adster 0 Posted April 5, 2012 I want to mount a dome camera in the corner of my garage. There's vinyl siding with 1/2" of foam board beneath and then solid wood under that. I don't want to cut the vinyl siding, although I have no problem drilling holes into it. What's the best way to get a nice secure install? I'm not sure if I should add a small piece of 1/2" square plywood (in place of the foam board) under the vinyl? The separate vinyl sections are removable for easy access. I have seen some of you just make a white 6 x 6" wood square plate and drill that directly to the siding and the camera then goes on that, but I'm not sure I like the way that looks. I want it to look as professional as possible when done. Your experience and opinions appreciated...thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted April 7, 2012 Vinyl is notoriously difficult to get a SOLID fix to especially with a heavy camera housing. This is just a guess but I would hold the bracket in place and drill the holes through to the plywood backing, to locate the holes. If you have access to the back insert captive nuts into the ply and use copper pipe spacers to bolt through. This gives a solid base on the surface without relying on spongy surface to bear the weight. You will need long bolts but you can buy a just a few at any hardware store. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shockwave199 0 Posted April 7, 2012 I'll be installing a ptz on my siding as well, but the bracket top and bottom actually lands perfectly on the flatest part of each siding slat. The trick to me is decent size length and width screws, so they get penetration as well as having a good surface area for stability with them being thicker screws. I sure hope that's the case anyway. Appropriate size screw would be the biggest concern. Good luck to you...and me! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtetterton 0 Posted April 7, 2012 I bought the "mounting plate" you see at Lowes for like $9. It gives a decent flat mounting surface and it traces your siding to make it look clean. I simply cut a hole in it for the wires and drilled straight through the camera base, through the siding, and into the plywood underneath. Hiding the wires is a different story If you're not near the top or side, it can be difficult. Jason Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
adster 0 Posted April 8, 2012 I bought the "mounting plate" you see at Lowes for like $9. It gives a decent flat mounting surface and it traces your siding to make it look clean. I simply cut a hole in it for the wires and drilled straight through the camera base, through the siding, and into the plywood underneath. Hiding the wires is a different story If you're not near the top or side, it can be difficult. Jason What is it's original intended use? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jtetterton 0 Posted April 8, 2012 Mounting lights after siding has already been installed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Numb-nuts 1 Posted April 10, 2012 I think considering the way it could look without any thought given to appearance, you have made a neat and tidy appearance to the finish. The extra money for the mounting plates is money well spent. I have found that some installations will need a bit of extra thought to make an acceptable finish. My only tiny criticism is that maybe the dome is too accessible for a vandal's hammer. Obviously I haven't seen the full picture so it's just an observation. I have a camera in a similar position at home and it's housed in a vandal resistant housing designed for prison applications. As is apparent, some people can't grasp the concept of making the installation look clean as well as work properly. In my opinion, sloppy looking installs suffer from more faults than neat and tidy ones. It's an indication of the installer's attitude, 'sloppy is as sloppy does'. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
