I already had electrical outlets installed prior to sheetrock...

I have a major renovation going on and during framing, plumbing and electrical rough in I got sick of dragging a 100' extension cord everywhere and have to use those dim work lights after dark so I went ahead and install most of the outlets.

Now I am ready to do sheet rock I am wondering if I should remove the outlets so they don't get damaged during sheet rock installation or get rolled on later when I paint the walls...or should I just tape over them and peel the tape off later?

It will be some work to remove these outlets from the boxes and install them back later, we are talking about 72 outlets. I also wonder if I can just unscrew the outlets and stick them into the electrical box.

I will be hiring out for the sheet rock work, do they typically precut the wall board for the electrical cutouts? I think they have to since I already have the mud rings on, right?

Thanks,

MC

Reply to
nmbexcuse
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'Round here, they put up the wallboard, then use a router to cut around the boxes. Ask the wallboard contractor whether there will be a problem before you do anything else. Be prepared to remove the outlets.
Reply to
SteveBell

They can router around the box. Shouldn't be a problem. My only advice is to mark the location of each outlet on the floor because sometimes they'll sheetrock over them and forget to rout them out.

Hank

Reply to
Hustlin' Hank

It'll be a pita for them to install the rock with the outlets there, and they won't fit completely into the boxes. I'd remove them.

Reply to
RBM

How can they sheet rock over them and not notice if I already have the mud ring on them? The mud ring takes them to finished floor surface so the sheet rock would protrude out.

Reply to
nmbexcuse

*Many years ago I would put the outlets on and tucked them inside of the box when I roughed-in a room and it was okay because the drywallers measured and precut the drywall before hanging. Now they slam the drywall up against the box and use a RotoZip to cut out the hole using the box as a guide. The last time I put a switch on so the crew could have lights on while working they removed it. Now I leave everything off until the walls are painted. I suggest that you remove the outlets and tuck the wires into the box to reduce the possibility of them getting cut by the RotoZip.
Reply to
John Grabowski
********************************************************

Ever watch some of these guys work?

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

i agree, there's no way they're gonna be able to rotozip them with the outlets in place. And i can't imagine a company precutting by measurement. even if they did, you'd still have to unscrew the outlets and stuff them in the box, and they'd still stick out a bit. Just remove them.

s
Reply to
Steve Barker

  1. Normally, mud rings are not used for new work, the box is installed either 1/2" or 5/8" protruding - they even have 'dimples' on them for 1/2" out spacing.
  2. The 'rockers cannot rotozip with either mud rings or outlets in place.
  3. You will be paying extra if you do not remove at least the outlets and probably anyhow due to themudrings.

Harry K

Harry K

Reply to
harry k

Some of the rock teams I've seen are the biggest slobs in any of the trades. Huge gobs of mud all over the floors. Boxes completely filled with mud. Breaker boxes splattered to the point that wires have to be dug out with a screwdriver. Floors not even swept when they leave. Rock scraps thrown out windows and doors into rain and puddles. The list goes on...

Reply to
1D1OT

  1. Normally, mud rings are not used for new work, the box is installed either 1/2" or 5/8" protruding - they even have 'dimples' on them for 1/2" out spacing.

When would they be used? It sure isn't for old work. They're used anytime you want or need a large box. I routinely use them for any outlet location that has more than two cables and all kitchen outlet wiring

  1. The 'rockers cannot rotozip with either mud rings or outlets in place.
  2. You will be paying extra if you do not remove at least the outlets and probably anyhow due to themudrings.

Harry K

Harry K

Reply to
RBM

Chuckle. Yeah, make sure the cat is outside before they get there.

Seriously, a good crew that is used to working together is awesome to watch. They make it look so damn easy. Then, when a tiny job comes up and you think, 'Oh, I can knock that out myself in no time', and it ends up taking all day and still looks like crap, you feel all the stupider.

I have lots of skills and talents. Hanging (and especially mudding) rock is not among them. I have the knowledge in my head, but the hands Just Don't Get It.

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

You should just not roll over them. Generally, a piece of tape across the top will protect from splatter.

Yikes. Why didn't you just install 1 or 2 per room... assuming there aren't 36 rooms... -----

- gpsman

Reply to
gpsman

If you don't believe me, take them all out. I was just telling you that it CAN be done by people who KNOW what they are doing.

Hank

Reply to
Hustlin' Hank

ya, but they got paid. why should they change?

Reply to
Steve Barker

In boom times, when the GC has to scramble for crews to meet a schedule, they can maybe get away with that. In leaner times, a GC can afford to be picky. If a sub does slob work and doesn't clean up after themselves, they don't get invited back. In smaller towns, word-of-mouth spreads fast. Better to pay a little more for quality work, and not have to do a lot of rework and cleanup before the next trade can get in there.

-- aem, who as a kid was the one sent in to do cleanup, sends...

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

The first owner of my house sheetrocked over the phone jack, and I've never been able to find it. He was from New Orleans and cold all the time in Baltimore, and he put another layer of walls on both outside walls of the big bedroom, as well as the back of the closet that abuts the townhouse next door. One two walls, I think, he used sheetrock, and on the rearwall cork and then sheetrock.

I even called the builder and bought a set of blueprints. He was very cooperative, and the prints weren't expensive imo.) That was before I knew that the blueprints didn't show phone lines, and weren't even guaranteed to be exactly right on electrical outlets or other small things. But I"m happy I have them. still worth the money.

Reply to
mm

When I replaced the carpet in my house I couldnt believe how much drywall crud was underneath the carpet. This explained some of the lumps I felt.

On the other hand when we pulled up the carpet in my in laws home not only was the concrete floor clean, it was sealed. It looked like a newly painted garage floor.

Jimmie

Reply to
JIMMIE

I did not know that.

The electricians I hired were not top rate and there were lots of fumbles.

They told me the usual method is to set the boxes flush with the studs, and then use mud rings to make up the difference between the stud and finished wall. I followed their instructions and ok the work so now all the boxes are flushed with the studs, not easy to move since that's all rigid EMT conduit work.

Some of the boxes have quite a bit of wires, the electricians told me to put mud ring on and that keeps the wire coiled in them until I am ready to install the switches and outlets. Seems to make sense to me at the time, I thought about sheet rockers using rotozip to route out the box, but subconsciously I ruled that out because I thought with the wires in them the rotozip would end up piercing the wirings at best, and since I used all double gang boxes even though many of them will actually be single gang outlets or switches, there is no way they would be able to cut them correctly without the mud ring on. I used double gang boxes because I ran into problem using the single box before when I need to put in those big thick GFCI boxes it does not leave a lot of room for wires especially if the box also serve as a junction box so I prefer to do that to have some extra room if needed.

I didn't really think through this whole process. I am still a bit confused about using a rotozip to cut around the inside of a box wouldn't that have a pretty high likelihood of tearing into the wires in the box and what about where I would have a single gang switch/ outlet but I used a double gang box.

Thanks,

Reply to
nmbexcuse

Chuckle. Yeah, I got REAL familiar with one of those half-moon-on-a-stick scraper things those 2-3 summers in high school....

-- aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

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