Installing CCTV to loft

HenryGregory · 5 May 2019

Hi there,

I am looking to install some CCTV to my new house.
Having installed some cameras inside at work, I am familiure with how to set them up, I would be using POE ones so just one ethernet wire required.

I was thinking about installing the camera in either of the red dots (these are high enough you would still need a ladder to get to the camera) on the below picture, running the external grade ethernet cable behind the guttering, secured with cable ties, then drilling a small hole into the soffit marked in blue and up into the loft space. I can get to this corner of the loft being slim, so I should be fine in pulling the wire through and then sealing the hole with sealant.

Does this sound like the best way to do this? I would rather not drill through a brand new soffit, but it seem the easiest and most neat way of concealing the wire behind the guttering.

Iamchamps · 5 May 2019

That is a good plan and I can't see a neater way of doing it. Seal the hole good so you don't get any wasps deciding to come in and make a nest.

Mottie · 5 May 2019

I have a similar setup. I fitted my cameras on the soffits. No wires on view at all.

HenryGregory · 5 May 2019

Iamchamps said:
That is a good plan and I can't see a neater way of doing it. Seal the hole good so you don't get any wasps deciding to come in and make a nest.

Thank you! I had been thinking over all of the best options. I thought by having them slightly further down the wall, I wouldn't need such a long ladder to maintain them and clean lenses etc.

Motman said:
I have a similar setup. I fitted my cameras on the soffits. No wires on view at all.

Ahah, now I had had this idea to start with, but two things put me off..

Getting back up to clean them (maybe you have a long enough ladder in storage, I just have one on loan).
Do your IR sensors light up the area well enough from that high up? I went for 2.8mm lenses. For the front of the house, I really want my cars covered. Tempted to get a 4mm just pointed at the car.

When you fixed these to the soffits, did you drill a hole for the wire and then just drilled straight into the soffits for the three securing screws?
Really neat job there, very good.

Mottie · 5 May 2019

Yeah, IR sensors are fine. Yep, drilled a hole for cable and three small holes for screws. All my setup including the player/recorder is in the loft viewed via my phone/iPad. I do have ladders to get to them if required but I have an extendable pole with a cobweb brush on the end in case a spider makes a web across them. SpiderEX spray has kept them away though.

Iamchamps · 5 May 2019

Was advised by a professional fitter cameras should not go gutter height. Depending what sort of coverage you are looking for being that height you would just be seeing the tops of things.

I have all mine at a similar height to your red dots in first post and get excellent coverage.

arkie · 6 May 2019

If you want any chance of getting faces, they need to be as low as possible, They tend to wear caps to hide faces, Another problem i see often is the ir light just washing out the faces, I prefer to just try and light the area well along with pir lights and have ir off if possible or fast auto.

Diver Fred · 6 May 2019

I did what MM did; That was on the advice of the local Police security advice officer (who was at the time a serving policeman!). Their lowest height recommendation was 'higher than a normal person sitting on the shoulders of a 6ft tall man' so that the cameras couldn't be reached and pulled of the wall or the lens obscured. Also have to consider with low level cameras is recording information from the public paths and highway outside of your grounds.

bernardgreen · 6 May 2019

Guidance on the use of domestic CCTV HERE

and for those who maybe filmed while in a public space [url="https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/domestic-cctv-systems-guidance-for-people-being-filmed/"] HERE [/URL]

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Installing CCTV to loft

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