Tip for spot lights in ceilings.

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nopes

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I used to hate skimming ceilings where the holes have been cut out for the spot lights. Bits of wet plaster dropping over me when I lay on over them and bits of dry plaster dragging in to the work when troweling.

I came up with a simple solution though, I just scrim over them. 2 lengths of scrim is enough to cover the hole. Make sure they're about 60cm long. If they're too short the weight of the plaster can make them fall off (I found out the hard way).

Only takes a couple of minutes and once that's done it's like skimming a ceiling with no holes in :). Just cut them out with a stanley (best to use a new blade) towards the end of the hit. You won't lose where they are as they bulge down a few mm due to gravity early on and when they've nearly gone off (they're flat by then) there is colour difference. I usually dig the corner of my trowel in the center of them after I trowel over them too just to be sure.

It might sound like too much hassle to some but it works for me and just thought I'd share.
 
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I used to hate skimming ceilings where the holes have been cut out for the spot lights. Bits of wet plaster dropping over me when I lay on over them and bits of dry plaster dragging in to the work when troweling.

I came up with a simple solution though, I just scrim over them. 2 lengths of scrim is enough to cover the hole. Make sure they're about 60cm long. If they're too short the weight of the plaster can make them fall off (I found out the hard way).

Only takes a couple of minutes and once that's done it's like skimming a ceiling with no holes in :). Just cut them out with a stanley (best to use a new blade) towards the end of the hit. You won't lose where they are as they bulge down a few mm due to gravity early on and when they've nearly gone off (they're flat by then) there is colour difference. I usually dig the corner of my trowel in the center of them after I trowel over them too just to be sure.

It might sound like too much hassle to some but it works for me and just thought I'd share.
great idea mate, i like it, thanks for sharing. Some of the guys on here are reluctant to change.
 
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Does anybody else just drill out the holes after you've skimmed? this is what ive done in the past as long as you have measurements of where the wires are you can just pull the wire down afterwards or if you have access to the loft/floor above you can push the wires through.
 
Does anybody else just drill out the holes after you've skimmed? this is what ive done in the past as long as you have measurements of where the wires are you can just pull the wire down afterwards or if you have access to the loft/floor above you can push the wires through.
That's the Sparky's job to map out the ceiling not a plasterers. Board over them, assume the sparky has mapped it, get out and get paid. His problem if he hasn't
 
As a sparks I hate it when they are pulled through the board. You would have to be an idiot to think the sparks is going to cut the hole where they’ve been clipped to the joist. Just push them up and board over them and the sparks can cut them out afterwards.
 
As a sparks I hate it when they are pulled through the board. You would have to be an idiot to think the sparks is going to cut the hole where they’ve been clipped to the joist. Just push them up and board over them and the sparks can cut them out afterwards.
Amen, they're just clipped there so the plasterer doesn't move them to far away from where they're meant to be. Now they've got a hole in the ceiling probably in the wrong place that you'll have to go back and patch up and get laughed at in the process
 
Put all the wiring in for spots on my sisters hall ceiling a few years back. Drew the map of measurements on the wall so I wouldn't forget. Went in early on a saturday to skim out, everything going to plan but something niggling me. Just finished the last wall, then realised what was niggling me!
 
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