws to keep it in place.
Set in Gravel and Concrete
Fill the first three inches up with gravel so the end of the post doesn't come into contact with the dirt. Gravel allows water to drain quickly away from the post and into the soil. Be sure to place the post in the center of the hole. Finally, fill the entire hole up with cement to the top.
If the post is still standing, wiggle it to see if it's stable. If it's sturdy, and if the mailbox is intact, you might just need to screw the box back onto the post. Check the top of the post and bottom of the mailbox. If the metal bracket that connected them is damaged, you'll need to replace it.
Using a level, move the post so that it is straight up and down. Wedge materials next to the post to fill the gaps, ensuring the post stays straight. Once secure, pour sand inside the hole to fill any remaining gaps. Compact the ground around the post with a heavy steel rod to get the best results.
While installing a mailbox without concrete may be possible, long-term installations fare better with the security that concrete can provide.
You don't need to set a mailbox post in concrete, but it's a good idea. Concrete serves as a strong foundation for the post, making it a sturdy option for your mailbox. How Deep Should I Set a Post in Concrete? In general, the depth of the concrete post hole should be 1/3 to 1/2 the height of the post.
CLYDE, TX – The U.S. Postal Service would like to warn people that only authorized U.S. Postal Service delivery personnel are allowed to place items in a mailbox. By law, a mailbox is intended only for receipt of postage-paid U.S. Mail.
Backfilling with Gravel and Soil. Fill the first few inches of the hole with gravel. This aids in drainage, keeping wood posts dry and preventing rot. After the gravel, backfill the hole with the dug-up soil, tamping down every few inches to eliminate air pockets and ensure soil compaction.
Gravel also allows water drainage around the fence posts, making the posts less susceptible to frost heaves. Dig the holes the same way as you would to set posts in concrete. When setting fence posts in gravel, you should bury at least one-third of the fence post. Use crushed gravel to set the posts.
Fast-setting concrete is ideal for setting posts because there's no mixing—you simply pour the dry concrete from the bag right into the hole, then add water.
Gravel: Filling the hole with gravel will help to support the fence post. This method is stronger than using dirt, but not as strong as using cement. Sand: Filling the hole with sand will help to support the fence post. Like gravel, this method is stronger than using dirt, but not as strong as using cement.
Place a wood block over a spike and drive it into the ground with a hammer, mallet or sledge hammer. The wood helps to protect the spike from damage. Make sure the wings of the spike are flush with the ground. Starting with one corner, slide the post through the eyelets of a panel and into the stake.
Concrete for a 6 x 6 Post
First of all, the diameter of the hole you need per pole is now going to be 18 inches. If you're still building a 6-foot tall fence, with 2 feet of your post being underground, you would need at least 7 bags of concrete per post.