Lighting, Light Fixtures, Ceiling and Exhaust Fans - HELP!!! He's going to burn down the house!!
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Mo_reen
08-02-08, 04:33 PM
We are replacing as well as moving two exterior lights on the front of our house. I am trying to explain to my husband that he CANNOT leave the electrical box in its original position and just run the wiring behind the siding to the new location (which is about 12" away). He wants to leave the wire nuts behind the light which would be mounted directly to the cedar shake shingles. If I am not explaining clearly, it's because I am flustered. He wants to run the wire from the box behind the siding up to the new location, drill a hole through the siding to where the new light will be, mount the bracket for the light, and wiring the light at that point using wire nuts directly behind the light base and screwing it to the face of the siding. Please... help me explain to him why this cannot be done!!!
:wall: Maureen
P.S - He also does NOT plan on using a mounting block. I tried and tired to explain to him that the light is not going to be flat as the siding is OBVIOUSLY angled. He doesn't believe me. Then he said that he could put washers behind the top of the mounting bracket to keep that "away from the siding" and make the light flat. I then tried to explain that the base of the light then would be away from the house on the top edge. He couldn't understand that either! I either need someone to come here and show him the right way or I need a sledge hammer.... to knock him out with! (Grrrr....)
:wall: Maureen
P.S - He also does NOT plan on using a mounting block. I tried and tired to explain to him that the light is not going to be flat as the siding is OBVIOUSLY angled. He doesn't believe me. Then he said that he could put washers behind the top of the mounting bracket to keep that "away from the siding" and make the light flat. I then tried to explain that the base of the light then would be away from the house on the top edge. He couldn't understand that either! I either need someone to come here and show him the right way or I need a sledge hammer.... to knock him out with! (Grrrr....)
chandler
08-02-08, 08:11 PM
OK, code prohibits running cable under siding, and covering up the original box. It is a junction box and must remain exposed at all times. That would mean he could run new wiring behind the wall to the new location, but you would always be looking at the ugly cover plate.
Without using an angled block to mount your light on, or cutting away the siding around the light base to make it flat, you won't have a very pleasing look. Adding washers to the top will mean adding that much ugly caulking to keep the water from getting behind it. Not very classy.
Sounds as if you may need to hire a licensed electrician to do this work and do it right.
Without using an angled block to mount your light on, or cutting away the siding around the light base to make it flat, you won't have a very pleasing look. Adding washers to the top will mean adding that much ugly caulking to keep the water from getting behind it. Not very classy.
Sounds as if you may need to hire a licensed electrician to do this work and do it right.