4" Bracket Boxes

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KWH

Senior Member
The job is wood framing basically like a large house. I generally use 4" square bracket boxes screwed to the stud, in the past it seems like with the box installed correctly using 1/2" plaster ring on finish most of the boxes are to far back from the finished surface. I would assume from the lumber not being true. I am tempted to use 5/8" rings on the 1/2" drywall but know I will get burned somewhere, with metal studs I use a H23 Caddy bracket and have no complaints, what are you guys using in this type of installation.
 

infinity

Moderator
Staff member
Location
New Jersey
Occupation
Journeyman Electrician
H23's are great but it sounds like a rather expensive installation for residential. I would just use a metal box with an integral bracket and the raised cover.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
Be careful on using 5/8 , are you sure they are not using 5/8 drywall. It is far easier to use a plastic goof ring to correct a gap than to have the box stick out 1/8 . If your using flat nails your 1/2 p ring should be perfect. Problem often is the use of black zippy frame screws and they are why you have problem. If you use the frame screws then yes use 5/8 p ring.
Am curious why a comercial building would use wood studs.
 

Jim W in Tampa

Senior Member
Location
Tampa Florida
I always do, and haven't had a problem.

What are you using to fasten the boxes ?

1/2 P rings are made for 1/2 drywall. Never had problem using them unless drywall was not screwed tight to studs. Now if you use screws that have fat heads like frame screws then yes you will have a gap and then better off with 5/8
Also be very carefull to check with GC as to what walls might be 5/8
 

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
1/2 P rings are made for 1/2 drywall. Never had problem using them unless drywall was not screwed tight to studs. Now if you use screws that have fat heads like frame screws then yes you will have a gap and then better off with 5/8
As Ike said in post #6, it's the 8-32's that hold the mud ring onto the box, not the mounting method.
 
The International Building Codes allow commercial buildings to be constructed of wood. The structures can be from 3000 sq. ft. up to 13000 sq. ft. depending on the use of the building and possibly bigger depending on setbacks from public right of ways.
 

Chris6245

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
We have always "up sized" our plaster rings in the past, used 5/8" for 1/2" drywall and 3/4" for 5/8" drywall. At the time of installation they fit perfect because of the 8-32's holding them back from the drywall. But recently we have noticed after time the plates on some would no longer touch the wall and we found on a demo job that the screws eventually made a dimple in the drywall causing the boxes to lay flat on the back of the drywall creating the plaster ring to extend past the face of the drywall. So we are back to using 1/2" for 1/2" and 5/8" for 5/8". After the drywall goes up and when we go to device we reach in to the box and give a little squeeze to dimple the screws into the drywall. Now they are pretty much flush.
 

220/221

Senior Member
Location
AZ
Use 1/2 rings. The 1/8" difference is nothing.


You are installing switches and receptacles, not handcrafting a piano :grin:
 

renosteinke

Senior Member
Location
NE Arkansas
This is a problem that can be quite vexing- to everyone involved. Plant your boxes a smidgen too far forward, and the drywall guys will beat the dickens out of everything to make it all go together; plant them too far back and you've got a gap to deal with.

The best solution I found was to deliberately use an over-depth ring, than use a piece of the actual drywall they plan to use to set the depth of the box. Let the ring project SLIGHTLY if they plan to texture.

It's not as time-consuming as it sounds. Set a few boxes, and you get an idea just how the bracket needs to sit on the stud. Most important, this is the only method thatalso accounts for the thickness of the screw heads that hold the mud rings on.

This also works for metal studs, where the little bend at the edge will make all your boxes sit at an angle if you pull them all the way forward.
 

Strife

Senior Member
I always used 5/8 on 1/2", 3/4" on 5/8" and so on. Never had a problem.


The job is wood framing basically like a large house. I generally use 4" square bracket boxes screwed to the stud, in the past it seems like with the box installed correctly using 1/2" plaster ring on finish most of the boxes are to far back from the finished surface. I would assume from the lumber not being true. I am tempted to use 5/8" rings on the 1/2" drywall but know I will get burned somewhere, with metal studs I use a H23 Caddy bracket and have no complaints, what are you guys using in this type of installation.
 
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