A lot of my jobs come from people not being knowledgeable or comfortable with power tools, or with knowing which bits, drills and anchors to use in a certain situation.
A recent drop box install was exactly that. The homeowner wanted a lockable mail and package drop box on the stucco wall by the front door. It's not rocket science. The real job was making the customer feel comfortable with me putting holes in their wall.
That worry comes up more than you'd think. A couple of times people have told me they were concerned about me drilling through the outside of their home, specifically about cracking. Some of the people I work for spend their days on much more difficult, technical things, like submarines, fighter jets and aircraft carriers. They just don't have experience with things around their own house, and they don't feel comfortable putting holes in their wall.
I get it. Your stucco is the skin of your house. Crack it, or leave a hole that lets water in, and you've traded a package problem for a wall problem. Even with confidence, a job like this takes the right setup for the situation. With a variety of drill bits, drills and anchors, I can work with what the wall gives me and get a secure mount while avoiding damage.
Here's what that looks like.
First, find out what's behind the stucco
Stucco around Chula Vista, the rest of the South Bay and East County usually sits over one of two things: a wood-framed wall or concrete block. From the outside, they look the same. The fastener that holds well in one can be the wrong choice for the other.
So before I commit to the box's mounting holes, I drill a small test hole where it'll be hidden. The dust and the feel of the bit tell me if I'm going into wood framing, solid block or a hollow spot.
- Wood framing behind: corrosion-resistant screws long enough to pass through the stucco and bite into the wood.
- Concrete block behind: concrete screws like Tapcons, which cut their own threads into masonry.
- Just thin stucco and nothing solid: I'll shift the box or find better backing.
The stucco itself isn't what holds the weight. What's behind it is.
Before drilling, I also check for anything that might be living in that wall, like doorbell or porch-light wiring and the hose bib plumbing.
Drill gently through the color coat
The outer finish layer of stucco (the "color coat") is hard and brittle. Hammer mode on a drill hits the bit forward while it spins, which is great for concrete but can chip or crack that finish. So I tape the spot, mark the holes through the box and recheck level, because stucco texture can throw a level off. Then I start with a carbide masonry bit with hammer mode off, and let the bit do the work.
If the test hole tells me there's block behind, I switch hammer mode on once I'm past the finish. That's how Tapcon says to drill into masonry. The anchor needs the hole drilled a quarter inch deeper than it'll sit, with the matching bit (a 3/16" bit for a 1/4" Tapcon).
Clean the hole, seal it, and don't crank it
Dust left in the hole can keep a concrete screw's threads from biting, so every hole gets blown out first.
Then comes the part that's really a caulking job. I put exterior sealant into each hole and a dab under each screw head before the screw goes in. The screw pushes the sealant into the hole, so the spot where I opened the wall is sealed where it matters, not just smeared on the surface.
I snug the screws down but don't crank them. Overtightening against a brittle finish is an easy way to start a crack.
Leave the bottom open
This one surprises people. I don't run a bead of caulk all the way around the box, and I never seal the bottom edge. If rain ever finds its way behind the box, it needs a way out. Seal all four sides and you've built a little cup that holds water against your wall.
I wipe off any sealant smears right away, before they set on the texture.
If you're adding a drop box
A lot of people in the South Bay and East County are adding locking drop boxes so packages aren't sitting on the porch. If you're shopping for one:
- Test the lock and keys and check that all the mounting hardware is there before install day.
- Decide on the height you want (easy to reach, out of the way of the door swing).
- Know your wall type if you can (wood frame or block). If you don't know, the test hole will tell us.
If you're on the fence because you don't want anyone drilling into your house, send me a few photos of the wall and the box you picked, with your ZIP code. I'll tell you what I see and what the next step looks like.
Call or text (619) 815-7588.
