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I'm trying to remove a ~6 year old Defiant (Home Depot) motion sensor flood light, so I can replace it with a different flood light. The current light was installed by someone else, who used a liberal amount of caulk to seal it against the stone/mortar outside wall. I've managed to cut it away from the wall, and removed two screws which appear to hold it to a base. But the light won't come off. I can rotate the entire fixture, but not remove it. My assumption is that the caulk is holding the fixture to its base. Complicating factors is that it's 9-10 feet up on the wall.

Any ideas on how I might get this thing off cleanly, or should I start smashing?

Flood light Behind flood light 1 Behind flood light 2 Behind flood light 3

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    If it rotates/moves then probably not the caulking holding it. Would check to make sure there is not another screw or the cable is short.
    – crip659
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 22:58
  • I think the base is rotating with it. What's not clear is how the base was secured to the box.
    – nickwesselman
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 22:59
  • The common/usual way is screws to the box. Caulking should only(if we are lucky) should only be on the outside of the fitting(light) and wall. Thinking the cable might be too short.
    – crip659
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:03

3 Answers 3

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I had to start disassembling the thing. (even tried unsuccessfully drilling into the middle to find the bolt holding the base on)... This allowed me to get the ladder more straight on, and I had enough leverage to pull it off the base. Turns out someone-who-shall-not-be-named caulked the inside of the thing.

Adhesive used to attach to base

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    Crime scene forensic solved it the suspect is still on the run
    – DIY75
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 18:33
  • Upvoted for coming back and posting the answer
    – DIY75
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 18:37
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It may be held in place by more than caulk; someone might have gone overboard and used construction adhesive...

Sanity-check for other fasteners, though there probably aren't any. Then I'd go after it by trying to work something like a putty knife between it and the wall. If that fails to work it loose, wedge or prybar would be my next steps.

Someone else may have better ideas.

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  • and someone else had better idea, the front part is held by screws on the back part. using a prybar would be very bad advice.
    – DIY75
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 0:06
  • That's why I'd start with the putty knife -- it would have good odds of finding any fasteners I missed. (A friend of mine didn't check and wound up bending a hammer handle when a nail turned out to be a screw.(
    – keshlam
    Commented Dec 28, 2022 at 0:29
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Here are the instructions how to mount/unmount

mount

manual

Just follow in reverse order

I might got the wrong model, without center screw, but the design is similar. The front part comes off the wall part held by some screws.

unscrew

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  • hmm except the bottom twists with it, but maybe I can hold it from behind.
    – nickwesselman
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:14
  • @nickwesselman see my updated answer
    – DIY75
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:15
  • thanks. this is a different model (two screws instead of one) but I assume it's similar. however i have already removed the screws.
    – nickwesselman
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:22
  • @nickwesselman than you should be able to just pull it straight out, from the plug in the back
    – DIY75
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:25
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    This appears to be the same or similar model: images.thdstatic.com/catalog/pdfImages/1f/… Pulling straight out ain't working, thus my suspicion that it's being held to the base by caulk.
    – nickwesselman
    Commented Dec 27, 2022 at 23:28

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