# old work box pulled into the drywall



## Wirenuting (Sep 12, 2010)

Are you trying to patch a hole next to your box? If so I use a wooden shim & screw is in & then screw the drywall patch to that. Hit with spackle and go.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

joelowrider said:


> I do Industrial work not a lot of residential work but I put in a single gang old work box for a fan switch. When I moved some more stuff around I pushed the box into the wall.
> 
> Anyone have a trick for me to avoid calling a drywall guy to patch the wall.


You might get a magnet with a telescoping wand and catch the screws. You can also get a magnet that is connected to a piece of wire, you can bend it however you need it. You might also take a coat hanger and untwist it and use the hook to grab the box.:thumbsup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

joelowrider said:


> I do Industrial work not a lot of residential work but I put in a single gang old work box for a fan switch. When I moved some more stuff around I pushed the box into the wall.
> 
> Anyone have a trick for me to avoid calling a drywall guy to patch the wall.


If I understand your question right, you installed an old work box, but in the process of installing the device, you crushed the drywall, the box went inside the wall a bit, and now you have no way to mount the box since the drywall hole is now too big for the box? Is that right?

How close are you to the stud? Can you use a SmartBox? If you're reasonably close, you could even put in a 2-gang SmartBox and just use a cover that has your switch on one side and the other gang blank.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> If I understand your question right, you installed an old work box, but in the process of installing the device, you crushed the drywall, the box went inside the wall a bit, and now you have no way to mount the box since the drywall hole is now too big for the box? Is that right?
> 
> How close are you to the stud? Can you use a SmartBox? If you're reasonably close, you could even put in a 2-gang SmartBox and just use a cover that has your switch on one side and the other gang blank.


I read it as the box just got pushed into the wall and dropped down. He's trying not to cut the wall to get it. I could be wrong though. I just had another thought (very dangerous:laughing but if the box did just fall into the wall, just leave it and get another box.:thumbsup:
Peter might even send you a nice blue one!:thumbup:


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Little-Lectric said:


> I read it as the box just got pushed into the wall and dropped down. He's trying not to cut the wall to get it. I could be wrong though. I just had another thought (very dangerous:laughing but if the box did just fall into the wall, just leave it and get another box.:thumbsup:


Exactly. That's why I think his hole is too big now- we've all done that at least once or twice. Nobody in their right mind would put any real effort into recovering a box dropped inside the wall.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Little-Lectric said:


> Peter might even send you a nice blue one!:thumbup:


Nah, I like to horde those. :thumbup:


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

Sounds like he cut the hole too big and the box fell in.. that can't happen unless you're in a really big rush.. :no:


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Exactly. That's why I think his hole is too big now- we've all done that at least once or twice.


The absolute worst is when that happens on a brittle lathe and plaster wall and you're being super careful not to mess up the wall, and suddenly the whole thing disintegrates.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> Exactly. That's why I think his hole is too big now- we've all done that at least once or twice. Nobody in their right mind would put any real effort into recovering a box dropped inside the wall.


I see what you're saying. I guess I thought that he thought he needed to retrieve the box for some reason. 
It would be nice to hear back from the OP for a little more info.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

Peter D said:


> The absolute worst is when that happens on a brittle lathe and plaster wall and you're being super careful not to mess up the wall, and suddenly the whole thing disintegrates.


Yup... especially the older houses that were built cheap. The plaster is more like compressed sand. That's where the RotoZip excels at keeping the vibration to a very minimum; it gives you a fighting chance of not messing up the whole thing.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Yup... especially the older houses that were built cheap. The plaster is more like compressed sand. That's where the RotoZip excels at keeping the vibration to a very minimum; it gives you a fighting chance of not messing up the whole thing.


Yeah, I tried the RotoZip once on lather and plaster but the dust became unbearable. Perhaps it was operator error but it sure kicks out a lot of dust.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

Peter D said:


> Yeah, I tried the RotoZip once on lather and plaster but the dust became unbearable. Perhaps it was operator error but it sure kicks out a lot of dust.


You have to have the vac attachment.

I bought the tool just for doing old works in my own home.

