Patching Ceiling Around Light Fixture

Cut out the hole in the ceiling to a square.

Patching ceiling around light fixture.

If you are not going to replace your old light fixture cover the hole with a piece of drywall for a permanent fix. Install your light fixture with its new trim piece in the ceiling hole following the manufacterer s instructions. Cut a square around the fixture using a utility knife scoring it repeatedly or a drywall saw being careful to avoid the wires. With its new trim in place the fixture should fit tight against the ceiling drywall with no gaps showing.

Center the square patch over the hole and hold it against the ceiling. Use the same thickness of drywall as the surrounding ceiling and cut the patch piece as close to the size of the hole as possible. Rectangular holes are easier to patch than irregular ones so you must. The legs of the recessed light should extend over the new trim and onto the ceiling drywall.

It s important to note whether the ceiling has a texture or a flat surface. If you want to permanently patch the hole with drywall which is one option for covering the hole you. If it has texture this must be scraped off before you begin to work on the patch. In this video i demonstrate how to fill holes in the ceiling that have been exposed because light fixtures have been re positioned also you ll learn how to.

Trace the outline of the patch onto the ceiling around the hole. What can i use to cover a hole in my ceiling from an old light fixture. Cut all the way back to the edges of the nearest joists on either side. With some careful brush work you can perfectly match the surrounding texture and easily cover minor cracks in ceiling.

Cut a piece of scrap wood that is 1 2 thinner than the opening to allow for the thickness of drywall. Cut a square of scrap drywall 1 2 in thick. Use screws or adhesive to attach the scrap piece of wood to the framing piece. Trace around the edges with a pencil to draw the outline of the patch on the ceiling so you can cut a square hole.

If the hole in the ceiling is 4 by 4 make your drywall scrap 6 by 6. Ideally you should cut it so you expose a half a joist on two sides e g. For small repairs on popcorn ceilings such as hairline cracks in ceiling dab on this stuff. You ll also want to cut the piece a little smaller than the opening.