Mounting camera under soffit using 2x4 best method?

[blake 0]

Should i only use a piece of pressure treated lumber to screw camera to,or do any of you guys use an L-bracket inside the soffit?

[scorpion 0]

Depends on the camera.

 

Can you mount the camera to the wall?

 

Is this a project to mount a box camera with a hole cut in front of the soffit board?

[blake 0]

The house has vinyl siding with open soffits with the vinyl panels laid inside,so i planned on mounting the bullet cameras under the soffit.I've read to just put a piece of wood inside the soffit to screw the camera to and call it good.I can mount the camera either under the soffit or out on to the soffit board.I will just need to dill a hole with a hole saw.I'm not sure if my parents will want me to drill a hole thru the board instead of the cheap vinyl paneling under the soffit.Is there a personal preference that you installers have or is it once again dependant on many factors?

[scorpion 0]

You can use regular 2X4. Treated would be better.

 

Mounting technique only matters if you take short cuts.

 

 

 

The best way is to mount it to the wall. More secure, and less work.

 

In your case you are not matching dollar's earned verses time expended, vehicle cost, vehicle insurance, business liability, and so on, so you can pretty much do want you want to do.

 

Those who decide to just bolt the cams directly to the plastic soffit will soon realize that those can be "sucked" out during extreme storms.

 

Mounting it to a piece of wood installed above the soffit would create a good mounting point.

 

Only flaws with high mounted cameras is that you lose the higher side of your viewing horizon. In other words you overhang will block the upper part of you view. The more you want to see the lower away from the soffit you will want to install it.

 

If the camera is not of value, and you are not concerned about a solid mount then you can mount the camera to the fascia.

 

http://www.bergerbuildingproducts.com/pdfs/installation_fascia_soffit.pdf

 

What do you think?

[blake 0]

Mounting to the fascia looks solid.My soffit is about 8' high.I just wasn't sure if i wanted to do that compared to the cheaper method of mounting it to the soffit paneling.Cheaper to replace the paneling than the fascia in the event something ever happens.

[alpine0000 0]

I too want to mount some domes under my soffit's, but I am unsure how to get them mounted nice and solid, since I have a big gap above my vinyl soffit panels.

 

If anybody has tips, or even documented their install with some pictures, I'd love to hear/see them!

 

[scorpion 0]

Due to summer storms and more so with hurricanes we in Florida cannot mount them to the soffit material. When they get sucked out you will lose the camera too.

[blake 0]

I too want to mount some domes under my soffit's, but I am unsure how to get them mounted nice and solid, since I have a big gap above my vinyl soffit panels.

 

If anybody has tips, or even documented their install with some pictures, I'd love to hear/see them!

 

Place a piece of pressure treated 2x4 inside the soffit and secure the camera to it.Drill a 1/2" to 3/4" hole depending on your cables, thru the soffit and wood to run your cables and your good.Like Scorpion said,you can only use this method where you don't get hit with hurricanes or tornados.

[thewireguys 3]

I too want to mount some domes under my soffit's, but I am unsure how to get them mounted nice and solid, since I have a big gap above my vinyl soffit panels.

 

If anybody has tips, or even documented their install with some pictures, I'd love to hear/see them!

 

Place a piece of pressure treated 2x4 inside the soffit and secure the camera to it.Drill a 1/2" to 3/4" hole depending on your cables, thru the soffit and wood to run your cables and your good.Like Scorpion said,you can only use this method where you don't get hit with hurricanes or tornados.

 

Don't have to use pressure treated. None of the trusses in the attics are pressure treated but its up to you. The fun part is getting far enough into the attic to attach the wood into the soffit. I really hate insulation and I can't stand hitting my head on the roofing nails. But that's what we do

[blake 0]

This is true..I've got plenty of scars on the top of my head from roofing nails!

[alpine0000 0]

The fun part is getting far enough into the attic to attach the wood into the soffit

 

Maybe I am wrong (never done this before), but wouldn't I do this from the outside of the house? First by removing the vinyl soffit panel, then installing the 2x4, then putting the vinyl soffit panel back in place? Is this the hard way, or is this way totally not possible?

