Sealing around coach fixtures

[jmellc]

Usually Do

Usually Do

I usually seal with clear silicone. I may skip sealing if the fixture appears to meet the wall well, but I usually find that it needs it. I've done lots of service work on outdoor GFI's for example that constantly tripped and only tiny drops of water were getting in. I saw how easily water can penetrate, especially with the cheap foam gaskets usually provided by mft. Tripping not an issue with lights, but water is still not desirable.

 

[Pierre C Belarge]

I was just thinking about some of the installations I have seen in the past.


Maybe the guys who do not use boxes for fixtures installed on exterior walls (mounting the fixture to the siding) is because they are concerned about water getting into the box....

 

[SEO]

Pierre good point I hadn't thought about the electricians concern about water entering the box.:grin:

 

[Power Tech]

How do you handle irregular rock-work. Who is responsible for creating a nice fit.?

See post #4

 

[Kdog76]

I was just thinking about some of the installations I have seen in the past.


Maybe the guys who do not use boxes for fixtures installed on exterior walls (mounting the fixture to the siding) is because they are concerned about water getting into the box....

And if it's steel siding like on the old homes around here, they weren't concerned about energizing the siding when the mounting screw runs through the fixture wires either.
I'm not going so far to say I wouldn't put a box behind it, and I will look up those code references in the previous post. Trying to weigh in all the pro's and con's here. If this were a poll, I bet it would be pretty even as to seal or not...

 

[busman]

I seal them all the way around with clear caulk except a small hole at the bottom. Not just for water, but to keep the wasps out.

Mark