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I’m about ready to hang the window boxes I’ve made for the exterior of my house but I’m not quite sure how best to hang them. I’m intending to sit the boxes onto two dressed up wooden brackets. I need a means to reliably and easily secure the brackets to the house. The house has clapboard siding over a presumably tongue and groove type sheathing (house built in 20’s). I’d considered lag screws but thought that it is unlikely that I would find a stud through the sheathing to anchor them securely and don’t think the sheathing alone is adequate enough to bear the load (approximately 120-140 pounds distributed to two brackets). Would a toggle bolt be a better choice than the lag screws? If anyone could be of assistance I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.
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Joe, finding studs is absolutely the best option over the long term.
There will be a pair of studs on either side of the window, and inch or so past the jamb (or back of the counterweight pockets, if you still have old double-hungs). Find these on the inside, measure to a reference point of the window such as the jamb, and then drill from the outside.
There is a serious water penetration hazard here; water may ride in on the bolt and rot out the sheathing. The classsic case is where a railing is bolted to a house. I'd like to hear ways of dealing with this, or better alternatives. Perhaps it is best just to flash or conceal the bolt in a way that keeps it dry. Don't rely on caulk.
*Steve:For the house I live in now I constructed a magnificant window box that matched the architecture in every way. Same type of siding, corner boards, plastic inserts, insect protected drain holes, etc, etc. ~8' long by 10" x 10"Then reality... the window box both splashed mud up on the window sills (during rain storms) and driped excretment down the house's siding.Plus, they due to the reletively small volume of soil, whatever plant we put en 'em (yes I have quite the green thumb) dried out quickly and never thrived, in spite of the sprinkler head (connected to an automatic sprinkler system) the box needed to be watered regurally. Definately high maintenance - maybe your climent is different??After 2 or 3 years, removed it from the house and "planted" it in the nearest dumpster.Lesson learned - (and relearned) container gardening - good for city folk and attractive in my wife's magazines.Not meaning to be harsh - just my experience.
*Ouch. I've found that the plastic flowers last much longer. And they were always architecturally appropriate in L.A., where I grew up.
*One of my longest standing customers had me build some real simple flower pot holders a few years back. They were made from 1x3 Cedar laid flat, like you might put the walking surface on a deck - with 1/2" or so between boards. Perpendicular battens underneath these that were screwed to vertical 1x 3s that formed the "L" to attatch them to the house. There are diagonal braces from the bottom of these to the front of the battens. Then she decided what size pots, and how many, and I cut holes the right size that a clay flower pot sits right in the hole, supported by its rim. Whenever she wants to water or change varieties, she simply removes the pot, then replaces it when she is done. Works and looks good. I was out at their place recently and they look great after, at least, 8-9 years. - jb
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Andrew D.
Thanks for the reply. In spite of the nearly convincing testimonials as to why not to build them, I'm already committed to the project. I plan on just putting pots in them rather than dirt to avoid the load, the decay and the smear of dirt on the house. A slight overhang ought to protect the windows from splashed water/rain except perhaps under a wind-driven rain.
The width of the boxes extends to approximately the side jamb of the two windows which they will be hung under so I can't use the studs adjacent the jambs. Is the next nearest location of the stud reliably placed? If so, I could lag screw them to that stud. This location would also be more aesthetically pleasing. Should I flash beneath the bracket (hadn't thought of moisture riding back into sheathing along the screw, or whatever fastener)? I had planned on embedding the lag screw or other fastener deep enough into the wood bracket that moisture exposure wouldn't be a problem. Toggle bolts NG?? If not, could you suggest a manufacturer? Thanks again.
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You could take a 2x4 and rip a 45 degree cut all the way through it down the middle of the 4" side. Screw one side to the house and the mateing side to the box so that it will slip over the side attached to the house and hang there. This way it will ay least catch a couple of studs depending on the length of the window. They also make these brackets in metal for hanging cabinets. Water may still be a problem if you dont inspect it regularly. There is usually a stud under the jamb depending on how it was framed.
*I guess I'd look for the horizontal rough sill, which extends the full width of the rough opening and will bea few inches below the sill of the finished window. As for fasteners, it depends how much weight and pullout force you are putting on them. If your house is as old as mine it will have solid plank sheathing, 1x12's that would probably support the whole thing. Newer houses use more and more fragile sheathing. Lag bolts are a good choice, and long wood screws would probably be fine too, just angle them so that water flows away from the house, or so they are sheltered somehow. Hard to be real specific. Do you have wood siding?
*Matt's advice is great, and mirrors my experience. We tried to restore one and it failed miserably.We did another restoration of an 1890's home and the original box was simply nailed through the clapboards into studs, and then the front of the box was nailed together. We did not change that set up.We did line the box in galvinized metal which I had soldered together by my gutter man (you shower guys could use EDPM). We installed the drain hole in copper in the front of the box, so it drips straight down, and not against the siding.The homeowner then wanted a way to water it, and we installed two drip heads, and tried to conceal the tubing along the clapboards as best as we could, to the 3/4" pvc supply from the irrigation system. I guess it looks fine, least didn't get any callbacks.In my home, we did what andrew suggested, and I built a 1/2" ply stand in the box, drilled it with holes, and inserted plastic geraniums. Cheaper and better!
*... though the flowers may arouse suspicion in January ...It was easy to tend to the plants without these bug screens. When you see those pictures of window planters in Italy, you don't see a big ugly screen behind it.
*Joe:Good point - the window box that I built was not sheltered by an overhang as it was hung on a copper topped bay window with a very small overhang - causing the splashing of the mud on the house.Final suggestion: - when you lag it to the studs, drill the holes in the house. Inject the holes with silicone caulk. Then screw in the lags.
*Joe,I think I may have some real help for you. I have hung these with hanging flower box brackets. It looks like a plate with a tab on top for the house wall and a plate with a loop on it for the flower box. Seems to work real dandy even on heavy boxes. Another benefit of these is that you don't have to center them on anything because you don't see them. The sheathing on your home should suffice for holding power especially since the weight will primarily pull straight down as opposed to away from the house. Use a heavy wood screw (deck screw) such as a #10 or better with threads all the way up the shank or almost all the way up. For water penetration concerns, srew it in then take it out and squeeze a good dose of silicone into and onto the hole then reinsert screw. As for what to plant and the mud splashing problems... First ask your local garden suply for suitable hanging box plants. Only fill boxes about 1/2 to 2/3 with soil then add a layer of gravel or better yet those little round ceramic planting stones (lighter in weight) so that the mud does not splash up with the rain and watering. You may even want to try installing weedless cloth over the soil to eliminate splash up (and keep weeds out). I would also suggest lining boxes with a plastic pan or a membrane of some sort and be sure box has drainage holes at the front edge only to avoid running muck on your house.That oughta help,now go plant something!Pete Draganic
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I'm about ready to hang the window boxes I've made for the exterior of my house but I'm not quite sure how best to hang them. I'm intending to sit the boxes onto two dressed up wooden brackets. I need a means to reliably and easily secure the brackets to the house. The house has clapboard siding over a presumably tongue and groove type sheathing (house built in 20's). I'd considered lag screws but thought that it is unlikely that I would find a stud through the sheathing to anchor them securely and don't think the sheathing alone is adequate enough to bear the load (approximately 120-140 pounds distributed to two brackets). Would a toggle bolt be a better choice than the lag screws? If anyone could be of assistance I would appreciate it. Thanks in advance.