We're right in the middle of re-doing our living room, and have the walls opened up to the studs all the way around the room. I just remembered that the outdoor patio light is not wired in a box. There's just a wire running through a hole in the wall. I discovered this last year when I went to replace the light fixture and discovered the missing box. Should have fixed it then, but didn't want to tear open the wall for that so I left it. (Not smart.) Anyway, I just remembered the situation with that light and since the walls are opened up now I figure I should fix it now. Any tips to be aware of? What type of box do I need? Just a regular ceiling light box, except I'll be mounting it on the side of the stud for an outside wall light?

 

You got it. As long as it's just a standard type wall mount light, you can use a standard plastic or metal box mounted to the stud or remodel box with ears clamped to the plywood. Standard NM-B wire is fine. Be sure to ground the box if it's metal, and add a bead of caulk along the top of the fixture to keep any blowing rain out (but leave the bottom uncaulked).

 

Yes, it's a generic motion detector light fixture with 2 floodlight-type bulbs. I should probably do something with the vinyl siding on the outside as well. I should see if there's some type of base plate available that would fit the contours of the surrounding siding and convert it to a flat surface for the light base to fit against.

Thanks!

 

Try Arlington Industries online for types of base plates. Many of the BigBox stores carry them.

Arlington | Quality Electrical Products and Fittings Look under siding boxes

 

I found one at a BigBox store last night (Menards).

I took a closer look at this light location last night and discovered that there's no way to insert a box where the light currently is. It's right in front of a pair of studs sandwiched together. There's a cavity a little farther over, so I'm going to try to shift it over there, then figure some way to patch the small hole in the siding where the wire is currently feeding through.

 

You may be able to use a pancake box, cut and mounted from the exterior.