I am changing out the vanity light, above a sink and mirror, in a bathroom.
The old light fixture had it's own wall plate screwed to the wall that the wires ran into from a hole in the drywall behind.
The new light fixture (just under 10lb in weight) requires an electrical box (as well as being a code requirement.) This house was built in 1980 and does not have an electrical box in the wall so I need to add one.
There are no studs within a few inches (the light needs to be directly above the sink) so I could use a braced box like this:
But I'd like to avoid tearing a large hole in the drywall if I can safely avoid it.
So, I'm thinking I could attach strips of plywood behind the hole to spread the weight out over a larger area and add one of these:
The ears of this would rest on the plywood. This way I don't need to make a hole larger than the box.
Do you think this setup will hold a 10lb fixture (assuming the drywall is OK) or should I just rip the hole and add the braced version?
Best Answer
The braced versions are designed to be installed through the same 4" hole that you'd use for the blue 'old-work' box. I wouldn't trust a 10lb light fitting to be kept up only by the strength of drywall - especially in a damp environment like a bathroom.