Home Improvement
I was hanging a ceiling fan in this room when I discovered that the mounting screw holes in the electrical box are stripped. My dad has suggested using JB Weld putty, letting it cure, drilling it out with a small bit and then using wood screws. I’m a first time homeowner and have neither the confidence nor the expertise to completely replace the box. Is my dad’s route the best course of action or is it a waste of time and/or dangerous to go that route? Thank you!
Looks like a plastic box? I don't think there'd be a huge problem with your dads proposed solution as long as the screws go straight up. One problem with it is it's something that'll fix the problem until the next time the box comes out. That might be never if you aren't doing anything that'd need you to open the box again.
I bet you could get a tap one size up and just cut new threads at one size larger too. Nice thing about that is you still have nice machine threads and the original material so you can remove the screws if you need to.
That's good advice. I was going to say to use some sort of glue. Maybe a two part, 5 min epoxy. That's pretty much JB weld. So, yeah.
Listen to your dad. Moving the hole won’t work since the fan is designed to fit a standard box. Alternatively you could replace the box, you’ll want an old work box.
Yeah your dad is right, but using a slightly bigger screw (I’m assuming the box is made out of plastic) or tapping a bigger hole might be a better idea. Alternatively you could ask your dad to help you replace the box, it’s not the hardest thing in the world and it’s a nice skill to have!