Use the tile bit for the plaster and a wood bit for the wood.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> Yup... especially the older houses that were built cheap. The plaster is more like compressed sand.



OUCH! making fun of my home! :laughing:


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## JohnR (Apr 12, 2010)

As I understand it, the ears on the box broke off the drywall top and bottom.

You could.
Put the ears on the side of the box, use a medium size plate.

Glue a block the right depth on the back side of the wall, screw through the back of your box to that block. 

They make some E clips I think they are called, that go around the top, bottom, side of the device, between the box and device ears. They only really work with a metal box because of the size. 

Replace the box with one that has a larger overall dimension.

Lastly, convince the customer that the drywall failing was their fault, so they should get the fix done.:whistling2:


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

Find a newspaper vending machine. Put in 3 quarters or whatever your rag costs. Break a law and pull out 3 copies. Now stuff below the box with paper to dam up the stud bay. Cut a block of wood and repair like John said. But the extra good part is get a can of expanding foam and flood the whole area around the box with foam. The paper catches the falling stuff, otherwise you just wasted a can of foam. That box is set for life now, just like if it got grouted into place.


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## joelowrider (Jul 2, 2011)

Wirenuting said:


> Are you trying to patch a hole next to your box? If so I use a wooden shim & screw is in & then screw the drywall patch to that. Hit with spackle and go.


 
I think this will work the best 

I was useing an old work box the kind the swing arm grabs the wall. I pushed it in to far breaking the drywall under the box.

I will try the shim and screw the drywall to it thanks


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## Dennis Alwon (May 9, 2009)

joelowrider said:


> I do Industrial work not a lot of residential work but I put in a single gang old work box for a fan switch. When I moved some more stuff around I pushed the box into the wall.
> 
> Anyone have a trick for me to avoid calling a drywall guy to patch the wall.


I would 
1) screw it to the stud if there is one there
2) cut small strips of wood and insert in hole above and below box and fasten with a sheet rock screw where it will be cover by a plate
3) Use a 2 gang box with a blank filler


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## B4T (Feb 10, 2009)

I have used this saw with a diamond blade to cut the plater.. lath.. or wood..

Then use a Rotozip with tile cutter to finish the cuts along the edges..

The saw has nice slow speed and doesn't vibrate the wall..


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

macmikeman said:


> Find a newspaper vending machine. Put in 3 quarters or whatever your rag costs. Break a law and pull out 3 copies. Now stuff below the box with paper to dam up the stud bay. Cut a block of wood and repair like John said. But the extra good part is get a can of expanding foam and flood the whole area around the box with foam. The paper catches the falling stuff, otherwise you just wasted a can of foam. That box is set for life now, just like if it got grouted into place.


 
Gah!!

1. Slip a 10" 1x2 or 2x2 in the hole, hold it to the side and screw thru the drywall to hold it in place.

2. Carefully screw the box to the 1x2

3. Patch over the two drywall tiny screw holes.


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## NolaTigaBait (Oct 19, 2008)

220/221 said:


> Gah!!
> 
> 1. Slip a 10" 1x2 or 2x2 in the hole, hold it to the side and screw thru the drywall to hold it in place.
> 
> ...


That's what I would do also. Done it a few times(unfortunately) .


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## hooch (Sep 18, 2010)

MDShunk said:


> Yup... especially the older houses that were built cheap. The plaster is more like compressed sand. That's where the RotoZip excels at keeping the vibration to a very minimum; it gives you a fighting chance of not messing up the whole thing.


for dup. rec. baseboard-baseboard-baseboard:thumbup:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

Hot glue, 6" screws, and skotchkote


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## Electrical Student (Jun 6, 2011)

And some Five minute mud will be dry before ur done packing ur tools.


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## davis9 (Mar 21, 2009)

Sounds like a plastic box was used in the first place? I start with the metal boxes, if by some chance the drywall is brittle and won't hold or a the lathes don't line up quite right I go to the bigger plastic box with wings.

I like doing the old work stuff; the old man taught me well.

Tom


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## BIGRED (Jan 22, 2007)

mcclary's electrical said:


> Hot glue, 6" screws, and skotchkote


You don't know anthing, you forgot bubble gum. :laughing:


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