Bill Harris, Author at Wilray Designs

Posted on March 28, 2019 by Bill Harris

Restoring and preserving your cedar mailbox and post

It’s time to spruce up your cedar mailbox and post!

It is important to maintain your cedar mailbox to keep it looking nice for many years. Here is a simple way to restore and maintain your Wilray Designs cedar mailbox and post with very little effort. Purchase a product at the hardware store called Spray&Forget. Spray your mailbox and post liberally and leave it alone to dry. Your mailbox will begin to get clean over the next few weeks. If, after a few weeks, your mailbox is still not clean, simply reapply Spray&Forget. After a few weeks you can reseal and restore your cedar mailbox and post with Thompson’s Water Seal Timber oil-transparent cedar, found at Home Depot or most hardware or home supply stores. Doing this once a year will help you to keep your mailbox looking good for years.

Posted on October 18, 2017 by Bill Harris

Installing a new mailbox post the easy way.

Installing a Mailbox Post

Installing a mailbox post is not difficult, especially with the following tips to make the job even easier. Take time to read each step so your mailbox post will be solid and secure for years. First, you will need a few tools to install your new Wilray Designs cedar mailbox post. You will need a post hole digger, a level, and a stick to use to pack the dirt.

Begin by assembling your new cedar post. Next, locate the best place to install your mailbox post. Using your post hole digger, dig a hole that is 24 inches deep. If the post is not set at least 24 inches deep, your mailbox will work loose over time from the daily opening and closing of your mailbox. Mark your post with a pencil at 24 inches from the bottom of the post. Set your post in the hole and make sure that the line is at ground level. This will allow you to set your mailbox 40 inches off the ground, making it easy for the mail carrier to pick up and deliver your mail.

When you get the post set at 24 inches, replace 4 or 5 inches of dirt into the hole and around your post. Pack the dirt firmly, using your packing stick. Make sure to pack the dirt on all 4 sides of the post evenly. Use your level every time you add more dirt and pack. Repeat this process, only adding about 4 or 5 inches of dirt at a time, packing well after each addition. Packing firmly, especially at the bottom of your post, is very important. By following these instructions and using this packing method, you can be confident that your post will be very secure in the ground.

It is not necessary to put concrete around your post. If you choose to use concrete around your mailbox post, make sure to bevel the top of the concrete away from your post so that rain water will drain away from your post. Now it is time to mount your new Wilray Designs cedar wood mailbox. Enjoy!

Posted on August 18, 2017August 18, 2017 by Bill Harris

Why choose cedar wood mailboxes and posts?

It’s time to spruce up your home or business’s appearance by replacing your old mailbox and post with a new one made of cedar.

Why choose cedar wood for your mailbox or post

Cedar wood mailboxes and posts are 100% natural, environmentally friendly, and full of character and charm. Unlike pressure treated posts, cedar wood is free of chemicals and will not warp or shrink with time. Also, a cedar mailbox and post is naturally insect and decay resistant. Over time, it will slowly continue to develop its own unique, natural color and can be treated occasionally with a standard wood or deck sealer to preserve a newer appearance. No two pieces of wood are alike, so the rich grain and color of each individual piece adds its own uniqueness to your neighborhood. Nothing accents landscaping plants and flowers like the natural color of wood.

Cedar is far more flexible than plastic

A weed whacker guard is available and can easily be mounted on a wooden mailbox post to protect it from landscape workers and make it easy to maintain a neat, clean appearance. In addition, cedar will not fade like plastic, so it will retain its natural beauty and function in front of your home for years. If at any time you want to paint your mailbox or post, cedar is very easy to paint. Paint may or may not adhere as well to pressure treated wood, due to the chemicals that have been forced into the wood post during processing. Plastic is not nearly as durable and fades quickly in the summer sun. Plastic mailbox posts and mailboxes are also more likely to crack and become brittle during the cold of winter.

Considering value, beauty, artistic, and natural qualities, this is why we choose and recommend natural cedar wood mailboxes and mailbox posts. We also advise purchasing a cedar mailbox and post at the same time so that the two will age together and always match.

Shown here with add on's; Cedar mailbox and post with solar light, house#'s and weed guard. — Shown here with add ons. Cedar mailbox and post with solar light, house numbers and weed guard.