Does anyone here have experience putting mounting screws into stucco?
I want to mount a light plastic box to the exterior of my home to protect a coax junction. My house's exterior is stucco.
The box is not heavy but I want it to be secure and not come loose over time. Also, I want to minimize the damage to the stucco.
I'm thinking I should use mounting screws, pre-drill the holes using a masonry bit (i read a hammer drill is better but i don't have one and read a regular drill should work for smaller holes), and put some type of sealant into the hole.
But I'm not sure if a masonry screw or masonry anchor is best. Also, I'm drilling blind as I don't know where the studs are. Any other tips welcome.
Best Answer
First off, buy a good studfinder. They should be able to detect the stud even through a layer of stucco.
When you do find a stud, put on your safety glasses and pre-drill the locations of your screws with a standard bit, use just enough force to gently go through the stucco, it's not as hard as cement and this should be fairly easy with a standard bit. You probably won't need a mason bit and certainly not a hammer drill.
When you mount the box, use a blob of silicone sealant between each screw hole and the box and use a good stainless screw, phillips or torx, with a wide washer, like a pan washer. This will maximize the surface contact if you can only get two screws into a stud.
Once the box is mounted run a bead of clear silicone around it, if you feel the need to smooth out the bead dip your gloved finger in mineral spirits or rubbing alcohol and do it that way. Silicone doesn't like to be smoothed with a dry finger and will make a mess of the project.