When it comes to lighting in your home, you have a lot of options. Fluorescent lights are great for adding light to a small space or an area that does not get much natural sunlight. However, with all the perks, fluorescent lights also come with some downsides. While most people tend to like the cool blue light that fluorescent bulbs emit, some may find them unappealing for aesthetic reasons. If you have a wooden ceiling and fluorescent lights, it is likely that the cover on the light fixture is made out of wood as well. This poses a problem because wood and light do not go together so well. In this article, we will explore how to remove a wooden fluorescent light cover and what the pros and cons are of doing so.
How To Remove A Wooden Fluorescent Light Cover?
Use heat to remove the cover
You can use a heat gun to heat up the wood and warp it into a new shape. That way, it’ll become loose and you can remove it. This technique is best suited for small covers where the heat won’t damage anything else nearby. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do it on a larger scale. If you have a large room with wood light covers, you can use a heat gun to warp all of the covers at once. However, you should be extremely careful doing so. Bringing such a hot object into a room with flammable materials like curtains and fabrics is dangerous. While it’s unlikely that a light cover would fall and hit anyone, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. After you warp the covers, you can use a pry bar or other prying tool to remove them from the wall.
Use an electric saw to cut the cover
If you are working with a smaller cover, you can simply use an electric saw to cut through it. This should be much easier than trying to drill a hole in the cover and sawing through it. However, you should be careful with this method. You don’t want to accidentally damage the cover below the light cover as well. If you’re working with a wooden light cover, you might want to use a saw with a carbon blade. It’ll be less likely to damage the wood below.
Toss some paint on it and hope it sticks
If you’re not quite ready to spend the time removing the cover and don’t have the equipment to do it, you might want to try painting the cover. This will at least change the look of the cover and make it look less like a fluorescent light cover. After you paint the cover, let it dry and hope it sticks. If you’re lucky, the paint will create a strong bond and you’ll be able to remove the cover with a little force. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that this method will work.
Why Is It So Difficult To Remove A Wooden Fluorescent Light Cover?
The light cover is attached to the ceiling with nails
The nails that were used to secure the light cover to the ceiling will make it extremely difficult to remove the cover. If the nails are visible, you can use a pry bar to remove the nails, but if the nails are hidden, you will need to cut the cover off of the ceiling. A better option would be to cut the nails holding the light cover in place. However, most fluorescent light covers are made from a thick material that can make it difficult to use nippers or other cutting tools.
You can’t find the wiring for the lights
If the fluorescent light cover was wired directly to the power source, you will likely find a bare wire when you attempt to remove it. You can cap this wire with a wire connector to prevent anyone from being shocked, but you will need a licensed electrician to do so. You can also hire an electrician to find the wiring and disconnect it. If the wiring to the light cover was buried in the wall, you will need to find the junction box and trace it back to where the lights are located. You can then shut off the power to the lights and remove the light cover.
There’s too much paint on the wood
Wooden fluorescent light covers are often painted with multiple layers of paint, which can make them difficult to remove. If the paint on the light cover is brittle, you can use a putty knife to scrape it away, but if the paint is still flexible, you may need to sand the cover before you can remove it. Once you’ve removed the paint, you can apply a paint stripper to the cover. This will make the cover easier to remove, but it may also damage the wood.
The wood is painted with lead paint
If you determine that the paint on the light cover contains lead, you will need to hire a professional to remove it. A professional should also test for asbestos if the light cover is painted with purple paint. While the cover is off, the professional can also check for rot. If there is rot in the cover, you will need to replace the wood, which may require cutting out the rotted sections.
The glass is glued on with epoxy resin.
If you attempted to remove the glass and it would not budge, you can probably pry the glass off the frame. However, if the frame is loose, the glass may stay on the frame. The best way to remove the glass is to use a chemical solvent. Solvents break down the glue that is holding the glass in place. While you can purchase a solvent, this process may take a long time. You can also use a heat gun to loosen the glue.
Pros Of Removing The Cover
- If you remove the cover, you can clean the light easily. You can also replace the light bulb when it burns out. However, you can do both of these things if the cover is attached but just not removed. Furthermore, if you remove the cover, you can paint it or put a different cover on it.
- Some people even prefer to keep the cover on the light fixture and use it as a decorative piece. You can do this if you remove the cover and repaint it.
- Once you remove the cover, you can also reposition the light if it is not in the right spot.
Cons Of Removing The Cover
- If you decide to remove the cover from your wooden fluorescent light, you might regret it. Fluorescent lights are not very attractive; they are just functional.
- If you remove the cover, people might notice the light more and think less of your home. Fluorescent bulbs also give off a blue light, which is not very aesthetically pleasing.
- If you are trying to improve the aesthetics of your home, you might want to replace the light with a different type of bulb. Unfortunately, you will have to attach the wooden cover again in order to do this because you have removed it already.
- If you remove the wooden cover on your light, your ceiling could be at risk of water damage.
- Fluorescent bulbs can get quite hot, so if you remove the cover, you could see some water damage over time. You might want to put some kind of protection against the water on your ceiling in order to avoid costly repairs down the line.
Conclusion
When it comes to lighting in your home, you have a lot of options. Fluorescent lights are great for adding light to a small space or an area that does not get much natural sunlight. However, with all the perks, fluorescent lights also come with some downsides. While most people tend to like the cool blue light that fluorescent bulbs emit, some may find them unappealing for aesthetic reasons. If you have a wooden ceiling and fluorescent lights, it is likely that the cover on the light fixture is made out of wood as well.