Seeking masks/inserts for electric socket boxes while plastering

[Lobster]

I've got some plastering being done soon (long since given up trying to diy that particular task, along with carpet laying!). The plasterer will of course, as is traditional, attempt to plaster all over the electrical face plates, or at least 'grout' them in so if I ever need to remove them in future it wil break out the surrounding plaster; alternatively I remove the faceplates and he'll fill in the boxes.

Anyway - I have in the past seen/heard of special plastic blanking plates which you temporarily screw to back boxes in place of the accessory plate while the plasterer does his thing, and I want some. Can't find them anywhere though - any pointers please?

Could no doubt make them fairly easily but really haven't time just now...

Thanks David

[Nightjar]

I normally used an off-cut of expanded polystyrene foam, pushed into the box, with packing behind if necessary to bring it flush with the front of a deep box.

Colin Bignell

[Owain]

Yoozybox plasterguards leave the faceplate in place and wired up (if there's enough spare cable)

know the things you mean though and I can't find them either

Owain

[Lobster]

Minimum purchase would end up at >16 quid just to get a couple each of singles and doubles, so not really worthwhile

Armed with the new keyword 'yoozybox' I've been doing some more googling

- still can't find them though. Tried visiting a good local electrical wholesalers and also Travis Perkins (biggest BM around here) yesterday; both had heard of them but didn't carry them. Strange - seems a brilliant idea to me but they've obviously never caught on with the trade.

David

[Andy Dingley]

Last plasterer I worked with brought his own.

That sort of detail is why I use him, not others.

[Lobster]

Sounds a gem! In general, not my favourite tradesmen, plasterers :(

[Andrew Gabriel]

I cut a piece of thick cardboard and push it into the face of the box, and plaster smoothly right across it. When the plaster has nearly set, cut it out with a knife using the box edge as a guide. Generates very neat holes. Make sure not to push the knife in so far you hit the wires in the back box. I did tape over the front of the cardboard so the contact with the plaster didn't instantly make it all soggy.

I have also done a couple like this which I wasn't intending to use right away, and left them plastered over. A year later, a broke in to one of them with a hammer very easily.

You might want to mark where the box is on the floor or somewhere which won't be covered by plaster. The differential drying will normally mean it remains visible in the plaster colour, but not if you paint over it with a view to only breaking it out if needed later on.