I’m too lazy today to do a search, so I will just fire away:
What is the best trick/technique to getting electrical receptacles to be sit flush when the electrical box is slightly recessed? In my remodel, I put all the boxes flush with the drywall, but the then the mudders came along and added up to a 1/4 of mud along one side of some of the boxes and considerably less on the other. If I chip out the spackle, so that the receptacle sites against the mudring, then the receptacle is recessed over 1/8″ on some of the boxes – enough to be very noticeable. So far what I have been doing is to put small washers under the tables of the receptacle to hold them to the correct height in relation to the wall. That, however, is more tedious and time consuming than I would like. Any quick and easy tricks to keep everything lined up?
Thanks, Casey
Replies
use deeper rings !
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Always a possibility for some but on a couple I was already using the 1 1/8" ring. Plus I would have to chip out all the drywall compound they used to seal around the ring, something I would just as soon avoid.
Any place, even Home Despot will have little yellow-green plastic "C" shaped spacers to go under the mounts - don't have to remove the screws, and they stack and clip together.
Forrest
Thanks, McDesign, that was what I was hoping to find. I thought I had the electrical parts stock at HD memorized, but don't recall seeing those. I will put my glasses on and look again...
Case,
If the boxes stick out past the drywall/plaster, it's a major pain.
So when the boxes get installed, there generally actually in a bit from the surface of the drywall/plaster,,,,,, there not perfectly flush.
The electric code tells you they have to be within - I don't remember excactly - say,,, 5/32" of the face of a non combustable wall.
On the recepticals, top and bottom, are two little ears. These come to bear on the surface of the wall, and keep the baby in the right spot relative to the surface of the wall.
Harry
there are these things too, never used them
http://www.erico.com/products/CADDYcfcDvcLvlrRetnr.asp
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There is an art to getting the things to lay flat in this situation. You leave the screws a hair loose (how loose depends on how far recessed) and then when you install the cover plate it tightens up.
The downside of this is that you push a plug in hard and you destroy your faceplate because the receptacle really has no support. Yeah you can buy sooper durable plates, but not everyone shells out the bucks for them.
I find leaving the recepts loose to be an unsatisfactory solution. Not only the possibility of breaking the cover plate as mentioned above, but I find it just feels shoddy to have the recept give a bit when you push in a plug. One of my minor pet peeves and something I try to avoid.
Floating receptacles are poor workmanship,one method that works when boxes are not flush is to use a copper splice cap behind yoke to back it up, if the cap is too long trim it w/ a pair of linemans then use a awl to round it back out slip it around the screw & tighten them up.
I keep a pack of those green spacers in the bag but also a few scraps of pex faucet risers. I just cut a piece to length with utility knife. It has more bearing space than splice cap.For those who have fought for it Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know.
Here are the spacers that McD was talking about.
http://www.mclendons.com/item.asp?sku=302510
Each section is 1/8" thick. You cut off as many as needed and fan fold them. There are "bumps" and "sockets" on them to hold them together after you fold them.
Then they have open slot so you can slip them over the srews.
HD, Lowes, and hardware stores should have them in addition to electrical supply houses.
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Is there a McLendons in MO now???
The old Renton store was great, not so extensive of stock after the last move even though it's a bigger store (an old K-mart).
Never heard of them before.Forget the exact name of the product and was trying different combinations and that was the first one that had it..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
I coulda used those a couple hundred times.
You can buy those at the big boxes?
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Yes, I get them that Lowes, and I think that I have seen them at HD..
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A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Buy the adjustable boxes. They have an adjustable screw and can be moved in and out at will. Only up to double gang boxes I believe.
John
That would have been a possibility on some but for a few I needed to connect to conduit which I believe is a no-no with plastic boxes. Besides, I find the plastic double boxes flex a little bit too much to my taste when you plug into the recept on the unsupported end.
You really want the ears to bear on the surface of the wall. I very carefully expose the hole for the screws so the ears still have plenty of purchase.
You can bend the ears a bit to get the receptical to sit right.
they have adjustable boxes !! there is a screw that will either recess the box or bring it out