Pole Position: Make It Go Away!
March 9, 2015 9:46 PM
There is a metal (possibly filled with concrete?) pole on the side of our building and we want it gone!
My neighbors and I often scrape the side of our cars on this godawful thing. To exit our driveway, you make a sharp left turn and either a) successfully exit, b) scrape the metal/concrete pole, or c) hit the wooden fence (which, btw, has a 10 ft drop-off on the other side). If the pole wasn't there, it would be so much easier to get out. The landlord offered to wrap something around it, but there has to be a better solution! Hive Mind, is there a way to remove this pole? Our landlord won't put much money towards this, so affordable options would be best. Thanks!
My neighbors and I often scrape the side of our cars on this godawful thing. To exit our driveway, you make a sharp left turn and either a) successfully exit, b) scrape the metal/concrete pole, or c) hit the wooden fence (which, btw, has a 10 ft drop-off on the other side). If the pole wasn't there, it would be so much easier to get out. The landlord offered to wrap something around it, but there has to be a better solution! Hive Mind, is there a way to remove this pole? Our landlord won't put much money towards this, so affordable options would be best. Thanks!
Get one from Harbor Freight. Wait two or three weeks until there is a coupon for one in the mail.
posted by Seamus at 9:55 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by Seamus at 9:55 PM on March 9, 2015
That's a bollard in place to protect cars from damaging the meters on the side of the building or causing structural damage to the building itself. I'd cut it flush with the ground using a cutting wheel on a grinder.
posted by halogen at 9:55 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by halogen at 9:55 PM on March 9, 2015
That looks like it might be there to protect the meter panel. If so, the utility company probably won't be happy if it's removed, and will probably replace it. Don't leave fingerprints.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:57 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:57 PM on March 9, 2015
Cut it off, slide a heavy wood dowel inside and then slip it back in the hole. Voila! removable bollard. With a wood dowel, if you hit the pole the dowel breaks. Bonus idea; wrap it in foam and you'll have no scratches when you hit it.
posted by Zedcaster at 10:21 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by Zedcaster at 10:21 PM on March 9, 2015
PS drill a small hole near the bottom of the pole so you can drive in a small wood screw to secure the dowel.
posted by Zedcaster at 10:23 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by Zedcaster at 10:23 PM on March 9, 2015
If it is a bollard and someone is intent on replacing it after your adventures with an angle grinder, see if you can't get them to move it away from the driveway a bit. Should be just as effective at preventing a collision without getting in the way as much.
posted by Aleyn at 11:29 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by Aleyn at 11:29 PM on March 9, 2015
If you're gonna get a grinder, there's always a 20% coupon for Harbor Freight here. Wear serious face AND eye protection, and keep your body parts out of the plane of the spinning disk. Shattering cutoff wheels are dangerous as heck.
posted by MonsieurBon at 12:17 AM on March 10, 2015
posted by MonsieurBon at 12:17 AM on March 10, 2015
As said above, it's a bollard and it's there to keep you from scraping your car on the house. Be sure that you aren't just worsening the problem before removing it or creating a dangerous situation.
Can you poke a stick down all the way? That will tell you if it filled with concrete or not. An angle grinder will cut the post ok, but it's miserable work to try and cut the concrete as well.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:53 AM on March 10, 2015
Can you poke a stick down all the way? That will tell you if it filled with concrete or not. An angle grinder will cut the post ok, but it's miserable work to try and cut the concrete as well.
posted by Dip Flash at 3:53 AM on March 10, 2015
Could you convince the landlord to have the bollard moved about two feet closer to the meters? It'd be the most-expensive option, sure, but it'd be a permanent solution, it'd still protect those meters (which is most likely why it was installed for in the first place); and by having him in the loop you'd avoid any risk of vandalism charges and/or a pissed-off landlord replacing it in exactly the same place, or an equally-pissed-off utility company coming out on an emergency call some dark night when the power gets cut off. Try explaining it to the landlord as less risk to his insurance policy: no scraping means no chance of claims against him.
Alternatively, could the utility company be convinced to move the meters themselves farther from the corner?
posted by easily confused at 5:24 AM on March 10, 2015
Alternatively, could the utility company be convinced to move the meters themselves farther from the corner?
posted by easily confused at 5:24 AM on March 10, 2015
After you remove the post, could you put in a curb so you only destroy your tires?
posted by H21 at 6:40 AM on March 10, 2015
posted by H21 at 6:40 AM on March 10, 2015
Thanks everyone! I will pass this information on to my landlord. (He can deal with the utility company/slicing off appendages/etc...heh.)
posted by pea_shoot at 8:46 PM on March 10, 2015
posted by pea_shoot at 8:46 PM on March 10, 2015
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posted by pompomtom at 9:53 PM on March 9, 2015