How to patch ceiling holes from light fixtures?

[chumchurrum]

Hi,

We are planning to replace a few light fixtures in the house with the help of an electrician, however some need to be moved to a different spot and others changed from a track light/oyster light to pendants. Therefore, we anticipate that there will be holes left by the old light fixtures (photos attached). Would appreciate any advice on how this is normally fixed.

Thank you!

[EricL]

Hello @chumchurrum 

If the holes are only very small, they can be filled with Selleys 180g Spakfilla Rapid Gap Filler - 180g. Once the filler cures you can sand it down level then wipe clean before painting the surface.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide: How to patch a plaster wall (some of the steps are applicable to your project)

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[chumchurrum]

Thanks so much Eric,

Up to what size hole would you recommend using the gap filler, and what would you use for a hole larger than that?

[EricL]

Hello @chumchurrum 

If the hole is bigger than a one-dollar coin, it will be necessary to use Selleys Spakfilla Wall Repair Kit. This set comes with a patch that helps with covering larger holes in your wall or ceiling.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[R4addZ]

Hi @chumchurrum 

There may be multiple holes to fill and that is not necessarily a problem. There will be a slightly larger hole where bthe wires used to come throuugh and possibly more where the fixings were installed. the biggest problem you face is if they used fixings that have a face plate on the surface such as...

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-m5-x-9mm-hollow-wall-anchor-10-pack_p2260116

or

https://www.bunnings.com.au/ramset-13-x-42mm-zinc-wallmate-anchor-100-pack_p2268280

The problem with these is they have a surface finish and so stand clear of the finished roof plaster. The only way to deal with them is to remove them or sink them into the surface before filling over them

Once you have dealt with this, you can fill ( it may take multiple applications for the cable access holes) then feather paint the repair (feather paint refers to blending out the paint to match in without needing to repaint the whole roof)

[chumchurrum]

Thanks mate,

I'll wait and see how bad the damage is. I've filled smaller holes before but mainly am worried about any larger ones.

[chumchurrum]

Hi again Eric,

We have had some of the light fixtures replaced now and can see how big the holes are that we need to fill. I think the biggest one is just under 8cm so can use the Spakfilla products you recommended. 

However, I just wanted to ask how you would recommend getting a colour match to repaint the ceiling. As you can see, the area under the old lights is much lighter. Would I have to scrape a flake of paint off the darker surrounding area to colour match at Bunnings? It would be much easier to scrape some paint off around the holes but I'm worried it will come out too light and won't match the surrounding area. I hope that makes sense.

Also, I noticed the Spakfilla wall filler product you linked to only comes with one wall patch - I'll need at least two. Would either of these products work in combination with the normal Spakfilla gap filler paste? https://www.bunnings.com.au/builders-edge-100-x-100mm-plasterboard-wall-patch_p0730622 https://www.bunnings.com.au/builders-edge-100-x-100mm-plasterboard-wall-patch_p0730622 

[JacobZ]

Hi @chumchurrum,

Before you do anything, I'd suggest using some sugar soap to give the paint around the old fixtures a clean to see if any of the darker colour is simply from accumulated dirt or dust. Ensuring you get the truest example of the underlying paint will give you the best chance of a good colour match. Once this has been done, you will be able to see how much of the darkening is due to aging and general wear.

At this point, your best bet is to take a colour sample from the darker, aged area, as it best represents the colour over the majority of the ceiling. You will be patching and painting things anyway, so removing a flake from the darker area is not really that big of an issue as you will have the materials to repair the removed paint chip anyway.

Let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. I am more than happy to help further if required.

Jacob