 

I have been in my attic plenty to install recessed lighting and to run new wires down the wall for new light switches, and yes, it wasnt fun crawling to the edge of the house where there is almost no room

[blake 0]

Sometimes you can remove the soffit panel from the outside.You have to look to see if the fascia has those little nails in the bottom of it.Remove those nails and carefully bend the fascia tab down to get the soffit panel out.If there is enough space to drop your 2x4 from the attic since you're up there already then that's good to.It all boils down to what you feel comfortable doing.As long as it goes back together right without looking all bent up,the customer is happy.Some houses like my parents,there is a plywood walkway around the attic so it makes moving round alot easier.

[thewireguys 3]

The fun part is getting far enough into the attic to attach the wood into the soffit

 

Maybe I am wrong (never done this before), but wouldn't I do this from the outside of the house? First by removing the vinyl soffit panel, then installing the 2x4, then putting the vinyl soffit panel back in place? Is this the hard way, or is this way totally not possible?

 

I have been in my attic plenty to install recessed lighting and to run new wires down the wall for new light switches, and yes, it wasnt fun crawling to the edge of the house where there is almost no room

 

Pick your nightmare taking the soffit out on a 2 story house is no picnic

[alpine0000 0]

If there is enough space to drop your 2x4 from the attic since you're up there already then that's good to.It all boils down to what you feel comfortable doing.

 

Pick your nightmare taking the soffit out on a 2 story house is no picnic

 

I looked through the perforations in my vinyl soffit panels with a flashlight, and there is plywood above it, but its like 2" above the panels. So there is a gap between the panels and plywood. I wouldnt be able to access the portion directly above the panels from the attic because of the plywood blocking them, right? And I cant mount the cameras without some sort of back-bracing between the panels and plywood, otherwise it'd be flimsy.

 

Also, my house is only 1 story.

[alpine0000 0]

Actually, this might make it easier... A picture is worth 1,000 words. Here is what im working with. Can anybody help me with suggestions on the easiest way to mount a dome to the soffit?

 

Various Details:

-Vinyl Siding

-Vinyl Soffit Panels

-Single story side of the house with easy attic access.

 

 

 

 

[rory 0]

i was just trying to figure out what a soffit is, says its an australian thing .. anyway the photos helped .. we dont have them here .. its wooden eaves.

[alpine0000 0]

i was just trying to figure out what a soffit is, says its an australian thing .. anyway the photos helped .. we dont have them here .. its wooden eaves.

 

Interesting... It's definitely not just an Australian thing, though They are very popular around Virginia where I live. However, when I lived in Texas, they were also wooden, so I know what you mean!

 

I am not sure why any particular region would go with one over the other...? Hmm...

 

i found this, which explains soffits, but doesnt say where they originated:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soffit

 

I wish mine were wooden. It would make this camera thing a LOT easier!

[alpine0000 0]

Anybody?

 

I just picked up two 484 Panasonic domes, and am still wondering how I should do this.

[blake 0]

Soffit

[thewireguys 3]

Anybody?

 

I just picked up two 484 Panasonic domes, and am still wondering how I should do this.

 

You have 2 options

 

1) Remove soffit and insert backing board then close soffit back up

 

2) install backing board from attic

[blake 0]

I like my parents house because i have full access in the attic to install 2x4 backing without removing the soffit.

[alpine0000 0]

i was just trying to figure out what a soffit is, says its an australian thing .. anyway the photos helped .. we dont have them here .. its wooden eaves.

 

Here ya go, Rory... Some more pictures for ya. I got one of my Panasonic 484 domes installed. I took some pictures of the installation, since it probably will help out another person here who, like me, has never done it before and is wondering how. I will post all of the images of the installation in the 'Security Cameras' sub forum. This image makes it easier to see the gap that I was talking about between the soffit panels and the wooden eave. The vinyl soffit panels we pretty easy to pull out.

 

 

[Sawbones 0]

I did my last surface-mount dome almost the same way. Mine didn't have anything underneath that soffit vent... so I had to cut some 2x4s and space them about an inch apart for the wiring:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[scorpion 0]

alpine0000

 

Is your soffit a retro fit due to the siding being installed? I am under the impression that the wooden soffit on the inside is the original soffit?

Great pics!

 

Sawbones

 

Great Demo!

[alpine0000 0]

alpine0000

 

Is your soffit a retro fit due to the siding being installed? I am under the impression that the wooden soffit on the inside is the original soffit?

 

Hmm... I don't think so.

 

My house was built in 1978, and we had a bad hail storm about 8 years ago that caused extensive damage, so the shingles, gutters, and siding was replaced and covered under my insurance policy. I am pretty sure that the old siding was like that too, but I cant say for sure.