I spent a couple of hours today learning, yet again, that the "professional" electrician who wired our house was an *****.
As part of updating the house, we are replacing the light fixture in the master bath. It is losing the battle with time, with coating peeling and generally looking ugly. So I took it off the wall in preparation for installing the new fixture.
There is no box in the wall behind the old fixture, and it was screwed into the drywall. Better yet, there are two sets of wires coming out of the wall ... one of which was not stripped or connected to anything. I have NO idea why they are there.
We originally had the builder paint the bathrooms white, and we sponge painted over it with blue and grey.
I understand WHY the electrician did what he did. Immediately to the right in the hole is a PVC pipe, probably some kind of vent. On the left is ... nothing. He was supposed to center the bar light over the mirror and made it work. He got away with it for 29 years ...
My solution? I have an ancient 1x10" board in the garage. I cut a 32" piece from it, routed the edge with a Classical bit (makes it pretty), and sanded it. Next I'll cut a 2" hole in the middle for wires. Mrs. WM81 is going to prime and paint it tomorrow.
This will be screwed into the studs and will provide a solid surface upon which to install the new fixture. Plus it's decorative, and no one will know (unless I tell them, but I trust y'all to keep the secret!) that it covers up someone else's mistake.
The board on the right (beneath) is the original board and the one of the right is the pretty one.
Mrs. WM81 is already pleased.