If you’ve decided that you need an outlet on the outside of your home and don’t have one yet, here are some tips to follow when adding one in. Oftentimes, when you are creating an outdoor living space and looking to hang a unique chandelier or another light fixture, you’ll need a plug outside! If your home has siding, you’ll want to cut a remodel box in, just as you would on the interior of a home. You’ll have to fish your wire to the area. Since it is on the outside of the home, a GFCI outlet is MANDATORY. In addition, you’ll have to install an “in use” cover, or bubble cover, to protect the connection between whatever you are plugging in and the outlet. For brick homes, if you don’t want to chisel into the existing brick, you can choose to mount a box on the surface after you’ve drilled a hole to pull your wires through. They make weatherproof boxes for just this purpose. This option is certainly not as attractive as cutting one into the side of the wall, but far simpler. It sounds simple, and it really is, but remember to make sure that the bubble cover is installed properly and fits flush. This could be the difference between safety and someone getting seriously shocked!
Content Provided by: Julia Ritzenthaler