Buried Box......Again

[A/A Fuel GTX]

I'm really tired of sloppy sheetrockers burying my device boxes. It's happening more than ever and I'm tired of playing "find the box" after being away from the job for three weeks. I'd love to see UL or some other entity require the manufacturers to mold the boxes in a bright flourescent color to help these "rock monkeys" see my stuff!

 

[fondini]

boxes

boxes

try marking the floor with spray paint,short line recept,long line for switch boxes,works for me!

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

try marking the floor with spray paint,short line recept,long line for switch boxes,works for me!

Yeah, like the rockers will know what that means!

 

[mcclary's electrical]

They see it,,,they just don't care. I've got one builder that I do stuff for, his rockers are terrible. I wanted to see why they covered so many of my boxes. Also, every trim out boxes were WAY BACK in the wall. So I showed up when they were rocking and did some snooping. When they would get to a wall with boxes, the first thing they would do is stick their hammer handle in the box and DRIVE it back flush withe the froint of the stud. Then they would stand rock up and screw to stud. Then they run rotozip around cutting wires, boxes and all. Once I told ther GC what they were doing, I also let him know I'm gonna be backcharging for all boxes damaged/ and or covered up. After that he got them straight.

 

[Cow]

Yeah, like the rockers will know what that means!

You missed it.

The line on the floor perpendicular to the wall is to help you see where the boxes are, if they bury them.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

They see it,,,they just don't care. .

Bingo........and we pay the price.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

You missed it.

The line on the floor perpendicular to the wall is to help you see where the boxes are, if they bury them.

LOL!......Sad but true!

 

[e57]

You missed it.

The line on the floor perpendicular to the wall is to help you see where the boxes are, if they bury them.

You can see this through the fineshed floor?

Video tape it... "wait - stop right there..." (count the studs) then go over to the place and bash away until you find it - back-charge accordingly for your time to locate it.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

I will deal with 1 or 2 but any over that i back charge and that is a min of $50 each and i do not pay for damage to drywall. Do not waste time talking to the rockers, few speaka the english anyways. Ask the GC if he wants them or you to find it. Not our job to mark the floor. A smart GC might want to mark it. Teach them the only way they learn with a back charge and be sure to leave damage that they fix free. Finding them usually is not hard with a T-8 or T-12 lamp . If you fix for free it will never stop.

 

[Cavie]

I had a clause in all my bids. $10.00 charge for covered boxes and cut wires. Problem soon went away.

 

[A/A Fuel GTX]

Finding them usually is not hard with a T-8 or T-12 lamp .

Please elaborate, Jim.

 

[Jim W in Tampa]

Please elaborate, Jim.

The 4 foot lamp is about as straight as any thing you will have on job site. You rock the bulb back and forth at height box should be. Then use long then screwdriver and make small hole to feel for the box. Can find 90% fast and easy and do no or little damage. Problem is you had a 3 minute job to install device and now lost 1/2 hour or more. Would never charge only $10 , that is not worth time to bill it out and GC will just eat it.

 

[480sparky]

Receptacle boxes get a simple line.

Switch boxes and bath/kitchen boxes get an "S".

Anything higher gets an arrow.

Ceiling outlets (fans, exhausts, smokes, etc) get a mark under them as well.

Cost of can of upside-down paint : $3.

Time to walk entire project such as a dwelling : 5 minutes.

Aggrevation saved: Priceless.





Plus: Take photos of the entire project. Every wall. Digital cameras are cheap to buy and use.

If something gets buried, it's easy to find.


Before:

After (two boxes buried):

Digital camera : less than $100.

Developing and printing costs : $0.

Aggrevation saved : Priceless.

The 4 foot lamp is about as straight as any thing you will have on job site. You rock the bulb back and forth at height box should be. Then use long then screwdriver and make small hole to feel for the box. Can find 90% fast and easy and do no or little damage. Problem is you had a 3 minute job to install device and now lost 1/2 hour or more. Would never charge only $10 , that is not worth time to bill it out and GC will just eat it.

3 minutes to install a device?

 

[SiddMartin]

start takin a hammer and puttin holes in the wall till u find it. they will stop.

 

[PetrosA]

I'm going to agree with both the paint and camera ideas. Worse than having to look for it is forgetting it was there in the first place. I've done some busy kitchens that without a camera would have been next to impossible to find boxes in weeks or months later.

 

[Rockyd]

Sometimes a toner, or Greenlee - cheapy tic tracer stick will work. I'm still a fan of the 20 oz. framing hammer - makes them understand ...real quick!!!

 

[480sparky]

It also helps, when using a camera, to be consistent in where and how you take photos.

I have a routine I use every time I walk a job to take photos. I walk into the room, go to the first corner to the right, turn 100-120? to my left, and shoot that wall.

This way, my 'before' and 'after' pix are similar. (See post 13)

Plus, when you know where the camera was when it took the photo, you've got a better idea where the buried box is. Keep in mind you can use the standard 16" on-center spacing of studs to narrow down where the box is as well. If you count 3 studs from the corner in the photo, the box is 48" from the corner.

 

[quogueelectric]

You can see this through the fineshed floor?

Video tape it... "wait - stop right there..." (count the studs) then go over to the place and bash away until you find it - back-charge accordingly for your time to locate it.

I am a sheetrock BASHER AND NEVER have had a problem after the original confrontation was settled. I go for sheetrock first then when it becomes personal all doorbucks and hinges are fair game. No door will close when I am done doing my magic.I have zero tolerance for sheetrock butchers and make myself clear immediately.

 

[quogueelectric]

Receptacle boxes get a simple line.

Switch boxes and bath/kitchen boxes get an "S".

Anything higher gets an arrow.

Ceiling outlets (fans, exhausts, smokes, etc) get a mark under them as well.

Cost of can of upside-down paint : $3.

Time to walk entire project such as a dwelling : 5 minutes.

Aggrevation saved: Priceless.





Plus: Take photos of the entire project. Every wall. Digital cameras are cheap to buy and use.

If something gets buried, it's easy to find.


Before:

After (two boxes buried):

Digital camera : less than $100.

Developing and printing costs : $0.

Aggrevation saved : Priceless.





3 minutes to install a device?

Book is .2 hrs which is 12 minutes.

 

[JFletcher]

When they would get to a wall with boxes, the first thing they would do is stick their hammer handle in the box and DRIVE it back flush withe the froint of the stud. Then they would stand rock up and screw to stud. Then they run rotozip around cutting wires, boxes and all.

Something like this helps with wires staying rotozip-free.

Buried boxes? The drywallers are digging them out. If I dig them out, I'm going to demo half the wall to find my box.

I agree with Jim W. Pieces of sprinkler pipe work well also, unless the box is under two layers of drywall.

480sparky - great ideas - I've done the floor marking. How does one keep track of pictures on a larger project?