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Remedial work to badly fitted lights


daiking

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Oh how we laughed when we saw those pictures. I've had a go at fixing this before it gets painted. To be honest I don't think it'll survive the fitting being pulled out but should look ok until that happens

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Edited by daiking
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So hacked the hole out and sliced up a strip of PB to make a ring 50mm or so deep to wedge in the hole. About 50 screws in the insulation so barely held in + grab adhesive then filled over the top. Fingers crossed.

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Edited by daiking
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1 hour ago, Russell griffiths said:

That should work, I would just take the fine surface filler further out on the final skim. 

Thanks but if I do too good a job, it'll show up on the shoddy plastering.

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Another point was raised about electrics and lack of JBs. So I'm going round doing those too.

 

But it raises a question about numerous wall lights I have where the electrician has ditched the tiny JBs that came with them and just used 2 segments of choc block. Presumable as that is easier than a fiddly tiny JB. Wtf? Just wtf?

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Edited by daiking
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Tbh, I was going to suggest what @ProDave has said, but you've got here before me. I actually think your repair isn't too bad given what an absolute pig this kind of FU is to have to come behind and put right, even for a tradesman who's done it before :S

As said, sand that lot of filler back until you just start to see the scrim tape, but DONT get actually down to it or it'll lift the fibres and that's a whole new can of worms. Apply another layer of filler with about 300mm of spread from the hole edge out, and then fine sand that to an acceptable finish. 

Paint is your friend here as if you apply a good 3 coats to the filler, the paint will actually act as a fine scratch filler and you can sand the completely dry paint back until the filler JUST starts to show, then you'll see paint in the dings and scratches which you leave there. Then, repaint, open a beer, and give yourself a pat on the back for not going in the car to find this goon and river dance on his face with rugby togs on. ?

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1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Personally I would have cut out a square of PB, inserted a new square with the correct sized hole in it.

If it had been a simple pb ceiling I would have done that. But it's 50mm insulated PB. If I had cut a section out if that the job would have snowballed and I'd be sat on the floor with no ceiling, the insulation needing redoing, the velux refitting etc. 

 

I may still have to do that in the future but for the moment this will look far better than previously.

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1 hour ago, Nickfromwales said:

Tbh, I was going to suggest what @ProDave has said, but you've got here before me. I actually think your repair isn't too bad given what an absolute pig this kind of FU is to have to come behind and put right, even for a tradesman who's done it before :S

As said, sand that lot of filler back until you just start to see the scrim tape, but DONT get actually down to it or it'll lift the fibres and that's a whole new can of worms. Apply another layer of filler with about 300mm of spread from the hole edge out, and then fine sand that to an acceptable finish. 

Paint is your friend here as if you apply a good 3 coats to the filler, the paint will actually act as a fine scratch filler and you can sand the completely dry paint back until the filler JUST starts to show, then you'll see paint in the dings and scratches which you leave there. Then, repaint, open a beer, and give yourself a pat on the back for not going in the car to find this goon and river dance on his face with rugby togs on. ?

The purpose is not necessarily about my noddy diy jobs but to show you how ******** useless many professionals are.

 

I wondered why there seemed to be a draught when stood at the sink. You've guessed it, there's a gap n the insulation above one of these badly fitted lights. So now I  need a carrier bag of fluffy insulation to stuff through the 5 inch hole to stop the worst of the draught.

 

Do you know what a pain it is to only ever need a tiny bit of lots of things to finish off some other ****'s work? I'll probably have to rob some out of the loft.

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  • 7 months later...

Right or wrong it all went back the same way and seems to work.

 

not quite the same way, I couldn’t get all 5 earths + a strap to the plate,  in the back box earth connection. So 2 go straight to the plate with the strap.

 

i have another switch to raise but that doesn’t have the 2 way stitch on it thank god.

Edited by daiking
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2 hours ago, daiking said:

 

i have another switch to raise but that doesn’t have the 2 way stitch on it thank god.

Why are you raising them? Beware of building regs minimum and maximum heights, you don't want to fail on something so simple.

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1 hour ago, ProDave said:

Why are you raising them? Beware of building regs minimum and maximum heights, you don't want to fail on something so simple.

 

Building regs won't be an issue :ph34r:.

 

Its actually a bedside light switch that was at a low height and then my wife picked bedroom furniture that was too tall for the switch placement :face palm:

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15 minutes ago, daiking said:

 

Building regs won't be an issue :ph34r:.

 

Its actually a bedside light switch that was at a low height and then my wife picked bedroom furniture that was too tall for the switch placement :face palm:

How did you secure the back box?  It would have had a dwang originally to screw to.  It's unlikely to have a dwang at the new height. I would have replaced it with a plasterboard box, and given the amount of cables, a 47mm deep box.

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The old box was screwed to the blocks behind with a c'sunk screw judging by the indent...

 

Same again I guess he did when he moved it up? A 47mm would have meant some digging out of the blockwork.

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7 minutes ago, ProDave said:

How did you secure the back box?  It would have had a dwang originally to screw to.  It's unlikely to have a dwang at the new height. I would have replaced it with a plasterboard box, and given the amount of cables, a 47mm deep box.

No dwang it’s lightweight block so plugs and screws. Stuck the same box back as there was only 30mm depth. Might attempt it again when I’ve more time. 

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5 minutes ago, ProDave said:

^^ That does indeed take the biscuit. I don't think I have personally seen anything as bad as that.  Definitely a candidate for an EDN.

 

He did a follow-up video after he'd found a few more faults and fixed everything down in that cellar:

 

 

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