I have a gas shut-off valve for my oven that needs access in the ceiling of my basement. I currently just have the shut-off itself cut out and it is about 2 inches from the edge of the wall. The pop-in panels I have seen at the big box stores are too big for this application.
Any ideas on what I can put over it?
The red knob is face down about 1/4 inch above drywall cut-out. I need about 2x3 inches to be able to turn it off and on.
Why not use a simple blank electrical box cover?
They also come in round versions (about 5 inches) to cover electrical ceiling boxes.
You could hold it up using thin bolts through the eyelets with nuts locking on a small offset piece of plastic on each end that could rotate outward above the drywall to hold it in place.
2 tricks that I use is ceiling speaker grill or HVAC vent. I agree that blank electrical plate looks....unprofessional.. tacky....
Why not just nicely cut a 4" by 6" square of sheet rock to serve as a removable recessed panel. Trace the panel onto the ceiling. Saw the ceiling for a nice fit. Coat the raw edges of sheetrock with a fixative to prevent them from shedding dust. (Perhaps reinforce the ceiling opening per bmitch. Around the 4x6 cutout with some 1x2 whitewood or similar glue or screwed to the backside of the ceiling along the 6" edge)
Instead of mudding the patch in place, rig it up as a removable panel: glue two 1" by 7" strips of quarter inch plywood (or similar in popsicle sticks) to the back of the patch in the 6" direction. The strips will overhang the panel by 1/2".
The panel will insert and hang and be easy to push up and slide off to the side when access to the valve is needed.
or used any other material for the panel. 4x8x1/16 inch sheet aluminum bent twice at 90 on each edge to form a lip, or 1/8" plywood.
