Need electrical advise

[Chubbs55]

Good morning,

Looking for some advice for a flush mount junction box for installing an outdoor wall light at my parents house.  They are getting ready to sell and I've been helping them out with updating some things around their house before they put it on the market.  I've got basic electrical skills, meaning I feel comfortable if wiring is already run.  The problem I'm having (hoping I'm describing this right) is the old junction box had two tabs on either side that mounted to the outside of their cedar sided house.  The new light has a ring adapter that sits on the screws that are holding the junction box in place so it's impossible to get a tight seal to the house (probably sits out about a quarter of an inch).  It's a 26 year old house and the old light had a slightly bigger base with which to mount to the house so it sat over the mounting screws.  I'd need something flush mount with no tabs on the outside, preferably something I can attach to the siding from the inside (attach to the siding from the inside top and bottom) as there is insulation behind the cedar siding.  I don't know if there is a flush mount box like that or if I'm better off getting a 3/4 inch thick piece of square cedar, cutting a hole in it and mounting that on the house.  Any suggestions would be appreciated so they can get the house on the market this year yet.

Thanks.

[pecunia]

If you could somehow attach a picture, I think you would get acceptable valid responses.  Many of us do not visualize verbal descriptions as well as a picture.  A picture is worth 10,000 words.

[BudgetSlasher]

Good morning,

Looking for some advice for a flush mount junction box for installing an outdoor wall light at my parents house.  They are getting ready to sell and I've been helping them out with updating some things around their house before they put it on the market.  I've got basic electrical skills, meaning I feel comfortable if wiring is already run. 

The problem I'm having (hoping I'm describing this right) is the old junction box had two tabs on either side that mounted to the outside of their cedar sided house.

Like this?

https://www.homedepot.com/p/BELL-4-in-Round-Weatherproof-Box-with-Five-1-2-in-or-3-4-in-Outlets-PRB57550WH/202284522

or like this?

https://www.lowes.com/pd/TayMac-1-Gang-Gray-PVC-Weatherproof-Exterior-Interior-New-Work-Old-Work-Standard-Switch-Outlet-Wall-Electrical-Box/4005489

The new light has a ring adapter that sits on the screws that are holding the junction box in place so it's impossible to get a tight seal to the house (probably sits out about a quarter of an inch).  It's a 26 year old house and the old light had a slightly bigger base with which to mount to the house so it sat over the mounting screws.  I'd need something flush mount with no tabs on the outside, preferably something I can attach to the siding from the inside (attach to the siding from the inside top and bottom) as there is insulation behind the cedar siding.

The inside of the box or the inside of the house?

I don't know if there is a flush mount box like that or if I'm better off getting a 3/4 inch thick piece of square cedar, cutting a hole in it and mounting that on the house.  Any suggestions would be appreciated so they can get the house on the market this year yet.

Thanks.

All basic weather proof exterior boxes that I have seen/used have those tabs. I have seen the siding installed over them (like your cedar suggestion) which conceal the tabs. Or you could remove the cedar, mount the box to the sheathing underneath and replace the cedar.

They make boxes specifically to place over lapped siding (https://www.amazon.com/Arlington-8141-1-Vertical-Siding-Mounting/dp/B002W6ZOCO), but I do not know how that would work with cedar.

How bad is the previous light? I highly doubt one exterior light will stop the house from selling (unless it is just bare wires hanging out). So, you could just decide the effort is not worth the minimal return and focus on other areas to make the house sell faster.

You could try rotating the boxes that is already there if the light you are installing have more clearance one direction.

You could look at the two types of boxes I posted above and see if one would be better for your purposes than the one you already have installed.

[Chubbs55]

Hopefully you can see the pic.  The first suggestion from homedepot.com seemed like the one that would work.  The cedar is a half inch thick so I think that one had tabs that sprung out from behind.  And yes, all the lights were hanging on by a thread, literally, so they had to be changed.  The lights were fairly inexpensive.  I'll try one from Home Depot to make sure that works, but I appreciate the input.  Helped me out a ton.

[pecunia]

Good picture - I'm glad you asked that question and that it was answered.  I have a similar situation with my front porch lights.  You may have saved me from reinventing your wheel.