Two Sizes Fits None
My office is in an old leased space which hasn't been updated since the 70s, I'm sure. Over the years, previous tenants have added things of their own--light fixtures, walls, cabinetry, etc., including me.
We decided to have an Open House in order to draw new business, and as I took a look around, I realized that most of the ceiling light fixtures were lacking the plexiglas covers. Not a big deal, I thought, I've seen them in Home Depot.
I did remember from a previous time replacing the covers that there were two different sizes--one for the older style light(of which I have many), and one for the newer style with a hinged, drop down window (of which I have a few). Looking around, I see that 4 of the ones I need are for the older style, and two are for the newer style.
Off I go to Home Depot with Buzz in tow, and we purchase six of the larger, for the older style, and four of the smaller, newer style. Extras, you know? I like to be prepared and not have to drive 14 miles back to the store.
First stop: the hall light. Newer, drop-down style. Piece of cake. Take out the older cracked yellow plexiglas and replace it. Bingo. Perfect fit. This is gonna be easy. So I head up the hall to the other light. Same deal. Open the light, take out the old stuff, put in the new. Easy, right? Wrong. Seems this newer style light has an opening that is just a tad bigger, and the plexiglas is too small. Okay, we'll try a larger one. Nope, that one is 2" in either direction too big. Cut to fit? Nice try, but the stuff cracks, falls to the floor, not gonna happen.
Okay, fine. I'll try the larger plexiglas in the older style lights. Are you kidding me? It's a half-inch too big. So we're back to trying to cut it to fit. Success, I think. But no, gravity has a say and the next thing I know the center folds, and the edges come right out. Cheapie plastic faux plexiglas shatters on the floor. Rinse and repeat. I'm not having any luck and a stream of colorful language spews forth from my lips.
Defeat is imminent. Or is it? Now I remembered why I'd been staring at bare fluorescent bulbs for the past two years. And why two of my lights with plastic in them have tape on them.
But wait. Mom wasn't so naive after all. While in the plexiglas lighting panel aisle, I found white plastic U-shaped holders. For what, I don't know, but I saw that it would be a solution to my lighting problems. Cut a few to fit the fixture, and it extends the lip a few inches to hold my too-small plexiglas. Bingo!
See? I knew watching all of those MacGyver shows with Buzz would come in handy some day.
We decided to have an Open House in order to draw new business, and as I took a look around, I realized that most of the ceiling light fixtures were lacking the plexiglas covers. Not a big deal, I thought, I've seen them in Home Depot.
I did remember from a previous time replacing the covers that there were two different sizes--one for the older style light(of which I have many), and one for the newer style with a hinged, drop down window (of which I have a few). Looking around, I see that 4 of the ones I need are for the older style, and two are for the newer style.
Off I go to Home Depot with Buzz in tow, and we purchase six of the larger, for the older style, and four of the smaller, newer style. Extras, you know? I like to be prepared and not have to drive 14 miles back to the store.
First stop: the hall light. Newer, drop-down style. Piece of cake. Take out the older cracked yellow plexiglas and replace it. Bingo. Perfect fit. This is gonna be easy. So I head up the hall to the other light. Same deal. Open the light, take out the old stuff, put in the new. Easy, right? Wrong. Seems this newer style light has an opening that is just a tad bigger, and the plexiglas is too small. Okay, we'll try a larger one. Nope, that one is 2" in either direction too big. Cut to fit? Nice try, but the stuff cracks, falls to the floor, not gonna happen.
Okay, fine. I'll try the larger plexiglas in the older style lights. Are you kidding me? It's a half-inch too big. So we're back to trying to cut it to fit. Success, I think. But no, gravity has a say and the next thing I know the center folds, and the edges come right out. Cheapie plastic faux plexiglas shatters on the floor. Rinse and repeat. I'm not having any luck and a stream of colorful language spews forth from my lips.
Defeat is imminent. Or is it? Now I remembered why I'd been staring at bare fluorescent bulbs for the past two years. And why two of my lights with plastic in them have tape on them.
But wait. Mom wasn't so naive after all. While in the plexiglas lighting panel aisle, I found white plastic U-shaped holders. For what, I don't know, but I saw that it would be a solution to my lighting problems. Cut a few to fit the fixture, and it extends the lip a few inches to hold my too-small plexiglas. Bingo!
See? I knew watching all of those MacGyver shows with Buzz would come in handy some day.
posted by Zany Mom at 7:31 AM
1 Comments:
LOL Yay, MacGyver!
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