- Reaction score
- 5,173
Been fitting some new lights today in a Georgian townhouse that has been converted to apartments. Finding the unexpected in these old buildings around Bath is nothing new.
Took the old light down and the hole in ceiling is 4 inches across at its widest part, good point was I could get my arm up in to ceiling and reach the junction box feeding the one cable that comes down to the light fitting to replace it properly. The old junction box was so old it was brittle, just attempting to unscrew the cover caused the thing to split and crack - out come the wagos!, was made by a company called Clang of England. Think it might have been from original post war electrical installation! the cables feeding it from CU were old colours but tested out okay, the flex feeding the light fitting was flex.
The light was fixed to a crumbling piece of old wood that had been put up in ceiling with the metal bracket for the light screwed to it, the light freely rotated as the wood wasnt itself fixed to anything! I am sure it was the paint and plaster holding the light up! Just touching the light when taking it down it freely slid around an inch or so in each direction.
The owner says the light has been there since she moved in during early 1990s.
I have now put a piece of wood back up there and screwed it twice each end to spread out the weight and hold firm, the ceiling and plaster is a bit thin and crumbling in parts. I have a little bit of gap filling to do on Monday when I replace the extractor fan.
Whats your preferred method when the hole is too big for the light holding bracket? Do you also use the piece of wood method? or something else? I was tempted to move the light 6 inches to the left to start from fresh and cut out a piece of plaster from some board and put a disc up to fill the old hole.
Took the old light down and the hole in ceiling is 4 inches across at its widest part, good point was I could get my arm up in to ceiling and reach the junction box feeding the one cable that comes down to the light fitting to replace it properly. The old junction box was so old it was brittle, just attempting to unscrew the cover caused the thing to split and crack - out come the wagos!, was made by a company called Clang of England. Think it might have been from original post war electrical installation! the cables feeding it from CU were old colours but tested out okay, the flex feeding the light fitting was flex.
The light was fixed to a crumbling piece of old wood that had been put up in ceiling with the metal bracket for the light screwed to it, the light freely rotated as the wood wasnt itself fixed to anything! I am sure it was the paint and plaster holding the light up! Just touching the light when taking it down it freely slid around an inch or so in each direction.
The owner says the light has been there since she moved in during early 1990s.
I have now put a piece of wood back up there and screwed it twice each end to spread out the weight and hold firm, the ceiling and plaster is a bit thin and crumbling in parts. I have a little bit of gap filling to do on Monday when I replace the extractor fan.
Whats your preferred method when the hole is too big for the light holding bracket? Do you also use the piece of wood method? or something else? I was tempted to move the light 6 inches to the left to start from fresh and cut out a piece of plaster from some board and put a disc up to fill the old hole.