How close to beam edge can I put light fixture nails

code-compliancelight-fixture

I removed a 10-15 lb light from my ceiling.

My ceiling light

Beneath, the electrical box was at an odd angle:

Angulated electrical box

So I pulled that off as well, which revealed this hole.

Hole where the electrical box used to be

Those nail holes which were holding in the box and, therefore the light, look like they're pretty close to the edge of the beam. That makes me wonder:

  1. Were they unsafe?
  2. Is there a code specifying how far into a beam screws should go?

Best Answer

The NEC code says that a box should be adequately supported. This means the installer should read and follow directions provided by the box manufacturer.

In your example the box was secured adequately just not properly. Proper installation would only allow the necessary overhang to flush up with the ceiling.

As for nails being too close to the edge, this should never be an issue if the installer were to follow the directions, know the NEC codes on luminare box support, and the structural integrity of the object they are attaching the box to.

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