To move a light fixture, can I cut a groove into a dry wall to extend the cable or is this a safety issue?

Similar questions: move light fixture cut groove dry wall extend cable safety issue.

There are safety concerns involved, yes. Since you are not giving a great deal of detail about what sort of light fixture it is, how far you intend to move it, or other details, I can only be general in my advice, but here are some considerations for you: any place where you splice wires must be accessible should there be problems with the splice. The splice must also be enclosed in an approved junction box with a cover.

Embedding nonmetallic cable (romex) in drywall is asking to have a nail or screw or something else driven into it at some time in the future. Assuming you cannot access the back side of whatever surface the fixture is on, it may be possible to move the fixture to a degree, just from the slack in the wire. Good electricians always leave a small amount of slack, in case something goes wrong and more wire is needed.

The wire can also always be shortened. To extend a wire crossways to the framing, the easiest thing to do is to cut a channel about 3-4" wide in the sheetrock. Then you can drill the framing behind the middle of the channel, thread your wire, and replace the sheetrock.

Scrape the texture down iver the patch, and then feather out the drywall mud, first with a 12" drywall knife, and then with a window squeegee. This makes it easiest to blend the texture. If the fixture is a linear type, such as a fluorescent or vanity bar, it is also possible to simply create a new wire entry, if the fixture will still cover the original location.

The biggest piece of advice I give people considering remodeling: it can be cheaper to replace large sections of sheetrock, than to repair a myriad of small holes. If you have further questions, I do tend to check back in periodically, and will be happy to give follow-up advice.

1 It would not be safe doing this.........Easier to run a line where new light is going properly....cut for the light and drop the line for retrieval or a basment drill and push up to the new location: This is one reason electricians are Masters and get paid. If you are cutting a groove and the wires slide behind the dry wall from point a to b....I would see no problem with doing it.....Some have cut a groove and layed the wire in the groove: That is not safe and what I was speaking upon.Blessings.........Annlee .

It would not be safe doing this.........Easier to run a line where new light is going properly....cut for the light and drop the line for retrieval or a basment drill and push up to the new location: This is one reason electricians are Masters and get paid. If you are cutting a groove and the wires slide behind the dry wall from point a to b....I would see no problem with doing it.....Some have cut a groove and layed the wire in the groove: That is not safe and what I was speaking upon.Blessings.........Annlee.

3 for your situation, it depends on whether this is actually a beam, or if it is just a "header". Beams are often engineered to be just heavy enough to support the load, while headers, as over doors or windows, are typically whatever is convenient to use - whis is typically way more than necessary. Also, if there is a support wall (bearing wall) under a beam, you have much more allowance.

If I am understanding your situation correctly, you have either solid wood behind the sheetrock, or an exposed beam above the light fixture. Leaning towards the solid wood behind the sheetrock interpretation, and assuming a surface mounted medicine cabinet over the sink, I would be inclined to the following:open up the sheetrock where the cabinet will cover it, anyway. The wiring will be stapled to the framing.

You can pull the staple, and probably get some slack in the wire, that way. To reinstall the fixture, you have two options: if the fixture could benefit from projecting a bit further over the cabinet, you can make a piece to go on top of the cabinet, which will bring the fixture further forward, and secure the mounting box directly to the wall, or to spacers if it needs to come further forward, or if the light fixture is better closer to the wall, there are 1/2" deep steel boxes, that you can cut a 3-5/8" hole in the sheetrock over the wood, and screw the box to the wood. Assuming framing under the beam, you can drill a small hole at an angle, down through the corner of the beam without too many structural worries.

This will let you thread the wire up into the box without having to patch exposed sheetrock. (the sheetrock behind the cabinet can just be patched in and need not be finished. ) .

For your situation, it depends on whether this is actually a beam, or if it is just a "header". Beams are often engineered to be just heavy enough to support the load, while headers, as over doors or windows, are typically whatever is convenient to use - whis is typically way more than necessary. Also, if there is a support wall (bearing wall) under a beam, you have much more allowance.

If I am understanding your situation correctly, you have either solid wood behind the sheetrock, or an exposed beam above the light fixture. Leaning towards the solid wood behind the sheetrock interpretation, and assuming a surface mounted medicine cabinet over the sink, I would be inclined to the following:open up the sheetrock where the cabinet will cover it, anyway. The wiring will be stapled to the framing.

You can pull the staple, and probably get some slack in the wire, that way. To reinstall the fixture, you have two options: if the fixture could benefit from projecting a bit further over the cabinet, you can make a piece to go on top of the cabinet, which will bring the fixture further forward, and secure the mounting box directly to the wall, or to spacers if it needs to come further forward, or if the light fixture is better closer to the wall, there are 1/2" deep steel boxes, that you can cut a 3-5/8" hole in the sheetrock over the wood, and screw the box to the wood. Assuming framing under the beam, you can drill a small hole at an angle, down through the corner of the beam without too many structural worries.

This will let you thread the wire up into the box without having to patch exposed sheetrock. (the sheetrock behind the cabinet can just be patched in and need not be finished. ).

4 BTW, assuming you don't know the actual thought process: it is most likely the electrician put his fixture where it was convenient for him, and everything else had to accommodate that.

BTW, assuming you don't know the actual thought process: it is most likely the electrician put his fixture where it was convenient for him, and everything else had to accommodate that.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.