Feb 172010
I already removed the plastic electrical box and now need to remove this metal hanger bar so that I can replace it with a fan rated extension bar. The existing metal bar is stapled to joists with huge staples but it was not fan rated. Also, I have to do this from below.
sawzall and pliers.
A hacksaw might do the trick… cut the bar, and twist it out. You might find it much easier to just go ahead and open up the drywall to the joists, to make it easier to get at the staples. Then you could drive a flat head screwdriver under the staples, or use a tack/staple puller. This would make installing the new bracket and box easier too, it just would mean some drywall work to finish up. If you are careful, you can re-use the piece(s) of drywall you cut out. I would screw a couple of tack strips to the joists, just to have something to screw the drywall back into, to help secure it. Do the usual routine of using joint compound and mesh tape to fill in the seams, etc (you can even find videos at This Old House, or on YouTube, that show how to patch drywall) It would take a bit longer to repair the hole, but it would make removing that old brace, and installing the new one much faster, so its a bit of a trade-off. If you’re familiar with drywall repair, you’ll probably find it the better choice. (Don’t forget to prime the joint repairs before repainting, or the paint will dry a different color over the bare joint compound, than the rest of the surface)
Have Fun
You are going to have to cut the drywall in the ceiling, make the hole just as large as you need to allow you to get up in there to do the work. Make the cuts as neat as possible a to make the repair as easy as possible.
An alternate to doing a drywall patch is to buy and install a large medallion after you replace the drywall as previously suggested.
They look great.