Replacing a Can Light with a Standard Light

This is one of those posts with a satisfying "1-2-3" demonstration.

One of my clients had an electrician replace a recessed "can" light in her ceiling with an outlet box for a track light fixture. Unfortunately the can light left a big hole in her ceiling, so she had me come over and patch it.

Before - Gaping Hole around Light Fixture Box

Add Wooden Support

Add Sheetrock Patch

Add Screen Patch

Skim with Drywall "Mud"

Paint. Now it's ready for the new light fixture.

You can see the steps pretty clearly. First I cut a wooden piece to support the area, which will give that part of the ceiling more stability.

Next I added a small patch of Sheetrock, then covered it with a wider patch of reinforced mesh with metal screen. These are ready made patches with a sticky back. According to the manufacturer they don't actually need the wooden support, but I went ahead and added it anyway for extra durability.

Last but not least, I added two coats of quick-dry sheet rock mud, lightly sanded, primed  and then repainted the ceiling. I could have painted just the area around the hole, but we didn't have the matching paint. Without matching paint , the patch would have been visible.

This looks like a quick job, but in reality it took most of a day because of the ceiling repaint. Here's a peek behind the scenes... as you can see, I try to be meticulous about putting drop cloths on everything. Spending a little extra effort here prevents a lot of headaches down the road!

If you need minor wall or ceiling repair on your Asheville or Weaverville home, please get in touch. I'll be glad to help.

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Repairs at a Little Country Church

How to Repair a Peeling Ceiling that Won't Stay Fixed