That week I tried to install a ceiling fan and ended up with a hole in my drywall

Back in 2018 I thought I could swap out an old light fixture for a ceiling fan in my bedroom over a long weekend. I watched a few videos and felt pretty confident, but I forgot to check if the junction box was fan rated. Halfway through mounting the bracket the whole box tore loose from the joist and came crashing down, taking a chunk of drywall with it. I spent the next two days patching the ceiling with mesh tape and mud, and it still looks like a lumpy scar every time I look up. The fan itself sat in its box for another six months before I paid a guy forty bucks to install it properly. Has anyone else had a simple swap turn into a drywall disaster like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai4633d ago

Oh man, that "junction box tore loose" part hit way too close to home. I did the exact same thing with a bathroom exhaust fan. I thought I could just swap out the old light fixture for a fan combo, but I didn't even think to check the box rating. Halfway through wiring it up, the whole thing just gave way and dropped out of the ceiling. I ended up with a hole the size of a dinner plate and had to patch it with scrap drywall and a ton of compound. It took me three coats of mud to get it even close to flat, and now there's a permanent lump right over my shower. I learned the hard way that some things are worth hiring out, no matter how many tutorial videos you watch.

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diana_moore753d ago

Oh totally been there too, my dining room ceiling still has a weird patch from a light fixture disaster!