I planned to use a motion detector with the two flood lights centered above my garage door. I started cutting thinking I would put a plastic box behind the metal siding inside the garage. However, being centered it is over a raised rib where two panels meet and it looks like I made a mess. It was hard to cut and I just stopped. Any ideas on how to properly mount this light and make it look ok and not leak?
Sheet metal screws. Putty, or caulk. Probably a whole tube or two of silicone. Do the bottom of the box also, so you don't get wasps nesting inside the box.
That is just it. I dont have the box mounted. I am trying to figure out what the best thing to do is. What do people normally put as a box when they have to put it over a raised rib?
The usual box. Some folks use Permagum to fill the air gaps.
They make self tapping self sealing screws that work great and are made to fasten on the outside of steel buildings.
Steve
Generally, one uses an exterior metal box and only bores a hole the miminum size needed to run the conduit through the siding on the flat so you don't have any large holes to seal up.
If you've already made a cut, I'd suggest patching it back best as can and sealing it and then covering it w/ the exterior box as noted above.
You can either make a filler for the valley on either side if need it to stabilize the box or many of the siding manufacturers have specialty parts to fit their specific patterns for the purpose.
If you select the proper outdoor box it will have seals and you won't have the problems other poster talks about.
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Would a j box for vinyle siding work?
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I suppose you could make it work; don't think it would fit against your metal siding all that well would it?
I'd use something otoo one of those on this page; specifics would depend on what the fixture looked like as well as the siding.
As noted, I'd plan on ending up w/ only the one penetration for a short conduit if there's structure/insulation/whatever behind to get to the interior cleanly or even just a flanged coupler if only the tin (and it's heavy-enough gauge to mount to w/o additional support--that depends on the material and what you're mounting).
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I'd use a thin octagon / round box on the outside, that way only 2 small screw holes needed + the one for the wire, and it would at least look as good as what you are proposing.
It would be a piece of cake if you were mounting it on something flat , wouldn't it. Did this at work a couple of years ago on a metal building. . Mounted the electrical box on a heavy gauge piece of aluminum a couple of inches larger than the hole then pop riveted it to the building. This didn't start out as the plan. I cut the hole and then realized I had screwed up and couldn't get the box to fit in the corrugations so I covered the hole temporarily with a scrap piece of metal until I could back up and rethink what I was doing. After I got my patch up I realized that was the fix. I didnt have anything to fill the large cavities created by the corrugations, someone else did that and I am not sure of what he use. Looked like some kind of rubbery caulk, I don't think it was silicone.
Jimmie
If it were me, I would take a step back, go get a short piece of the ribbed metal siding. Some of the lumberyards around here carry shorter pieces, so you would'nt be throwing away too much money. Anyway, patch the hole by covering the works up, then surface mount a waterproof exterior box on the flat between the ribs and mount your electric fixture on that. I don't know of anyone that makes a "light box" or some such for corrugated metal panels.
HTH, Lefty
Repair the sheet metal with a neat patch (aluminum pop rivets). New material should be available at box stores, maybe call the manufacturer. Since you're two using floodlights, simply mount two boxes to the flats on either side of the rib. looks good, symmetrical, and sturdy if you tie the two together in the back with a metal brace.
Joe
Why not use a double metal box. cut a couple of 5/4" wolmanized boards to fit on both side of the rib. glue and screw the boards to the box and the siding.
Well, I think I messed it up too much. I am going to try to replace the two pieces of metal. I have to full length pieces left over from when it was built.
Can I cut these pieces with my jig saw or is there somethign else that will work better?
I also bought one of those wet location boxes with the two ears to mount on top of the metal as everyone here said. My plan is to run pvc conduit to the openign in the back of the fixture. Do I have to use a screw in fitting into the threaded portion of the back of this outside box? The reason I ask is I intend to drill a hole through the metal as close to the outside diamter of the conduit as I can. If I have a threaded fitting, wont that outside diameter be different that the pvc pipe attached to it. it is hard to explain but I hope you understand.
stryped wrote: ...
Find the pieces you need then make the hole to fit.
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