**This post was sponsored by the helpful folks at DIYZ. All opinions expressed are completely my own.**
Hey friends! As you know I’ve been re-doing our reading nook for the One Room Challenge. One of the many issues with this space was the poorly positioned and undersized light fixture. We wanted to move the light to be centered, and be able to support a heavier new light. Although this sounds like a big overwhelming project, it was actually not nearly as bad as we thought. Now that we’ve tackled it, I want to share our process so that anyone can learn how to move a light fixture.
We started out by removing the old fixture, leaving us with the two lines, and four wires that were connected in the junction box. We also measured and marked where the new fixture would go.
We knew we would need to install a new junction box for the new location, but we weren’t sure which one to use. We purchased three different types, but wanted to ensure that we installed the one that would be able to handle the most weight. The light we chose for the space weighs 20 pounds, and we didn’t want to risk not having it be secure.
To help us answer our question, we turned to the app DIYZ. I had met the folks from DIYZ at a blog conference that I was at, and I LOVED their concept. Basically, when you run into a DIY question, they have a team of experts on hand to answer questions about whatever obstacle you have. It’s their “pro advisor” feature and it’s SO smart.
After inputting just a few pieces of information I received a video call from the pro advisor Adam, who walked me through my options. He advised me that since we had access from the attic, that the box with the side bars would be our best bet.
He walked us through exactly how we would be running the wires from the old box to the new one, and how we would be connecting them. He also answered our questions about whether or not we had the right cable, and the right types of connectors.
Basically, our old lines were not long enough to reach the new location, so we would have to use a junction box in the attic. In this box we would connect the two black wires to the new black line, and the two white wires to the new white one. Then we would run the new cable over to the new box.
While I took this picture from the attic opening, Matt was actually video chatting with Adam ensuring that we were wiring the new box properly.
Once we had the location of the new junction box marked, I used a drywall knife to cut an opening the size of the box. Then from the attic Matt nailed the side bars of the box into the ceiling joists. In total we only chatted with Adam for about 5 minutes, but it was SO wonderful to have the piece of mind to know that we were doing things right.
As you can see this was a messy project and lots of insulation fell from the attic while I cut the hole. Now all I need to do is patch the drywall where the old junction box used to be.
Along with the pro advisor function, DIYZ also offers TONS of great step by step tutorials on how to complete simple household DIY projects. For example this one on how to install a light fixture could be helpful to anyone needing help. Because we weren’t ready to hang our new fixture yet, we just re-wired the old fixture back on.
Altogether this project took us about an hour from start to finish. Once we were done I was sure to give Adam a five star rating. His advice was invaluable. DIYZ pro advisor feature is like having your wise dad or experienced handyman, always available to help you out.
The DIYZ app is available completely for free in the App Store, and on Google Play. I highly suggest downloading it, and using it next time you run into your next DIY question. Whether you’re mid-project, or just in the planning phases, sometimes asking an expert is all you need to keep your project rolling. I’m so glad I was able to introduce you to this great app today!
