We purchased the 24” and 36” Charleston window boxes from FlowerWindowBoxes. They arrived well packaged, look great, and seem very sturdy. To install the 24” box, they recommend using two 3/8”dia x 3.5” long lag bolts to permanently screw the box into the wall studs. However we wanted the boxes to be removable, so we opted to forego their mounting kit, and use 3/8”dia x 4” long stainless steel hanger bolts instead of lag screws. The extra ½” is needed for a 2” OD 3/8” ID stainless steel washer and a 3/8”-16 stainless steel nut with a nylon lock insert.
The studs on our house are on 16” intervals and are centered on the windows. Thus the recommended installation instructions for the 24” long box of using two screws to flank the center of the window would not work. So we used 3 screws – one into the stud in the center of the window, and two flanking that into the wall planking (note you can use 3.5” long screws into the planking, but you will still need the 4” long screws to go into the stud).
I mounted a small bubble level on my Makita drill, and drilled the ¼” dia hanger bolt pilot holes very slightly tilted down away from the house to ensure water would not travel towards the house. I then used a 3/8” dia drill to drill 1” deep though our cedar shingles so they would not split when screwing the 3/8” hanger bolt into the ¼” pilot hole. As recommended, I also liberally applied caulk into the holes and onto the bolts as I screwed them in. To screw in hanger bolts (instead of lag screws), you need to temporarily use two nuts on the end of the bolt, put a wrench on each nut and tighten them together. This then allows you to screw in the bolt by turning the outer nut, which won’t slip if the inner nut is tight against it. Screw the bolts in before mounting the box, then loosen both nuts using a wrench on each nut, and remove the nuts.
I then attached the boxes with the stainless washers and lock nuts. The recommended installation instructions call for caulking the top of the box to the house, but I wanted these boxes to be removable. Since my window sills overhang the box and are only ½” above the box, I was not worried about water entry there, but since the boxes are tilted slightly toward the house due the slope of the shingles, it was possible for water to travel towards the house along the top of the 5/8” edges of the box. Thus, I placed a small ridge of caulk, ¾” long, crosswise along that top edge of each side under the sill, which channels any drips back into the box. This small ridge is only on the box and does not contact the sill above it.
I also installed 3/4" long segments of a 1/4" dia plastic drinking straw into the bottom drain holes so that the bottom of the straw extends 1/4" below the underside of the box to prevent water from traveling along the bottom and staining the house.
Also - be sure to check the self watering tubes for leaks before covering with dirt.
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