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Can You Put Ring Doorbell on Uneven Wall? (How To)

Ring doorbells are installed on the exterior of a house right next to the door. But, buildings have different exteriors, some are made of uneven stone or brick, whereas, others have weather boards that are on an angle. All of these make it difficult to install a Ring doorbell, so in this article I will explain if and how to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall.

As a general rule, you can install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall. If you’re installing a ring video doorbell, the primary thing to be concerned with is to angle the doorbell so that the camera clearly shows who’s at the door. Wedges come with a Ring doorbell to adjust its angle.

Camera doorbell by front door

There are a few different methods that can be used to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall. There are pros and cons to each but all work very well. Below, I will cover if it’s a good idea to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall, the tools you need to do it, and step by step instructions for how to do it.

Should You Put Ring Doorbell on Uneven Wall?

Finger pressing camera front doorbell

The mounting bracket for a Ring doorbell is perfectly flat, so for it to sit tightly against a wall the surface behind also needs to be flat. The screws for the mounting bracket can be installed so they are not tightened all the way to the wall. This does present an issue with water getting behind your Ring doorbell and into the wires, so here’s a rundown of whether it’s a good idea to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall.

Overall, you should put a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall. But, if you are installing a video Ring doorbell then care needs to be taken so that the camera has a good viewing angle. Ideally, it should be at a height of 4 feet (1.22m) and flat. If not, wedges should be used to adjust its angle.

For example, you may have a part of the wall that is smoother than other areas. But, this area may not be at the optimum height of 4 feet. For a video Ring doorbell use wedges to adjust the angle.

Otherwise, the camera won’t be facing in a direction that makes it easy to see who is at the door. If it needs to be higher, adjust the angle downwards using wedges. And if it needs to be installed lower than 4 feet adjust the angle of your Ring doorbell so it’s facing upwards.

Then typically it’s best to seal it off using caulk to make it look very tidy. However, this is a matter of personal preference. According to the official Ring website, some Ring doorbells come with the wedges that are designed for this purpose.

But, you can also create makeshift wedges using pieces of finished wood. You will also need to drill the holes for the mounting screws at an angle. There are multiple options for how to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall.

There are pros and cons to each, and at the end of the day, the main decision will come down to what method you’re comfortable with. And the look that you want it to have. The options are:

  • Use adhesive foam tape as a backing to even out the wall
  • Stick it into a caulk backing to even out the wall
  • Attach it by screwing it into the wall (recommended by Ring)
  • Install a piece of flat wood over the uneven surface, then install the mounting bracket into the piece of wood
  • Choose a different location like the door frame.

As you may know, caulk is liquid that you apply using a caulk gun. It’s commonly used in bathrooms, and door trim to make them water tight, or to create a more visually appealing edge.

What Tools Do You Need to Put Ring Doorbell on Uneven Wall

Confused man standing

Installing a Ring doorbell on an even wall requires a few tools. Here’s a rundown of the tools you need. As well as, optional tools depending on what decision you’ve made about the method to use to attach your Ring doorbell to the wall.

In general, a power drill, caulk, a caulk gun, painted wood (optional), pencil, masonry bit (optional), hammer, chisel (optional), and a phillips head screwdriver. The optional tools depend on the method you’re using to apply the Ring doorbell bracket, details about this are explained below.

If the surface is stone, or brick you will need a masonry bit to drill into the wall. Otherwise, you won’t need it. A chisel also is only required if you are going to even out the uneven surface by chipping away at the pieces of the wall that are sticking out.

A concern with installing a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall is that there will be space behind it. During wet weather water can get behind it and get on the electrical wires. Provided, it’s a wired Ring doorbell, and not one with a rechargeable battery.

Over time this will cause them to rust, and your Ring doorbell will need to be repaired or replaced. Therefore, it’s a good idea to seal off the sides and top with caulk. But, leave the bottom open.

That way any condensation will have enough airflow to dry out. According to the official Ring website Ring doorbells are water resistant. So, if a bit or rain water gets on them it won’t damage them in any way.

But, they are not waterproof. Therefore, they shouldn’t be left anywhere where a stream of water will be running over them.

What Preparations Do You Need to Install a Ring Doorbell on an Uneven Wall?

Confused man standing

Before installing the mount for a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall it’s necessary to do a bit of preparation to the surface. Here’s what you should do to prepare an uneven wall for a ring doorbell.

In general, attach a piece of finished wood to the uneven wall first (optional), or flatten the surface as much as possible. For example, if you have uneven brick or stucco you can hammer down an area with a hammer and/or a chisel. Holes also need to be drilled for the wiring.

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on September 23, 2022.

A finished piece of wood means it’s waterproof and it will last a long time. In some countries this is called a treated piece of wood/timber. Another option is to install your Ring doorbell on the frame of the door.

Many people online on forums such as Reddit report they have had very good results using all of these methods. So, at the end of the day the main consideration is how you want it to look.

Overall, you can follow the exact same method as installing a Ring doorbell normally using the instructions shown in the video above. The options to flatten the uneven surface where your Ring doorbell will go are:

  • Install a finished piece of wood
  • Install the bracket by varying how far in the screws are. Such as, some are screwed in a lot, whereas others are only screwed in a small amount. Doing so will allow for the uneven surface behind it.
  • Chisel or hammer of parts of the underlying wall (only for brick, stucco, natural stone, or similar materials).

How to Install Ring Doorbell on Uneven Wall

Confused man standing

Now that you’re aware of the different methods available to install a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall, it’s important to know how to install it as best as possible, given the unevenness of the underlying surface. Here’s a summary and step by step info explaining how.

In general, you first need to decide if you are going to attach a piece of wood to the uneven wall first, or not. After that you mark out where the pilot holes will be using the holes in the Ring doorbell bracket. Then, drill them, place the bracket on the wall, and attach it using the screws.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on September 23, 2022.

A Ring doorbell also comes with anchors. There are small pieces of plastic that are pushed into the pilot holes. They provide much better grip for the screws.

But, they are ONLY required for brick, stucco, or natural stone. For wood, you don’t need to hammer or push the anchors into the pilot holes before installing the screws that hold your Ring doorbell bracket in place. When drilling the pilot holes you may need to drill holes for the wiring.

As a general rule, if your Ring doorbell is wired the wires will need to run from a transformer that is connected to the circuit breaker in your home. Full instructions for how to do this are shown on this page of the official Ring website.

Overall, you can put a Ring doorbell on an uneven wall. It typically requires a solution to even out the wall. These are to install it into a caulk backing, a stick on foam backing, a piece of finished wood, or not screwing one or more of the mounting screws so it’s flat.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on September 23, 2022.

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