How to REPAIR OVER-CUT POTLIGHT! 

I love watching these videos I’ve been doing drywall repairs for 30 years I like watching what you do right or different sometimes I even learn something new

oh my god those edge feathers. Best ones yet

Silky smooth circular motion with speedy confidence = perfect results. A joy to watch.

I really appreciate this video, as I can use the same process for my over-cut bathroom exhaust fan. also, thanks for pointing out to mud all the way around it and not just the tape, that stuck in my head now.

I'm halfway through a level five over latex paint that took forever but looks absolutely gorgeous thanks to you and figuring out level 5 trowels. Keep up the incredible work.

You are not a drywaller. You, Ben, are an artist! I love every one of your videos, and now my wife is watching with me. We're going to tackle the finishing of our new 685 sq.ft. workshop next week. She's excited!

Once again you did an excellent job. I appreciate you teaching what seems to be the proper way to fix things, keep up the good work we're learning alot.

Man, you make it look so easy! I really enjoy your short simple how-to's. I'm learning a lot and will be getting some practice real soon...

I have seen your work previously and have learned much from them. While observing the video presentation, I liked this one as well. In fact, this vid is also locked in my mine. Great teaching!

I love that I found a video fix for exactly the random small hole I needed filled. Thank you!

Beautiful. I've leaned a lot from you. Thank you!

Good work is in the details. Always enjoy your videos 👍👍

Nice work, handyman in Minnesota...your detailed work is truly solid, and I love your positivity!

Looks great, really. Proper way to do it folks. Understand that this process, though it looks over the top, will let you get paid more for it properly rather than just caulking the seams which fetches just a few dollars. This is how it's done, good for the client and better for you.

Thanks for the videos, great channel 💯✅ You do excellent work 👍

"In short order" I love that. I'm going to use that colloquialism myself next time I'm using quick-set :)

I had mis-cut a couple of pot light holes with a cut-out tool recently. Thankfully, I had a couple of the 8 inch by 8 inch CGC paper patches in my van, so easy fix, cut the right size hole in the patch, hot mud one side, knife it on, then finish coat once set. For a couple of bucks each, makes life easier. (they also make pre-made patches for outlets)

I love your videos!! Im no contractor. Just a homeowner trying to keep my investment intact and do occasional upgrades without going broke. Your videos make it easy to understand how to make repairs on everything! Thanks so much!!

this is very useful for when i do my 4x atmos ceiling speakers

That’s a gorgeous job!!

Excellent work. Much better than mine. Thanks for the lesson.

Great videos! Thanks for sharing your expertise. 👍🏻👍🏻

Love watching thease videos to learn something new👍

Totally have been just mudding the gaps. Works for a month then cracks. TAPE! Thanks.

Best job I seen yet on this type of repair.

What I love is you know when to stop. Leave something for the next coat.

This is clearly the right way to do it... but I was just involved in knocking out the punch list for a $2mil courthouse remodel, and around some of the can lights and in particular the bathroom exhaust fans, they overcut by a HUGE amount, like 3/4" in some spots. Since it was already all finished, painted, etc. and we were trying to get out of there, we got some paint-matched caulk, and just filled the gap that way (finger finish to blend it in). Since the ceilings were way taller than in residential construction, and so the issue wasn't right in your face, it looks pretty good actually.

Thank you so much. I love you . I feel a lot better thanks to you

Great tutorial! This is definitely the correct and proper way to fix this problem but if you're like myself and are just looking to cover the problem you can use a "Goof Ring" which can be custom cut.

This was a extra good one....Thank you

Thank you for your time!

Exactly what I needed to find. Thank you!

Great vid as always🤠👍

Great explanation as WHY you used the tape. Great video. I'm still working on feathering. You make it look SOOOOO easy, LOL. I'd love to shadow you on a job site one day.

Great video, but you forgot the step where you go punch who ever bought trim rings that require the can cutout to be within 1/8th of an inch of the can.

So satisfying.

You make it look so easy!

Super crazy useful, thank you!

Awesome! I over cut when I installed a vent in bathroom and now I can fix it. Sure its covered but I know it is not right to me.

Metaly cylinder thing, i love your words LOL. Great video seriously thank you

Thanks and greetings from Phoenix!

Excellent, i just did this with two over cut switch boxes , the covers today arent very forgiving, quik set and some tape, cant tell it was ever there

This is an awesome video, thanks! What to do when there’s no housing for the light? Is it possible to reduce the hole size by taping around the inside of the hole?

I like that repair, I like the hold my breath, sand and run away patented method, I had used before, I hope you don't mind, thanks.

So we have patent pending bucket stool, t-shirt dust mask, hold your breath and run away, .... Honestly makes me laugh every time because I've done the same thing

Great videos. How about a video for repairing ceilings where they meet the walls and the tape has let go due to "truss uplift"?

As a painter who often has to fix things like this, we'd just jam some caulk in the gap, run our finger across it, let it dry approx. 30 secs, put paint on it, and call it done. Thanks for showing the proper way to do it.

Lol you are so right ! It is satisfying.

Great vid. Thanks

This is a great video. My only additional concern is how and when do I match the existing ceiling texture, as most ceilings are not just flat.

You are an artist! :)

Thanks Ben!

Found this from your other channel. Super helpful. Could you use your awesome carpentry skills to show how to build a mini ramp?

