Replies

1. 
   rez | May 07, 2005 04:48pm | #1

   Do you plan on repairing the opening left on the original wall?

   sobriety is the root cause of dementia.

1. 
   shoppit | May 07, 2005 05:03pm | #4

   Yes, I was planning to do a flush plaster repair of the original opening.  The wall is 2x4, so there isn't enough room to slide in the new box at the same height if the old one is still there.  One wire enters the box from the top and one from the bottom, so if I change the height, one wire will be too short.

1. 
   rez | May 07, 2005 05:25pm | #5

   Easiest way then is to take the old box out and treat the other side of the wall as a new installation.

   Having access from both old and new cutout holes in the wall should make things easier.

   If your cutting a new box into plaster a jig saw might be easier with less vibration or do it manually with a fine toothed small hand saw. 

   Unless keeping the box location on the original wall side and the new side would be beneficial in which case installing threeway switches might be a desirable addition but the layout wasn't described in your first post..

   sobriety is the root cause of dementia.

   Edited 5/7/2005 10:43 am ET by the razzman

2. 
   FastEddie1 | May 07, 2005 04:52pm | #2

   Th back of the box probably doesn't reach to the sheetrock on the other side, so the best thing to do is abandon the box in place and install a new "old work" box from the other side.  Cut a clean hole in the other side of the wall, and carefully break out the back of the old box and fish the wires through into the nex box.  You may haveto put the nex box a little higher than the old one for clearance.  You can either patch the old hole, or put on a blank cover plate.

    

   I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

1. 
   rez | May 07, 2005 04:57pm | #3

   Or turn it into a threeway.

   sobriety is the root cause of dementia.

3. 
   BillHartmann | May 07, 2005 05:44pm | #6

   Take a sawzall with a metal cutting blade between the box and the stud and cut away the nails. If you don't have one you can use a hacksaw blade in the single end holder.

   If there is not enough room for the blade push the box back into the wall so that it clears the DW and then use a screw driver blade or prybar to get you enough cleanace.

   Let the old box drop in the wall (you would probabl have to enlarge the opening to get it out.

   Then install an old work box on the other side. If you want it up to the stud make sure that you get one that has the "ears" on the top and not on the side.

   The also have some new boxes out that you screw through them from the inside that could be used.

4. 
   rez | May 07, 2005 05:59pm | #7

   Is this drywall or old plasterlath?

   sobriety is the root cause of dementia.

1. 
   shoppit | May 07, 2005 07:48pm | #8

   OK, here's the details.

   When I built the house three years ago, I attached a 16 x 16 covered deck to make a screen room.   I rough wired the ceiling for lights and fan and put the switch boxes inside the house.  I've decided to enclose it to make a three seasons room, and instead put the switches there.  So the original location was my interior plaster walls, while the new location will be in plywood, still covered by the exterior finish product (Nailite vinyl shingles).  I suppose I could place the new box at a different height and use another wire to connect it without making it a three way.  I hadn't considered that.

   Thanks for all the help.

    

5. 
   DanH | May 07, 2005 11:18pm | #9

   Since you're going to have to repair the hole where the box currently is (and since repairing a hole is the pretty much same amount of work, regardless of size), work from that side first/most. Cut away more of the wall until you expose the joint between box and stud, then work with a pry bar to pry the box loose.

   Depending on the type of box and the number of wires in it, you may be able to just turn it around, or you may be better off getting a new box for the other side. Usually the only type that would be readily reusable in this situation is the type that you nail through, but, unless you want to make a REALLY big hole in the wall (so you can swing a hammer in there), it would likely be simpler to use an old work box from the othere side, or else concoct some sort of bracket to hold the box.

1. 
   FastEddie1 | May 07, 2005 11:30pm | #10

   Good idea Dan, except that there's a good chance the box can't be turned aroiund cuz the nails will be on the wrong side.

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

1. 
   DanH | May 08, 2005 01:28am | #11

   If it's the nail-through type (where the nails -- about 16d -- go through the box then it doesn't matter. If it's the type with some sort of nailing flange then it's trickier.

1. 
   FastEddie1 | May 08, 2005 07:12am | #12

   I'm thinking about the plastic boxes where the nails are at an angle.

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

1. 
   DanH | May 08, 2005 07:19am | #13

   Of course (VBG) the solution to that is to use your sawzall to cut out a chunk of the stud, then flip the whole thing over and reattach the stud to the DW on the other side.(Actually, that would kinda work, only cut a new chunk of 2x4, twist the box sideways so that you can drive DW screws in in place of the nails, then fasten the 2x4 between DW layers with more screws.)

2. 
   FastEddie1 | May 08, 2005 04:53pm | #14

   Ah, the old flip-the-stud method.  I had forgotten that one.  Shouldn't do too much damage to the sheetrock.  Maybe he can borrow the plumbers saw to cut out the stud ... that will leave him plenty of working room.

    I'm sorry, I thought you wanted it done the right way.

3. 
   rez | May 08, 2005 05:39pm | #15

   So how'd you finally decide to handle it?

   sobriety is the root cause of dementia.

4. 
   shoppit | May 09, 2005 04:57am | #16

   This was one of those rare jobs that I anticipated to be hard that turned out pretty easy.  Maybe age has made me leery of things I've never done.  Anyway, I remember how thin the plastic electric boxes looked when I built the house.  For once, cheap paid off.  About a minute's worth of selective whacking with a screwdriver and hammer, and the box was in pieces.  The back first freed the wires, next the side opposite the stud, then the top and bottom and lastly pried what was left of the top/bottom/side with stud nails.  The pieces easily fit through the hole, without any wall damage whatsoever.  Then it was simply the matter of fitting in existing work boxes from the other side of the wall and rewiring.

   I did this with the two single gang boxes.  The third switch, which controlled the overhead lights, was actually in a double gang box, along with a switch for the interior lights.  I didn't want to have to break out a double box that I'd have to replace in the same location with a single box, so it seemed a lot easier and more useful to replace it with a three way switch and cut in another three way on the other side.

   Jobs done, joint compound is drying and I'm off to Mother's Day meal.  Thanks for the suggestions, they really helped.