GerryB
Senior Member
- Location
- woodbridge, ct. USA
From the title you guys know where I'm going. What do you do when the screw pushes the plate away from the wall? Can you get shorter screws or do you snip them and hope they catch like I do.
While the pseudo hammer and chisel method works, if you don't want to take the risk of non-concealable damage, use a dremel or rotozip with tile worthy bit... preferably before device installation.
You're better off carrying a glass cutter with you and score the area of tile you're going to chip out before you use your screwdriver and lineman's pliers. Less chance of cracking the tile. If you have a granite back-splash you'll need a Fein Multi-master (or Dremel or other brand) with a diamond blade to carve out a divot in the stone. When all else fails cutting the screw always worked for me.chip the tile out with my screwdriver and linesmans
I've had problems with granite installers in the past, especially when I didn't use adjustable boxes. They always managed to infringe into the box space. On one occasion the granite guy was paid in CASH and left the job. When I arrived I wasn't able to install a GFI receptacle. In one instance I actually had to use my hack saw and shave 1/16 off each side of the GFI receptacle in order to get it into the space provided. Now I only use adjustable boxes and leave them outward adjusted about 1" so there's no question as to how the fit should be.I always try to talk to the tile or granite guys ahead of time & explain what I need to have done. There have been times where one or both screw holes were covered by tile/granite. I would wrap the screw terminals on the device with tape & let it hang loose until tile guy made his repair.
Those are excellent except the decora scews that are are asked to attach the plate are so short to begin with as there is basically nothing left to cut off.
I just cut the screws, works every time without issue.
Same here.
That is fine for the general opening, the question here is the trim screws on Decora style devices that want to bottom out against the wall surface before they are inserted far enough to secure the trim plate. Quite often if the tile guy is cutting the opening that large that this is not a problem you have a higher risk of him having one large enough that the cover plate doesn't completely cover his opening.Install adjustable depth boxes anywhere tile, granite, stone, etc will be installed. Screw the boxes way out so the mason's must cut around them properly. Of course, sometimes they get smart and screw them back in, but then you can really nail them for not cutting it out properly. On my jobs, I ask the general to break out the material if it's too close, explaining I don't want to screw up the expensive stuff. It only takes once or twice for the general to get the point across to the mason's.
Might depend on the wall plates you are using. I have had times where I cut them too short to work, other times where they were not quite short enough, yet was at just the right point they were not going to be able to take just a little more off very easily - now maybe the cutting tool was worn or not the "preferred one to use".Not true at all?. plenty of length to shorten them.
I understand where you are coming from on this, but part of the problem is the decora device to begin with. Unless you are both there at the same time, I don't expect them to get the openings absolutely perfect for accommodating the trim screws of a decora style device. I have installed ceramic tile myself and that is not exactly an easy thing to do without the devices to check it out. At very least if you expect them to have it right for you you better let them know where there will be decora style devices, as they can do a good job on an install where there is no decora devices but it is a problem if you change to decora devices.My school of thought is that if you don't make the tile guy fix it, he will just do it again. I know I can cut the offending tile out of the way using a multitude of methods, I am an electrician after all, and that makes me superior to most tile guys but why should I? Same goes for things like the painter getting paint on my switches, or the taper filling my boxes with mud, or the drywaller forgetting to cut out my boxes. It isn't any different than me forcing my own guys to tear down a conduit run because they didn't use a level the first time, or straightening up trim because it is crooked.