Decora plates on tile walls

[GerryB]

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.

 

[boltneck]

chip the tile out with my screwdriver and linesmans

 

[Smart $]

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.

 

[John120/240]

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.

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.

A former coworker was famous for using his BFH & a screwdriver to adjust tile & granite. I always had to leave the room when he did this. There are too many ways this can turn sour. It is better to let the tile guy do his own repair than to have the tile guy repair your screw up IMHO.

 

[electricguy61]

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.

 

[templdl]

I've had that problem numerous times. When the ceramic tile is cut close to the opening size enough so you can mount the decora duplex outlet or switch with the #6-32 screws and they fit well no matter how deep the boxes are.
The you go to finish the job by attaching the decorate plates with those very short "#6-32 mounting screws and the darned things bottom out before they are able to secure the cover plates. And cutting off a screw that you can hardly hold with you fingers is not the answer. If you attempt to chip away some tile to gain more depth you run the risk if cracking the tile.
When I even have done the ceramic tile myself I forget about it. But then again sometimes you don't know that the decora style is going to be used until installing the outlets.

 

[curt swartz]

I have always cut the screw and seldom have problems. Occasionally I will mess up a screw but not often. My guys do the same thing and don't seem to have problems either. I use only Decora type devices for residential jobs. The only place I install standard duplex receptacles is where the alarm guys are going to install there transformer.

 

[goldstar]

chip the tile out with my screwdriver and linesmans

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.

 

[infinity]

I cut the screws also. A little piece of Fun-Tak behind the plate at the corners will keep it from moving.

 

[goldstar]

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.

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.

 

[Ponchik]

I always cut my screws using one of these and never have any issues.

 

[templdl]

I always cut my screws using one of these and never have any issues.

View attachment 9432

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.

 

[stickboy1375]

I just cut the screws, works every time without issue.

 

[stickboy1375]

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.

Not true at all?. plenty of length to shorten them.

 

[iwire]

I just cut the screws, works every time without issue.

Same here.

 

[templdl]

Same here.

I'll have to try it. It's that those screws seem so short to begin with to even screw into the tool. But then again I haven't tried it.

 

[PetrosA]

I cut the screw too. You have to use a stamped steel stripper (like a T-Stripper) or similar. The new Milwaukee multi tool won't work as the forged steel is too thick. Just bottom out the screw, cut it and it works fine.

 

[kwired]

I have also used a 4 or 4.5 inch grinder with a diamond wheel and notched out the area needed to install the screws.

I generally get decent results from true tile and granite guys when I do run into them. It is the jack of all trades type tile guys that you have the most trouble with.

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.

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.

Not true at all?. plenty of length to shorten them.

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".

 

[Strathead]

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.

 

[kwired]

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.

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.

Do you expect drywallers or other other finishes to have same thing? Truth is they (usually) make a tight fit to the box also, it is just that the drywall has enough give to let you install the screws anyway. So I see it is that I have to install the offending problem more so than they do. If I have the box set so it will be ~ flush I won't ask for any more than don't block the box itself.