John Grabowski wrote:
"Terry" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Dec 21, 6:53 pm, "John Grabowski" wrote:
"Terry" wrote in
glegroups.com...

I am having vinyl trim put around my eaves. There are two existing
floodlights. I noticed when the installers removed the existing
lights
from the box and left the wires connected and the light hanging. They
cut about an 1.5 in hole in the siding and that was it. The light was
then screwed in to the vinyl with one Sheetrock screw.

I told them that an extension ring was needed to extend the existing
box thru the vinyl and mount the fixture on that. They said that they
never do houses like that. Most of houses they do, he says, don't
even
have a box. The electricians just run a wire out through a hole.

I can't believe that someone that installs this stuff daily can get by
with mounting light fixtures with sheet rock screws.

They are vinyl siding installers. You can't expect them to be qualified
electricians. I can't tell you how many electric services I have seen
hanging halfway off of the house because they did not reinstall the
straps
properly. Call a qualified electrician to make things right.

I am guessing that more than half of all houses have at least one flood
light. That means that it is something they do regularly. I don't
expect vinyl siding installers to install or do any wiring except the
wiring they undid to install their siding. If you have to take a light
fixture down to do your job, you should be expected to put it back
properly. If this beyond the scope of your installers ability then you
should bring it to the attention of the owner before doing the job.


Unfortunately this is not a perfect world. If this contractor tells his
customers that he cannot handle the electrical fixtures and that the
customer will need to call an electrician, he will probably not get the job.
The customer will get a siding contractor who says that he can handle
everything whether he can or not because it will be cheaper. Having a
qualified person on staff to do electrical work would cost the siding
contractor more money. Having to call in an outside electrical contractor
to reinstall the fixtures properly would slow down the siding installation.
Siding contractors have been doing this kind of electrical butchering for
years. They teach their crews how to do it and when those guys go into
business for themselves they teach their crews the same unsafe and unsightly
techniques. I think that the only way to correct this is legislatively.
Where laws are passed requiring that the siding contractor enlist the
services of an electrical contractor or at least have a qualified person on
staff. Maybe electrical and siding permits and inspections should be
required for a siding installation. The downside to this is that the
consumer will ultimately pay more for a siding installation.

Taking down a fixture and putting it back up should not require an
electrician. We are not talking about anything takes any understanding
of electricity.

They should be required to reinstall it properly, but having an
electrician is not necessary.