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Home Repair help!?!??!? Busted hole in wall...

Similar question, but I didn't get to punch any holes in walls.

I'm replacing my old/ugly ceiling light/vent in my bathroom. The old vent fan is huge and circular...the new one is smaller and square. I'm guessing it's not a good idea to just leave the gaps around the new square vent and call it a day. From a quick internet search on repairing holes in ceilings, I found that I should cut a hole in the ceiling to square off the existing circular hole, then patch. Is that the same method I should use if I plan to cut a hole for the new vent in the patch? Should I cut the hole in the patch panel before I put it in the ceiling? Is there a better method?

I'm not against hiring somebody to do this for me....we actually just had a guy come in and replace the kitchen countertops, so we could just have him come back. But I feel like a man should be able to do this on his own.
 
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@BuckeyeNation27 .. you're probably better than I am.. but I'd hire it out.. there could be numerous pit falls
The hole repair... is there carpentry that needs done to bracket/support the different shaped replacement
the electrical... does it match up to the old one.. sounds like you've got decades of wiring differences
the sheet rock... and the spackling
the venting... does it match up to the old one..
and then the ol' making sure it passes code

ignoring code works if you never ever sell
but if you ever do, an inspector is going to make you get everything up to spec and that could get costly

PS You should be able to win enough on todays game bet from family to pay for this entire job
 
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@BuckeyeNation27 .. you're probably better than I am
Nope
The hole repair... is there carpentry that needs done to bracket/support the different shaped replacement
Yes
the electrical... does it match up to the old one.. sounds like you've got decades of wiring differences
Correct
the sheet rock... and the spackling
Never done it before
the venting... does it match up to the old one..
Good news! The old one didn't actually vent anywhere! Just right into the attic. Oh....that's right. That's bad news.
and then the ol' making sure it passes code
Code schmode, as my wife says :lol: :smash:

PS You should be able to win enough on todays game bet from family to pay for this entire job
Nope....we're the weirdos that live in PA. Everybody else lives in Ohio.

Sounds like I'll be hiring out. Did I mention I strongly dislike the people who lived here before me?
 
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@BuckeyeNation27

It may seem like a lot, but this is a pretty easy switch over. The only electrical I wouldn't get into is any old knob and tube but since it's hooked up to an existing exhaust you won't have any problem....when you disconnect your wiring, just keep an eye on the poles/where the wires are hooked up. The guide with your new fan should make it super easy....I personally always recommend putting your old fan on before you disconnect and then switching the breaker, safety first there :wink:

And yes - cut a square out going about halfway to your joists/studs. No need to precut your new vent hole - do you have a drywall knife? Even if not, any box cutter will do just fine.

Use something (marker, wifes lipstick, anything) to put on top of the vent that will need to be fit onto the drywall. Press it up against there so you know the exact size of your cut.

Also - if this is a second floor or a ranch, make sure to wear a mask when you cut your drywall hole....depending on the age of your home or when/who installed the old vent, when you cut that other drywall the last thing you want is to inhale some lovely insulation!

If your ceiling is textured or anything let me know in case you need to match the new with the existing. Lastly, once installed, run some hot water in the shower and keep the door closed while it runs....after 5 minutes, if you have access...go check the attic and check for moisture to make sure the fittings are right. Last thing you want is that sucker spitting moist air and winding up with a mold farm a year later!
 
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If it's not vented to the outside... how would there not be a mold farm in the ceiling/attic?
I don't know what to look for as far as mold goes.....but I just found out recently that it wasn't venting anywhere but up into the attic. Kind of pissed the original inspection didn't find that.

We shower with the door open, so some of the moisture gets out that way (hopefully).
 
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@BuckeyeNation27

It may seem like a lot, but this is a pretty easy switch over. The only electrical I wouldn't get into is any old knob and tube but since it's hooked up to an existing exhaust you won't have any problem....when you disconnect your wiring, just keep an eye on the poles/where the wires are hooked up. The guide with your new fan should make it super easy....I personally always recommend putting your old fan on before you disconnect and then switching the breaker, safety first there :wink:

And yes - cut a square out going about halfway to your joists/studs. No need to precut your new vent hole - do you have a drywall knife? Even if not, any box cutter will do just fine.

Use something (marker, wifes lipstick, anything) to put on top of the vent that will need to be fit onto the drywall. Press it up against there so you know the exact size of your cut.

Also - if this is a second floor or a ranch, make sure to wear a mask when you cut your drywall hole....depending on the age of your home or when/who installed the old vent, when you cut that other drywall the last thing you want is to inhale some lovely insulation!

If your ceiling is textured or anything let me know in case you need to match the new with the existing. Lastly, once installed, run some hot water in the shower and keep the door closed while it runs....after 5 minutes, if you have access...go check the attic and check for moisture to make sure the fittings are right. Last thing you want is that sucker spitting moist air and winding up with a mold farm a year later!
You're saying it wouldn't make sense to precut the hole for the new vent in the drywall before it goes into the ceiling? I thought I was being kind of brilliant with that move.
 
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I don't know what to look for as far as mold goes.....but I just found out recently that it wasn't venting anywhere but up into the attic. Kind of pissed the original inspection didn't find that.

We shower with the door open, so some of the moisture gets out that way (hopefully).
Inspections are hit and miss...some guys just have no clue but still somehow get paid for doing them....
 
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But to see if there is a vent coming out of the house is a gimme.. can't see you ever getting away with that when it comes time for sale.. but BN27's inspector missed it
 
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But to see if there is a vent coming out of the house is a gimme.. can't see you ever getting away with that when it comes time for sale.. but BN27's inspector missed it

Depends really - if the bathroom was a conversion, depending on the contractor the exhaust could be connected to another and ran out, etc. There are no ends to the creativity do it yourselfer's or bad contractors will do. I was a property adjuster in California......I wish I still had some of my pictures of the things I've seen!

If it's not connected to an exhaust though, there will be mold at least somewhere. Now I've seen a bunch of times that it sounds like the motor is running, but the fan is not working. Get a single layer of toilet paper and put it near the fan to make sure it's pulling....if it isn't, well, then your attic should be safe! Although then you may want to do a quick cleaning of the walls with a bleach product to stop any small minor mold spotting on the walls.
 
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But to see if there is a vent coming out of the house is a gimme.. can't see you ever getting away with that when it comes time for sale.. but BN27's inspector missed it
I had a guy miss rotted floor joists in the master bathroom in a house with a crawl space..shower fell through the floor 4 months after buying. Luckily insurance covered it. Same guy missed an improperly built front porch that cost me 5K and an improperly plumbed HVAC unit in the ceiling, which leaked and damaged my celing. But hey he took pictures!

Most states don't have any certification process and it is difficult to sue them. I did get some money out of him. He came highly recommended....
 
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