How to Hang Window Boxes

If you want to make friends with people on your block, work on the front of your house.

Because I don't have the masonry skill to point the brick that needs pointing (look for a blog on that soon though!) and I lack a yard to landscape, my front of house renovation relied entirely on two very capable window boxes.

I've wanted to hang window boxes for months and have even had window boxes sitting my basement just begging to wow the neighborhood (Christmas gift from my delightful Aunt Connie). They're black cast iron, sturdy and adorable! But I just haven't had the time or the know-how to attach them to the brownstone beneath the window sill. According to my contractor cousin, Geoff (not Jeff), it takes a special drill bit and special screws and blah, blah, blah (I loose concentration when people talk about tools for too long).

So, I went to Lowe's to see what help they could offer.

Not much.

But I did have a hilarious interaction with one employee named Dave who advised me to seal the screw hole with "Cah-ahleck".

"What is cah-ahleck?" I asked.

"It's this white stuff that comes in a tube and you use this gun thing to squeeze it out into cracks and stuff." He answered.

"Oh, you mean caulk?" I offered.

"Yes, cock." he bashfully responded.

We blushed then uncomfortably went our separate ways.

So by the time I left Lowe's I had a new masonry drill bit, 3 1/4" long masonry screws that can hold up to 500 lbs each and a renewed sense of confidence in Geoff's advice. But when I got home I discovered that my Porter Cable cordless drill didn't have enough "gusto" as they say in show biz.

So, back to Lowe's (for the 4th time this week) to rent an electric drill that, according to the rental guy, drilled through iron.

This guy is a liar.

It took a total of 3 hours to drill 4 holes. And the 3 1/4" long screws were out of the question, so I convinced myself that if "cah-ahlecked" properly, 1 1/2 " masonry screws would be totally sufficient.

And my window boxes look darling!

Helpful Tips to Remember:

Use a masonry drill bit and make sure it's the one you need to drill the correct sized hole for the screw you're using. I used a 3/16" drill bit for my 1/4" screws.

If drilling into brick, drill into the mortar.

If drilling into brownstone, become a person of prayer.

After drilling the hole and before drilling in the screw, squeeze a little bit of caulk (or whatever you want to call it) into the hole to protect it from erosion.