Exterior backplate(?) for wall fixture - what's it called?

16 years ago

We have a cedar sided house and need to hang some wall entrance fixtures. There is a square separate piece currently attached to the house and then the light attaches on top of this plate. It is there to offset the angle of the cedar board so the light will hang level.

The current plate is not wide enough and the back of the new light hangs off the edges a bit. Does anyone know what this backplate on the house is called? I have been searching for it online and cannot find it.

Is there another solution to this problem?

Featured Answer

hatman52

16 years ago

Hmmmm, I don't know what their official name is, but I call them trim blocks. I usually make them out of 1x cedar, round the edges a bit, and paint them the same color as the trim. On a clapboard house, I install them while installing the siding if it's new construction. On existing siding, I carefully cut in with a small circular saw and finish with a chisel. I usually make them about 2" larger than then light fixture base (or vent, or whatever), so that there's about an inch exposed on each side. I fudge the height so that the top butts up against the bottom of a clapboard the the bottom aligns with the bottom of the lower clapboard.

A good local trim/finish carpenter could probably whip one up and install it in a couple of hours.

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Comments (6)

mightyanvil
16 years ago
It's sometimes called a siding mounting block.

Here is a link that might be useful: siding mounting block
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greenmtn
Original Author
16 years ago
hatman - This would be on existing siding. When you say cut0ib and finish with a chisel do you mean cut into the bottom of the horizontal board so when done installing the new back piece it will be level on top and bottom?

mightyanvil - Thanks for the link. I saw those today at Home Depot and may try them.
sniffdog
16 years ago
greenmtn

They are called Siding Mounting Blocks - check out this link which has a several versions of them :

http://www.aifittings.com/arliprod6.htm

I have run into a similar problem. The siding blocks that the electricins put in are too small for our light backplates. My problem is the length of the backplate, not the width. For the lights mounted against the hardi plank siding, I am going to use the arlington double tall siding block face plate which will fit into the box that is already installed. The also make a MEGA block which might help you out.

The real challenge for me are lights mounted against the areas that are stoned becuase the stone face is rough and won't allow the siding block face plate to snap in flush with the box. For these situations, I am going to make face plates out of wood and mount that wood face plate to the siding block face plate (a face plate on the face plate). I will also have to put in a spacer between the 2 so that the exterior wwoden face plate comes out past the stone. The inner platsic siding block face plate will snap in flush to the box - once I trim it down a little. The outter wooden face plate will provide a flush mount for the light, that is larger than the lighting fixture back plate.

It seems like such a simple thing - but has turned out to be a royal pain in the rear.

Hope this helps.
hatman52
16 years ago
>>This would be on existing siding. When you say cut0ib and finish with a chisel do you mean cut into the bottom of the horizontal board so when done installing the new back piece it will be level on top and bottom? The block sits flush against the sheathing underneath the siding. So to install a new trim block or replace a small one with a larger block, I have to cut the siding back to accomodate this. You say you have cedar siding -- is it clapboard or something else?
carol90018
8 years ago
It's called "Mounting Plate".