Tombstone receptacle box for hardwood floor suggestions please

[AFJES]

I am working on a renovation for a customer of mine and he has just told me that he is putting in hardwood floors in the living room which will be about 3/4 inch thick. I bought some in floor receptacle boxes because we can't run the wires up from the basement into the wall so we are forced to use floor boxes or the like. I bought one today and and was looking it over carefully and see that the pattern of the hole to be cut is a very intricate pattern with very little space to spare for errors. The flooring will not be able to be cut so easy as to follow the pattern and then also be able to anchor the box to the floor properly and securely. I did a search of tombstone boxes for home depot but can't find anything. I did a google search for some but too many results to select from. Does anyone have any experience with good looking tombstone floor boxes that they can suggest to me which will look good on a hardwood floor.

Thanks

 

[gadfly56]

I am working on a renovation for a customer of mine and he has just told me that he is putting in hardwood floors in the living room which will be about 3/4 inch thick. I bought some in floor receptacle boxes because we can't run the wires up from the basement into the wall so we are forced to use floor boxes or the like. I bought one today and and was looking it over carefully and see that the pattern of the hole to be cut is a very intricate pattern with very little space to spare for errors. The flooring will not be able to be cut so easy as to follow the pattern and then also be able to anchor the box to the floor properly and securely. I did a search of tombstone boxes for home depot but can't find anything. I did a google search for some but too many results to select from. Does anyone have any experience with good looking tombstone floor boxes that they can suggest to me which will look good on a hardwood floor.

Thanks

I'm not sure that any tombstone boxes will "look good." Can you create a jig out of some 3/4" plywood scrap that will let you cut a sharp enough pattern with a RotoZip or plunge router?

 

[AFJES]

Can you create a jig out of some 3/4" plywood scrap that will let you cut a sharp enough pattern

No, that won't work well at this point because of the fact that the floor is not in yet. I was going to cut through the existing wood floor today (about 1 inch thick) and realized this won't work. As I said the new flooring is not in yet and I don't know the spacing of the planks (lack of a better word) of where the box will end up in the floor between pieces of hardwood flooring. I am afraid that the screw holes are just too close to the cut area and a few good pulls of a plug from the receptacle will pull the box out of the floor. Also, all I have is an oscillator to work with. I was hoping that I could use a tombstone box and just drill through the new hardwood floor a hole, run the Romex up into the box and then anchor the box to the new floor. I know that some people use tombstone receptacles in a kitchen on a counter such as a peninsula where it would be difficult to use something else. So would assume there are some good looking ones on the market.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Maybe I am not following but arlington makes a floor receptacle setup and the box is adjustable

http://www.aifittings.com/catalog/specialty-boxes/adjustable-floor-boxes-with-metallic-covers/

Similar to this

 

[jumper]

What is a tombstone box?

 

[mopowr steve]

I think your making it to difficult cutting a box into the floor. Usually they are just a device box with ears.

I use a 3/8"- 1/2" spade bit to make holes where the screw tabs are and then drill caddy corner a little past the traced out box to allow those little metal tabs that are found on the side plates of the box so it will glide right into the hole.

And when dealing with unknown exact placement of floor box because of flooring type I will at least get the wires within the joist space that the receptacles will fall in and keep good record of measurements of where the wires are so that the box can get cut in at the end of job.

 

[gadfly56]

No, that won't work well at this point because of the fact that the floor is not in yet. I was going to cut through the existing wood floor today (about 1 inch thick) and realized this won't work. As I said the new flooring is not in yet and I don't know the spacing of the planks (lack of a better word) of where the box will end up in the floor between pieces of hardwood flooring. I am afraid that the screw holes are just too close to the cut area and a few good pulls of a plug from the receptacle will pull the box out of the floor. Also, all I have is an oscillator to work with. I was hoping that I could use a tombstone box and just drill through the new hardwood floor a hole, run the Romex up into the box and then anchor the box to the new floor. I know that some people use tombstone receptacles in a kitchen on a counter such as a peninsula where it would be difficult to use something else. So would assume there are some good looking ones on the market.

I looked at Dennis' link and now I'm wondering what you bought. Based on the Arlington product, there shouldn't be any close holes that could rip out from normal use.

 

[mgookin]

If you can't cut the flooring to be pretty, maybe you could picture frame around it.

Hypothetically, if the box is 3x5" have the flooring man leave you a 5x7" rectangular opening. You would work some pieces of contrasting hardwood to make a nice fit and set it in the opening, then screw up from the bottom to attach the picture framing and some finish nails from the top.

 

[Sierrasparky]

They do make round ones that use just a hole saw.
Don't see the big deal

 

[Little Bill]

I'm not sure what the OP is calling a "tombstone box" (local slang perhaps?)

But this is the box I use when someone wants a floor receptacle. It is made by Hubbel.
The top part is round but the box is not as round. Meaning the template is kind of square with rounded corners.
I like it because:
it looks good on hardwood floors
is adjustable
the receptacle is recessed so the plug goes down inside the box so you can put furniture over it if you want.

This is one of my installs.

 

[user 100]

What is a tombstone box?

It's a box that protrudes above the floor iirc in the shape of a tombstone and the receptacle lays on its side facing out from one side of tombstone- the best description I've got. Op could also be referencing a popup type.

I know that legrand/wiremold makes one of the tombstones- (don't have any links) and in my opinion it would look like crap contrasted with that nice new hardwood- op needs a real floor box, not these.

 

[Rampage_Rick]

Basically this:

View attachment 5854

 

[jumper]

Basically this:

View attachment 5854

Thank you. Never saw those is a resi. Installed quite a few in college labs.