How to Install Recessed Wall Lighting in Stucco

Recessed wall lighting makes a fantastic addition to your home, but you can run into trouble when installing into stucco. Stucco is a render that is applied to walls to give a textured finish but it is thin and fragile, easily flaking off if damaged. Usually applied over concrete or brick walls, it can be difficult to install recessed lighting into. This tutorial will show you how to install recessed lighting into a brick wall without damaging the stucco finish. 

Step 1 – Decide on Placement

Decide where you will place your recessed light and, using the chisel, chip away the stucco till you uncover a brick. Measure the brick and buy a recessed light fixture to fit the space. Make sure the light you buy is suited to outside use if you are installing into an outside wall.

Remove the brick by digging out the mortar with your chisel. If the mortar is too hard, use the drill to drill holes all around it to make it easier to remove. Clean the edges of the hole. 

Step 2 – Run the Wire to the Fixture

Turn the power off to the house at the fuse box. Employ an electrician to run a wire through the wall to the new light switch and to where you are installing the recessed light. If this is not a double wall, you can run a wire through a ‘wiremold’  which is a type of conduit that runs above your baseboard. 

Step 3 – Attach the Wires

Insert the house wire into the light housing junction box and attach it with a cable clamp. Splice the house wires to the fixture wires with the wire connectors, making sure you attach them color for color. Close and fasten the junction box cover. 

Step 4 – Insert the Fixture

Insert the fixture into the brick hole and make sure it is secured by the tabs. Attach the inner baffle, install the bulb and clip on the cover. 

Step 5 – Mask the Light Fixture

Cover the light fixture with newspaper and masking tap only to the edges of the fixture. 

Step 6 – Mix the Mortar

Fill in any gaps and holes around the light fixture with caulk. Press it in well and smooth it to the level of the bricks. Dampen the area with a damp cloth so the old stucco will not leach moisture from the new.

Mix enough cement mortar in a tray to repair the stucco around the fixture. Mix one part Portland cement with 4 parts builders sand and enough water to make the mixture workable but not runny. 

Step 7 – Repair the Stucco

Dab the mortar onto the repair section and stipple it softly with the paintbrush bristles so it resembles the texture of the original stucco texture. Turn the power back on.

Leave to dry, then paint to match the wall. Remove the paper and tape.