Light Fixture Does Not Cover Hole (Easy Way To Do)

By - Ron Singh

Updated -

Choosing a light fixture may not seem like a big deal, but if you are not careful enough, you will end up with a ceiling light fixture that does not cover the hole.

While a light fixture is supposed to make your room feel more adorable to the eyes, a light fixture that does not cover the hole comes off rather weird. The idea is to install a light fixture that perfectly suits any hole or opening.

Situations will arise where your light fixture won’t fit the hole, so you must be willing to find the means to fix the fixture properly. Consequently, what do you do when a light fixture does not cover the hole?

If your light fixture does not cover the hole, you can use an external means to cover the hole. By using a plaster patching solution, you will be able to cover up the hole. Also, you can use a decorative ring around the light, which will enable you to pin the fixture against the ceiling.

Light Fixture Does Not Cover Hole In Wall

Light Fixture Does Not Cover Hole

A light fixture is usually attractive and good when properly installed. Light fixtures add beauty to your room and make you feel alive when in your home.

However, when you install a light fixture that does not cover the hole in a wall, your room becomes unattractive, and hence you miss out on the elegance of your home.

Light fixtures come in various sizes and designs that complete the decoration of your home.

And in most circumstances, when you want to replace a light fixture with an improved version, you will discover the fixture won’t cover the hole in a wall.

Maybe because the hole is more significant than the light fixture, the purpose will be lost if installed and left that way.

Another reason a light fixture may not encircle the hole in a wall is the wrong measurement.

Failure to properly get the true extent of the intended hole you plan on fixing a new light fixture will make you get the wrong one from the market, and only discover your mistake when you try to replace the light fixture.

How to Cover a Light Fixture Hole?

When you plan to replace a light fixture with a new model or design, there are many options on how you can cover the possible hole your old light fixture will leave behind.

Aside from the proper fitting of your light fixture adds elegance to your home, light fixtures also serve as safety measures by covering and hindering wires from exposure. 

To cover a light fixture hole, you can use a plate. There are different types of Platings, including wooden sheets, metal plates, or plastic sheets.

A plate supports the ceiling light fixture and, in turn, enables you to pin the light fixture against the ceiling. It would be best if you used a flat plate to cover the hole.

Depending on how big the hole you are to cover and what will work for the problem, a decorative ring goes along the base of the light fixture and essentially covers the light fixture hole.

Of course, a decorative ring won’t be a perfect idea for a giant hole. Therefore, while looking out to cover a light fixture hole, you must be sure to pick a pattern that blends with the rest of your room.

Light Fixture Holes Don’t Align With Junction Box

Your light fixture holes and the junction box are supposed to have a perfect alignment for installation to be smooth.

However, situations will arise when your light fixture and the junction box have different orientations, making installation seem impossible.

Depending on the type of junction box you have in place, you can do a few things to save the situation.

First, you can rotate the light fixture to see if it will accommodate the orientation of the junction box. If the rotation helps, then you are good to go.

You can also replace the old junction box with one that fits the direction of your light fixture or screw through the drywall after getting the correct orientation.

However, not all junction boxes are rotatable. You can rotate junction boxes installed after the drywall installation, but junction boxes fastened to a plank are difficult to rotate.

In some instances, you will be able to build a ceiling feature that is large enough to cover the junction box and then extend to the position of the light fixture.

First, you have to make sure the alignment is perfect. Generally, lighting details must harmonize with the setting of the room.

Therefore, different types of lighting with light fixtures provide them. The table below shows the type of lighting with the fixtures that give the lighting types.

Type Of Lighting 

Type Of Light Fixture that Gives The Lightning 

  • Ambient 
  • Chandelier
  • Ceiling mounted fixture hanging
  • Accent Lighting 
  • Tape and extrusion
  • A directional recessed fixture or downlight
  • Wall-mounted fixtures
  • Task Lighting 
  • Pendant Lighting
  • Slimline bar and undercabinet
  • Portable or desk lamp

How Do You Fill the Gap Between Light Fixture And Ceiling? 

Light fixtures come in various shapes, sizes, and designs and do not always cover the ceiling entirely after being installed.

And leaving these gaps between the light fixture and a ceiling is not the perfect idea, as it will ruin your decoration and, in general, the beauty of your home.

So the first thing you must have in mind is turning off your light before you start filling the gap.

You can use a plaster patching compound to fill the gap between the light fixture and ceiling.

All you have to do is place the light fixture in position and note how much of the gap is left before you start filling the gap with the plaster patching solution.

You must ensure the plaster patching solution evenly distributes the hole. Make sure to allow the plaster to dry before turning on the light fixture.

Also, you can use a cover plate to cover the gap perfectly. Cover plates come in a variety of designs and are easily removable.

You can also use a ceiling medallion or a goof ring to cover the gap between your ceiling and the light fixture.

Goof rings are easy to install and cheaper than the ceiling medallion, but depending on what works for you, both are good for the situation.

Broken Ceiling Around the Hole For Light Fixture

Many things can cause your ceiling to break. For example, a broken ceiling around the hole for the light fixture will be due to a light fixture that is no longer adequately supported.

Or, in some cases, during the installation of a light fixture. The hole size will determine how you fix the situation by simply patching with a mesh drywall patch.

After taking proper measurements, you can also fill holes with a patch out of a portion of drywall.

Do away with debris around the hole, and you can make the hole bigger to suit the patch. While these steps are straightforward, if you can not do it yourself, it is only wise to call an expert to help fix the hole.

Depending on how extensive the base of your light fixture is, you may not need notable beauty additions such as repainting the damaged area, as you are sure the base will cover up the area.

But in situations where the affected area will be exposed, you must do well to run a repaint of the repaired region to preserve the elegance of your home. 

Final Thoughts 

Light fixtures don’t only add elegance to our homes but also serve as safety measures by covering up electrical wires.

Holes around a light fixture can be covered using cover plates and plaster patching solutions either by yourself or with the help of a professional.

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