Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Mounting A Surveillance Camera On Vinyl Siding







Outdoor surveillance cameras offer added protection around the home and can detect and identify intruders. They install on virtually any exterior home covering, including vinyl siding, using a mounting bracket and screws. When mounting the surveillance camera, choosing a sturdy location with an unobstructed view point is crucial. To attach the mounting bracket, you must mark and predrill the holes through the siding using a drill. Then the screws for the bracket slide easily into the underlying home structure.


Instructions


1. Look around the exterior of the home for the best mounting location for the surveillance camera. Find an area that has a clear view of the area that you want to monitor and that has no trees or other vegetation blocking it. The location should also be accessible only by a ladder to prevent anyone from tampering with it.


2. Place a ladder at the location and climb until you can reach the area of the vinyl siding near the roof.


3. Place the mounting bracket up to the vinyl siding and hold it in place while you mark the screw holes using a pencil. If you are installing a wired camera, as opposed to a wireless one, also mark the location where the wires extend from the back of the camera.


4. Set the camera aside and lift the roofing shingles up slightly to look at the top of the vinyl siding. Peer behind it to determine whether the underlying wall structure is wood or masonry. Measure the depth of the vinyl siding using a tape measure to determine the depth of the drill bit required.


5. Find a 1/4-inch diameter drill bit that is equal to the depth of the siding plus 1 inch. Use a masonry bit for walls made of concrete, stucco or brick. If the bit is longer than the desired length, place a piece of masking tape on the drill bit at the proper depth measurement. Install the bit into a power drill.


6. Carry the power drill up to the location and place the tip against one pencil mark on the siding. Squeeze the drill trigger and hold it steady as it drills through the siding. When you feel it slide forward, you have punctured the siding. Continue drilling until the piece of tape is flush with the surface of the siding.


7. Drill each remaining pencil mark in the same manner. Switch to a longer bit and drill through the siding at the location where you will pull the cables through. Drill through the wall until it punctures through to the inside.








8. Set the drill aside and hold the camera up to the vinyl siding so the screw holes align with those in the wall. Insert one of the provided screws through each hole, tightening them securely with the drill.


9. Push the wires through the hole that you drilled in the wall, if you are installing a wired camera. Proceed with the remaining installation steps for the surveillance camera.

Tags: mounting bracket, siding using, surveillance camera, through siding, vinyl siding, vinyl siding