Replies

1. 
   BillHartmann | Jul 11, 2005 09:02pm | #1

   What happened to your patinia?

   How where they mounted to the vinyl siding?

   I would slip some sheet metal behind the FC. Probably need some adhesive on them to hold then in place.

   Then drill a start hole and use a sheet metal screw.

1. 
   seeyou | Jul 11, 2005 10:36pm | #2

   How where they mounted to the vinyl siding?

   I don't know exactly, but I'm sure it was incorrectly. I didn't take them down personally. Now that I think about it, I had my guys  put up osb and felt behind the Hardie. It just had insulation board behind the vinyl. It's been a long month and a half. Never mind........................I'm not green anymore.

1. 
   DeaDRingeR | Jul 11, 2005 10:52pm | #3

   You can use Mid-America SurfaceMaster for the electrical boxes and screw the boxes and SurfaceMaster to the house if that was the ? your asking.

   Mark

   http://www.midamericabuilding.com/p_mount_blocks/surface_master.phpJack of all trades.................Master of none!

2. 
   warped | Jul 12, 2005 02:49am | #4

   Might try Tapcons, they've a pretty aggressive thread. Experiment w/ scrap fc

3. 
   4Lorn1 | Jul 12, 2005 03:13am | #5

   I have used wide-thread deck or sheet metal screws into the studs, ideal, or sheathing, less good. Try not to use the fiber cement as a base for screwing. I have mounted the boxes and then taken them down so I could use a 1/4" masonry bit to widen the hole in the siding. A glob of duct seal between the siding and box gives a bit of space behind the box and seals the hole around the screw and where the cable comes out of the wall.

   A friend reports that small squares of ice shield are good for this. But it doesn't space the box out much, of course most exterior boxes have feet that do it for you and I seldom have ice shield handy while I mostly have a pound or so of duct seal handy.

   The idea of sliding a piece of sheet metal under a clap to spread the load has some merit but I would have to give it a go a couple of times before I felt sure of it.

   My general concern is that the cement siding doesn't seem to hold screws too well. A lot of folks are screwing directly to the siding I have seen some boxes knocked off. People run into it, more likely with weatherproof, domed, in-use covers, or someone jerks a cord plugged into it which torques the box off the wall. More likely with a new, tight, receptacle.

   Of course screwing the box down using the studs or sheathing is a touch thing. You just want to snug it up. Not a place to prove your manhood tightening those screws. Had a helper crack a clap tightening one up. Luckily the carpenters who had done the work were on site, friendly, and had spares. Could have been a much larger PITA.

4. 
   Notchman | Jul 12, 2005 04:25am | #6

   I always block out for electical/plumbing fixtures.  Azek or other trim material, primed and attached to the sheathing makes for a flat surface to mount to.  You can miter or round the corners or do whatever to suit the scheme of your building.

   These "blockouts" always go on ahead of the siding, just like the rest of the trim, but if you miss one, or need to go back, a diamond blade in a 4 1/2" grinder can be used to cut the siding in place.