Removing a light fixture (New Photos!)

[big brown horse]

I need to remove a light fixture that is on my wall.

I don't want to replace it b/c light is not really needed in that spot. I just want to "cap it off" and hang a painting over the hole.

How do I do this? (I know I am going to have to turn off the breakers.) What do I need to get from the hardware store?

Thanks for any input.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

What type of walls do you have?

 

[big brown horse]

What type of walls do you have?

Pretty sure they are sheet rock.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

You will need to get some wire nuts in the correct gauge. Just take a short piece of the wire to the hardware store & tell them you need to cap off wires in that size. Just screw the wire nut onto the wires, seperately! One cap for each wire.

Edited because I know just enough about electricity to hurt myself and shouldn't be giving electrical advice

 

[Big Daddy]

Turn off breaker as you mentioned. Take the screws out holding the fixture to the wall. You need to see how big the box is that the light is mounted to. There are probably wires coming from the fixture base that are attached to the wires in the box using electrical nut caps. After you remove the fixture you can put those caps back on the ends of the wires in the box. Be sure they are tight. If not take the nuts with you to the hardware store and get the next gauge smaller since the ones in there were used for 2 wire ends and now you are just protecting one wire end. Just take the light fixture with you so you can get the right size cap to cover the hole.

The light fixture should have a metal box in the wall that it is attached too. Usually those boxes are flush to the front edge of the drywall. Sometimes the box can be removed or at least pushed back in the wall cavity some. If it can't be easily moved you can just get a metal cap and paint over it.

 

[big brown horse]

Stick on patch? Cool! Sounds easy enough, THANK YOU!!!!! (I have all the paint and spackle for this project b/c I just painted the walls.)

I havn't taken the thing down yet, but I am assuming there are going to be colored wires that I will need to know the difference of. Black is ground, red is hot (I assume) what about any other colors? Do I twist them same color to same color and then cap them?

My dad showed me how to do this years and years ago when I owned a fixer uper, but I just want to be 100% sure.

 

[big brown horse]

Didn't see your post BD sorry...good advice! Tight nuts, check!

 

[enjoy the ride]

If it is in series with other lights further down the line, cutting the power to one may cut it to others. If it is singlely switched, I think I might take out the switch and use nuts to isolate the current there then cover the switch box with a plate and patch that too. Otherwise there is just a switch to no where.
But another thought, if it's high enough to hang a picture under it, maybe you could get a painting light and use it to illuminate a work of art? Just a thought.

 

[big brown horse]

If it is in series with other lights further down the line, cutting the power to one may cut it to others. If it is singlely switched, I think I might take out the switch and use nuts to isolate the current there then cover the switch box with a plate and patch that too. Otherwise there is just a switch to no where.
But another thought, if it's high enough to hang a picture under it, maybe you could get a painting light and use it to illuminate a work of art? Just a thought.

I did think about that idea, but this silly light is about belly button to chest high...really an ugly, miss-placed light. LUckily it is the only one that turns on when I use it's switch.

 

[Big Daddy]

You could also put an outlet in the box