My self professed "electrician" cousin "helped" me wire a recent addition. As I place receptacles and switches, I find that many boxes are sticking out proud of the sheetrock, and the cover plate creates an unsightly reveal. I can't push the boxes in, as the nail resistance is too much. Is there a trick of the trade to take care of this goof? Thanks.
Non-metallic boxes?? Could hit it with the grinder. Or...mud the drywall for a long taper.
Jim
You might consider making or having made some "picture frames" from 1/4" ply (or whatever dimension you need) that could surround the rough in box. They could be glued onto the wall or simply held on by the finish plate. I would shape and sand the edges and prefinish.
Warning! The NEC does not like flammable material exposed, but this would be similar to installing receps on a paneled wall.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG
Have cousin It come over and fix it. Grinding might be one possibility, but have fun grinding if you used those inexpensive blue electrical boxes. These things are almost indestructable. The trick of the trade would be to make sure you took your wall thickness into account when installing the boxes. It's a bit easier to work if the box is a bit too deep. GL2U.
Wow! You're a helpful sob aren't you..
More helpful than a social misfit like you.
Metal boxes or plastic?
If plastic and not sticking out too far they can be shaved with a sharp knife.
If plastic you could also cut them out and replace with "remodel" boxes that use wing clamps to hold them in.
...Jim Thompson
What the hell is your problem? I was not replying to you. Does your daddy know you're wearing his panties again?
-- Klaus
I ran into this problem recently, while undergoing minor renovations (read: painting the whole bloody house).
My JBs are metal, and one in particular was sticking out a little too far...it houses three light switches. Because I am a little light on tools (and I didn't want to rip the wall down to adjust the position of the box), I simply used vice-grips to bend the sheet metal inward. Once I made the bend, I hammered the metal in so that it was flush with the wall (vice-grips aren't exactly the most precice tool to use, after all).
Anyway, the end result is good....albeit with a slightly bent junction box. For reference, the box was probably protruding 1/8" over the drywall in places.
Of course, I didn't have the right tools for the job. I expect that a mini-grinder (Dremel?) would be a better option, to remove any excess on the box.
Cheers, Dave
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