Cool product for protecting devices & boxes .....

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brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
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Former Child
Some of you may remember my pre-fab thread from awhile back; anyway, searching for products to improve upon what we're doing and I found this

http://www.smartguardcovers.com

Ill be ordering in the next week or so. Lots of cool things.


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Ponchik

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
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Electronologist
Why not use a blue tape to cover up the switches/boxes/receptacles?

IMO, these plastic covers do not have good value. It will take up space in your work van/truck and you need to store many different combinations. Just my opinion.
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
Cool product for protecting devices & boxes .....

Cool product for protecting devices & boxes .....

My use will be for pre-fab work. In some instances the devices will be installed before the box even goes on the studs.

What I'd like to try also is having them trim out the rest of the devices during rough-in and put these plastic covers on to protect the device until wall covering goes on.

One of the jobs we have being roughed in now, I bought deep boxes and had the guys shove the receps inside the box to be pulled out later for trim; this would eliminate that extra step. The cost difference between this plastic cover and a deep vs standard box is about equal.

The goal with this would be 1) complete as much work as possible in the pre-fab shop, and 2) keep guys on-site as long as possible instead of shifting assets to other job sites for short periods.


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J

jmo103

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Location
Boston, MA, USA
I worked for a shop that did lots of pre-fab for 2 years. They used those plastic covers in some cases and in some cases a similar metal cover. It's a nice idea, but in my experience, they are virtually worthless. Couple of issues with them:

The plastic covers will get chewed up by the sheetrockers rotozip. Guaranteed. As a result you will end up with devices with mud and paint on them at best, torn up and in need of replacement at worst.

You will have to break off the ears for the Sheetrock to be instalyled and then nothing will be holding the device out of the wall. You will need to install adjustable boxes or take the device out to put one of those plastic box extenders in. In the first scenario the added cost of the box kills whatever you gained, and in the second, you end up doing what you were trying to avoid in the first place but wilh added steps.

Just my 2 cents from my experience.
 
Ponchik

Ponchik

Senior Member
Location
CA
Occupation
Electronologist
I did not know there was a pre fab shop that did electrical electrical work? How does it work? How do run wires, install device before the wall goes up?
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
jmo103 said:
The plastic covers will get chewed up by the sheetrockers rotozip. Guaranteed. As a result you will end up with devices with mud and paint on them at best, torn up and in need of replacement at worst....
Click to expand...

I called this company and talked to a guy for awhile yesterday; he gave me the exact thickness, which I don't remember, but said these are specifically made to not get damaged by a rotozip. Its worth a shot at least.

jmo103 said:
You will have to break off the ears for the Sheetrock to be instalyled and then nothing will be holding the device out of the wall....
Click to expand...

Plaster ring flush w/ the surface? That's what we do now anyway.
 
J

jmo103

Member
Location
Boston, MA, USA
brantmacga said:
I called this company and talked to a guy for awhile yesterday; he gave me the exact thickness, which I don't remember, but said these are specifically made to not get damaged by a rotozip. Its worth a shot at least.

I'm sure they are designed that way... the real world is different though. Again, just sharing my experience.

Plaster ring flush w/ the surface? That's what we do now anyway.
Click to expand...

In a perfect world, yes. In my experience though, that skim coat of mud has an impact. Especially if the sheet rock isn't cut out perfectly and the mud ring is pushing it up at all. They put the ears on the devices for a reason.
 
brantmacga

brantmacga

Señor Member
Location
Georgia
Occupation
Former Child
jmo103 said:
In a perfect world, yes. In my experience though, that skim coat of mud has an impact. Especially if the sheet rock isn't cut out perfectly and the mud ring is pushing it up at all. They put the ears on the devices for a reason.
Click to expand...

Yeh I follow you.

Most of what I do is plywood with FRP & tile.... any experience with that?


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