I just did something similar. I had these small lights like the one in the video except they had these feet that clamped onto the drywall to hold them in place. It was causing the cover to not sit flat. I ended up mudding around the opening, filling in the amount the feet dropped down and feathered it out. Sits good now but figure if anyone ever changes out the light housing, they're gonna have a heck of a time. Which will be me bc it's my bathroom lmao.

I love the run away method 🏃🏃🏃

Good tips, especially feathering the edges!

YEAHHH! I just had my rotozip become posessed and take off a few inches away from the planned flight path You are my hero

Well done

Excellent

Could you skip a step by doing mesh tape then quickstep followed by one or two passes of mud? It would save an entire day of dry time and still provides the benefits of using tape.

Drywall ASMR 😂🤣 You know how to get those views.

Awesome!

That sound of scraping hurts my teeth , when I tape I wear headphones lol , I kinda accidentally am good at taping and muddling , I don’t like sanding . So I learned to get it as smooth as I can for less sanding lol , I own a construction business nd when we remodel and stuff if there really isn’t enough drywall to sub out ( like under 10 sheets ) I do it myself . It’s a family business and my mother sands for me but still the smother you get it on the first two coats the less sanding . I don’t spend all day trying to smooth it out but after a while you get the hang of it. Great vids man . It’s funny that I was never taught ,but we use similar techniques. Great work . I’m about to finish a room in my house that I have been remodeling over the last three years ( carpenters house gets finished last they say ) and I did an angled bulk head to hide pipes , any vids on the best way to get a strait line when two angles meet , I usually use the corner bead for it.. also an important thing to note - you can tell you have a passion for your work , I do too . Having that passion drives you to do the best job you can and take pride in your work . I go onto job sites sometimes and look at the work some “ carpenters “ do , weather it be a gap in the heal of rafters or shitty lumber just a few minutes to adjust the cut or whatever would have brought the work up a few notches , in a way it keeps me busy . Quality over quantity. And its good to see that passion still exists . Keep up the good work

Really like your videos but could you do one on how you bill? By the hour, job etc how u deal with dry times and return trips

Very nice...

This video was just what I needed! I just installed 8 6" lights into my living room ceiling and had my hole cutter set about 3/16" too wide so have to fix all 8. Only difference is that I'm using low-profile LED lights which have no can, they use two spring-clips to attach directly to the drywall. I'm going to use the same technique with the tape and 20-minute quickset. What did you use after the quickset? Can I use a USG pre-mix? If so which would you recommend, they have light, ultralight, standard, and dust-control, and I never know which to use where. Thanks again for the videos!

It always helps if the plaster is sticky side up to prevent it falling off.

What is he applying around the opening in a circular motion? Is that also the quickset?

Had the same thing happen with my house. I bought some goof rings that are slightly bigger than my potlight ring

Would you recommend this taping method if I need to transform the opening to fit a track light? There is a hole in the ceiling where the recessed can was fitted but the width of my tracklight is significantly smaller than the diameter of the hole. Would it work to use the taping method to leave a whole just small enough for the wires I need?

Looks great and i know this is a demo video but a slighty larger light ring would totally erase that over cut lol

“The metally cylinder thing!” 😂

Ha ha, the old " Hold your breath and breath away trick" ... I thought I was the only one that did that....... hilarious....

*"Thats crazy talk!"* 🤣

What if the ceiling is fish scale textured plaster like mine?

what's the 'tape' you use in the second part of the process?

Will it look patched if you painted that area without painting the whole ceiling? Any tips?

skater dude. great vid.

if no other lights near it, get a bigger trim ring :)

I’m assuming you have to paint ceiling after?

How I repair an overcut potlight depends on it's location. Sometimes I cover it with duct tape... other times I use wood screws to pull the cover over the gap... or I install a really bright bulb that you can't look directly at!

Great video, but most ceilings are not flat. They have knockdown texture (where I live). Is there a simpler way to do it without having to match a large area of knockdown?

Lesson learned do not over cut the receptacle

I wanted to install a chandelier light in the kitchen, but the hole is too big. What should I do? Put a small piece of wood inside (for support of the new chandelier) and then all this process?

This is exactly what I need to know BUT my ceiling is PLASTER. But I'm also using can-less LED lights (and yeah, small 3" ones) HELP!

how can you move your arm 360 continuesly

Patented? I got dibs!!

Another great video. 1 question though. It's really hard to see white on white. Can you color your mud so there is a contrasting color?

I was thinking of a very different light. But thanks anyway!

No ceiling paint?

I installed new pots that are smaller than the old holes by a quarter inch around on an already orange peeled ceiling. How do you fix that?

I’ve got to do this on basically every single spotlight in my house. Thank you to the electrician who ruined every whole the plasterer made 😭

White caulk would be my little trick. You’re welcome! I am kidding. Nice work!

What would you do if the ceiling was textured? How would repair that?

What about a ceiling that’s textured?

my place has 8 lights that are 1150 cm diameter, most downlights sold here are like 70 90 or 95mm :(

Metally cylinder thing. I totally use those words in my professional life and I'm not even joking 😂

I guess the same process for bathroom fans that have a slight gap between the fan housing and the dry wall.

The hole is like a 4inch amd he patches like a full feet plus dahm

Can you just caulk around it ?