Outdoor cameras to mastic or not

I think you need to tell us why you think adding mastic would be a good idea. Does the bracket incorporate the cable entry?

Chris

The cable comes out if the middle of the bracket and then through the wall. My fear is that water will drop down the back of the bracket along the cable and into the house.

Why would you not? Am I missing something? I would though make sure if the camera is fitted in a box with just clear plastic over where it looks out drop some silica gell inside! Brian

Can you not put a downward loop in the cable so it will drip off at the downward bend? Brian

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.co.uk explained on 08/04/2019 :

So, just the cable in the hole needs masticking, rather than the entire bracket.

That's why you construct a drip loop. The cable should always go upwards to the hole in the wall. Water does not run uphill.

Run the cable to the entry hole, then just take it below the hole and bend it back to the hole.

I think he's saying the cable is concealed with the tubular bracket, so he can't form a drip loop ...

One can still ensure that the hole in the wall slopes down towards the outside.

Yes the cable it concealed in the bracket. The cable runs through the centre and then straight into the wall. The cable is wired into the camera and long enough for the connectors to fit through the wall so the connection is then inside the house

Masticing the cable in the hole may make it difficult to replace the camera in the future. At least if I mastic around the bracket it would be easy to remove it later.

Maybe mastic a inverted U shape, i.e. three sides of a square: fends off water from above, but let any drain out below? Stick a bit of foam rubber in the cable hole to keep the wind from blowing water in?

Thomas Prufer

If the bracket is metal the foam may act as a sponge and maintain a rust inducing atmosphere.

You can get non-hardening mastics (or at least ones that take years to harden). I don?t think they would stop you pulling a cable out. eg.

Tim

And why the hole should run slightly up hill going into the wall from the outside.

Is there not enough space in the mounting that the screws fix through to form a single turn spiral such the the cable comes from the camera, turns parallel to the wall loops in circle down and up then turns into the hole in the wall?

I'd not seal anything other than a bit of scrunched up paper or packing foam rammed into in the hole around the cable to stop drafts. Also use stainless or brass screws.