1 gang to 2 gang

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Fault Finder

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I need to change an existing 1 gang plastic nail on box to 2 gang in sheetrock. Anyone care to share their method to accomplish this task without having to patch/paint. Is there a way to get out the 1 gang and install a 2 gang without making a mess of the hole or having to use an oversize plate.
 
A sawzall and a surgeons touch ...then slap this baby into the hole:
SB2G.jpg

http://www.smartboxinc.com/Product.htm
 
Fault Finder said:
I need to change an existing 1 gang plastic nail on box to 2 gang in sheetrock. Anyone care to share their method to accomplish this task without having to patch/paint. Is there a way to get out the 1 gang and install a 2 gang without making a mess of the hole or having to use an oversize plate.
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With the addition of 312.4, i'm not sure why they even make oversize plates,

But to answer your question, I just use a hacksaw blade to cut the nails, (with no hacksaw of course....:wink: ) and then just remove the box.
 
stickboy1375 said:
Thats a real nice touch, why not just remove it and throw it away?
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Because you can't always get the box out with the big nailing flange thing-a-ma-jig on each end. Sometimes I do take it out, but there's no compelling reason to not let it fall into the wall. "Products of combustion" worry you? Don't sweat it.
 
First check with a small screwdriver to see if there is enough room-- no stud- to do this. Then mark your hole and cut it out. Then I just use a large screwdriver and gentle pry the nails from the stud--- no hacksaw, no sawzall.
 
mdshunk said:
Because you can't always get the box out with the big nailing flange thing-a-ma-jig on each end. Sometimes I do take it out, but there's no compelling reason to not let it fall into the wall. "Products of combustion" worry you? Don't sweat it.
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Probably because (a) I'm anal, and (b) because I'll probably have to snake up that wall at some point...
 
stickboy1375 said:
Probably because (a) I'm anal, and (b) because I'll probably have to snake up that wall at some point...
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No problem, then. I'll forgive your for being anal, and I'm way down here in PA, so you'll never see my walls.
 
Center a 4S deep box against the stud side of the plasic box, trace, cut out rock, cut or remove nails, then insert the 4 sq with a 2g ring in, and put 2 crews in the side. The plate will cover... Or do the same with a 2g masonary.
 
Fault Finder said:
I need to change an existing 1 gang plastic nail on box to 2 gang in sheetrock. Anyone care to share their method to accomplish this task without having to patch/paint. Is there a way to get out the 1 gang and install a 2 gang without making a mess of the hole or having to use an oversize plate.
Click to expand...

It's easy...don't be skeered.

Determine which side the stud is on and make sure there is room for the 2G box.

Mark and cut the opening.

Disconnect the wiring. (disclaimer:turn off power). I just securely tape off the hot and mark switch legs (duh..the long ones)

Slip a screwdirver between the box and stud and pry the box away from the stud (at the nails) being careful not to dig into the drywall. Once you have it seperated a bit, a wider tool like a chisel or cats paw will give better leverage. You can also grab the nail heads with your angles dikes.

Pull the wires out of the box, hopefully they are all in the top or bottom. If not, you have to finagel them (hillbilly term).

Cut the nails off your 2G box, refeed wires into said box and secure with 1" drywall.......err.......bugle head box mounting screws, a couple inches into the box.

Multi gang boxes and bracket style boxes are more tricky and the sawsall generally comes into play.


If you screw up, it's only drywall (unless it's expensive wallpaper ot faux paint). Hot mud and masking tape will fix anything.
 
Dennis Alwon said:
First check with a small screwdriver to see if there is enough room-- no stud- to do this. Then mark your hole and cut it out. Then I just use a large screwdriver and gentle pry the nails from the stud--- no hacksaw, no sawzall.
Click to expand...

This is how I do it. you can remove the box a little easier with the larger hole already there. Or say oops I dropped it and let the guy who rehabs the house in 50 or 60 years find it. Your "speedy" Klien flat head screwdriver works well to test for space availability.
 
Wow....you guys are high tech. I've only had to do this a few times and I just used a hack saw blade to cut the nails and then put some old work boxes together.
 
peter d said:
Wow....you guys are high tech. I've only had to do this a few times and I just used a hack saw blade to cut the nails and then put some old work boxes together.
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Gangable old work boxes???? Got a link?

The trouble with most old work boxes (Smart Boxes excluded) is that they rely on ears that have to lay on the drywall. If you're cutting out an existing plastic wall box, the hole is already too large to let any ears of any old work box lay on the drywall.

Get in, get out, move on to the next job... is that high tech? Maybe.
 
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peter d said:
Yeah, just the plain ole metal ones. you were probably thinking plastic, right?

I don't do plastic for o/w for multigang. I prefer metal.
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'Splain to me how you'd approach cutting out a plastic wall box and replacing it with a two gangable metal boxes? Madisons? Remember, you're probably smack up against a stud on the one side, and the hole on that side is too "tall" for the ears of a gangable box to catch any sheetrock. I'm still trying to picture this, uness you're proposing to run screws through the stud side of the ganged box assembly into the stud.

If you like metal for old work multigang, I'd encourage you to mend your evil ways. A 2 gang plastic old work box is 1/4th the cost of two gangable metal boxes. (Unless you're talking about MC, then you sorta have the choice forced on you).
 
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mdshunk said:
Gangable old work boxes???? Got a link?

The trouble with most old work boxes (Smart Boxes excluded) is that they rely on ears that have to lay on the drywall. If you're cutting out an existing plastic wall box, the hole is already too large to let any ears of any old work box lay on the drywall.
Click to expand...

I find these http://www.passandseymour.com/images/section/sec_P.jpg boxes to work best for me the hight is the same as the existing plastic boxes so the ears catch fine. I am going to look for those smart boxes cuz thats the first I've seen 'em.
 
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