I’ve converted the under side of a porch to a storage area by covering
it in pavers and fencing it in Effectively I’ve created an open air shed
to store my outside tools in.
However, now the area needs lights. I’ve run conduit and lights
indoors… but now I need to run power for the lights out doors.
I’ve got a number of issues I’m not sure how to deal with properly.
1) Besides using the conduit and boxes for outdoors how does this differ
from running conduit and boxes for indoors? Given the humidity
in Raleigh, NC, do I have to worry about condensation in the boxes?
2) The walls I want to put light fixtures on (seven 60 or 100W fixtures)
are brick. Don’t want to mess with the brick, I’d prefer to mount
to the underside of the porch (2×10’s), and just extend down near
the wall.
As part of this problem, there’s no place wall to put an electrical
box in.
I was planning to simply make a wooden ‘T’ out of some pressure treated
1×6. I’d mount the top of the T to the underside of the joists near
the wall and mount a box on one side of the T’s leg, and the fixture
on the other side. Comments? Is there an easier way.
I’d like not to cause problems when the porch is hosed down (or a
hurricane blows thru). Obviously we’re talking outdoor fixtures,
for wet locations.
3) What else should I worry about?
4) Suggestions for small/low-cost/well-sealed 120V fixtures?
No, don’t want to use a 12V system. Costs about the same with the
transformer, and I’m going to include an outlet to plug in tools etc on
that corner of the house.
Replies
Not an electrician but I would use PVC conduit, get outdoor flood lights and put fewer than the seven (two fixtures, four bulbs). They have some halogen ones that are sealed and would not hang down as far.
I would mount them to bottom of joist as close to brick wall as I could get(actually I would use tapcons and mount to the brick if it were mine), if desired put a 2x4 nailer sistered on to make a wider screwing/support base(4 or 5" long). I have seen kits at Lowes/HD with the box incl. If not, they have a plastic box (damp approved) that the 1/2" conduit will glue into. Pull a set of black, wht, green #12s and be done. You did not say where you were getting your feed from.
edit(wow a quick shot at the spell checker would have mounted with tampons)
Fill out your profile please!
Edited 1/24/2006 3:45 pm ET by rasconc
I'd go with 3/4" PVC conduit on the sides of the joists, and put boxes with those cheap $1.79 reflector flood sockets right up there in the joist bays. Outdoor CFL reflector floods would work fine, and be somewhat protected by being between the joists.
For a receptacle, I'd mount a box to the brick with expansion shields, somewhere about eye level. Since this is a storage space, appearance doesn't matter, and having it up high means you can put more in there without blocking it. Since moisture is a concern, make a GFCI receptacle the first thing on the circuit, and run everything else downstream from it.
Condensation won't be a problem in outdoor boxes. Condensation is water coming out of the air, and with sealed boxes, you have only the tiny amount that might be in the air in the boxes. Condensation on the sides of a cold drink comes from a much larger volume of air moving past it.
-- J.S.
How much headroom is there? Would it work to mount outlets to the bottom of the deck joists and have them facing down?
What about using a weathertight fluorescent fixture?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt