pulldown light cord

[littleshirl]

Hi, the cord has snapped in bathroom, simple matter to replace we thought - duh!! When OH took the cover off there was only one screw holding the fitting in, which fell out anyway!! Above the fitting there seems to be a sort of plaster board which has disintegrated. I don't think we need an electrician at this stage as the fitting itself seems O.K. but can anyone tell me what we can do to be able to replace the unit with screws, as at the moment there is nothing to screw into, and how do we fix it onto the ceiling? Hope someone can help.

[gsr600]

If you have a loft you can access you may be able to fit a piece of wood between the joists above the area to where the switch is to be re -mounted just be careful with the wiring etc & don't fall through the ceiling, hope this could help.

[littleshirl]

Thank you for replying grs, but the loft is boarded and carpeted so can't really. Oh dear, why does every molehill turn out to be a mountain?

[RATTER15]

Enlarge the hole a little, enough to put a small batten to bridge the hole, screw the switch to the batten and then do a repair of the hole that may show either side of the switch.

[GRUMPY]

Can you manage to put a smal piece of wood 2x1 or similar into the hole and then across it,then when you put in screws it will pull the switch onto the ceiling,this should do the trick

[GRUMPY]

Ratter must be a quicker typer than me but exactly the same solution :)

[tonyav]

You could try putting a piece of wood across the hole ( above the hole ) and use some no nails glue or similar. When the glue has set screw your light fitting to it. No need to lift carpets or boarding then.
Just a variation of what gsr600 has suggested.

[whiskeryron]

http://youtu.be/nNFv65-QTPI

W Ron.

[The Builder]

Have a poke about above the plasterboard, Shirl. It would be very unusual for a pull switch to be fixed to p/board alone. There should be a ceiling joist there somewhere.
On the other hand ............ people do daft things. I've always done just what the others have said, with a piece of batten. Follow Tony's advice, with a piece that's longer than the hole so that it extends out over a good section of p/board. Either glue, or screw through the board into the batten, then polyfilla the screw head.

[littleshirl]

Thank you all for your replies, with everyone giving the same helpful advice, which is very reassuring, very grateful - shirl

[methyl]

If the pull-switch was not screwed to a plate between the beam, I'd find where the beams are and screw a neat bevelled 5-ply plywood plate to the ceiling screwed to two beams. Make holes for the wires, then do a practice fitting before filling the visible screw holds and painting the plate.
When it works, nobody notices.