Electrical boxes in metal siding/ceiling inside pole barn

[cobragrover]

I'm doing a metal ceiling in my pole barn garage. I've read a few threads about how to locate the cutout for the electrical outlet boxes. Why not use old work boxes with the wings so you don't have to be exact with the location of your cut outs? Anything wrong with that. Is it cheating?

 

[Bert_]

They will flop around, the tin isn't stiff enough. If your doing it yourself just leave the box loose until you are ready to install that sheet.

I generally don't flush mount stuff in steel. Hard for me to set the box in the right spot, the guys installing the tin don't like cutting the hole either. The ones I do wire in romex get the wire ran thought a small hole in the tin. I come back and install a bushing and surface mount 4x4 box. Works better in my opinion.

 

[Terry D]

The problem with mounting a box on the outside of the siding, and depending what kind of fixtures you use, they might not seal around that box, letting water in. Also looking bad. If its a flush mount fixture, they are meant to be tight up against the finished surface. If its a fixture that is made to go on a weatherproof box, then that will be ok. Don't know your situation, Put the siding up, drill your 4" holes, and as long as you can get to it inside, fit your box to the holes. You can use blocking or there is a variety of brackets on the market to support that box. Like I said, don't know your situation of how far the studs are apart or anything. Maybe a picture or two. Main thing, if the fixture is meant to install up to the finish surface, I defiantly would recess the boxes

 

[Bert_]

The problem with mounting a box on the outside of the siding, and depending what kind of fixtures you use, they might not seal around that box, letting water in. Also looking bad. If its a flush mount fixture, they are meant to be tight up against the finished surface. If its a fixture that is made to go on a weatherproof box, then that will be ok. Don't know your situation, Put the siding up, drill your 4" holes, and as long as you can get to it inside, fit your box to the holes. You can use blocking or there is a variety of brackets on the market to support that box. Like I said, don't know your situation of how far the studs are apart or anything. Maybe a picture or two. Main thing, if the fixture is meant to install up to the finish surface, I defiantly would recess the boxes

I believe we are talking interior

 

[bobj49f2]

They will flop around, the tin isn't stiff enough. If your doing it yourself just leave the box loose until you are ready to install that sheet.

I generally don't flush mount stuff in steel. Hard for me to set the box in the right spot, the guys installing the tin don't like cutting the hole either. The ones I do wire in romex get the wire ran thought a small hole in the tin. I come back and install a bushing and surface mount 4x4 box. Works better in my opinion.

This is what we did. Worked pretty good.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I believe we are talking interior

And ceiling instead of wall

 

[Dagny]

Thinwall on the outside. A million times better and easier.

 

[cobragrover]

Sorry I’ve been away. It is interior ceiling. Going to put single gang boxes for lights and garage door opener.

 

[Terry D]

Guess I should have read the post more thoroughly, don't know why I thought it was outside siding