Installing security lights in eaves

[rogerpease]

Hello-

I have a single-floor ranch style house and would like to install a couple of security lights on the front and back of the house. Most of the instructions I read for installing security lights begin with the words "Remove the existing fixture" which I do not have. Anyway, I went up to the roof and unless I shrink down to my size at roughly age 6, there is no way I am going to get any wiring box between the roof and the eave top from the roof side.

Right now I'm thinking my best option is to cut out a roughly 1'x2' section of the eave from the *BOTTOM*, nail a ceiling fixture box to one of the exposed studs (with the appropriate amount of wire attached), cut the appropriate hole and reattach the eave to the studs.

Question: Is there a patently obvious and easier way to do this that I am missing? Has anyone tried this before and found an easier way? Thanks and Regards,

Roger

[HaHaHa]

Generally, you can tell where the roof rafters are by where the nails in the fascia board are. You can easily install an old-work ceiling box by cutting out the box shape only and installing in the normal fashion.

With the hole cut out, use a metal snake to fish the cable from the attic. Having a helper can make this part easier.

[e-mail]

[Jag Man]

I'm not an electrician, but I did mine myself on a So. California ranch style. I drilled through from the outside, then poked a length of steel electrical conduit (not flex) from the outside. It was long enough to reach a place in the attic that I could work. I pulled wires up through the wall from an existing light switch, and fed through the conduit after applying a little lubricant made for wire pulling. The outside end of the conduit is attached to a junction box, mounted on the outside where the conduit comes through. There is then a short waterproof flex conduit that goes to the light fixture. The conduit end in the attic is fastened to a rafter (or is it a joist?). I guess I should have attached a junction box at that point, but didn't see the point. I did remove the sharp edge so the wire would not chafe.

Ed

[CR]

You can use a "3" cut-in box". You use a 3 5/8" hole saw from the outside, in-between your rafters or studs (the box does not attach to them) . As stated before, you then run your wires to the hole that you cut. Run them into the box and then pound the box into the hole. The box has spring steel ears on it that pop behind your siding or eave material. You then tighten two screws that are inside the box from the outside of your house and it pulls the ears tight to the inside. I don't think the Home Depot type stores carry them. May have to go to a electrical supply house. Should be about $2 - $3 apiece

CR