Electricians: 36" or 52" Wall switches?

[prostreetamx]

I wired an indoor/ outdoor storage building years ago when the ADA kick started. Each storage unit had a light and switch as well as the hallways inside. After I was almost done with the wiring (all mc cable) the owner told me he wanted all the switches lowered to 36" for Handicapped use. Pretty tough to do after the fact without completely rewiring it all. His argument was that someone in a wheel chair would have to reach up for the switch. I stopped it all when I asked him how someone in a wheel chair would bring in boxes to the units and how would they close the roll up doors after they were done since the doors would be out of reach even with the short ropes on them. I'm certainly not against handicapped accessibility but that decision should have been made before the work started and really did not apply for that type of business. Someone in a wheel chair that can carry stuff for storage would have no problem reaching up to 48". The only issue I would have from the OP for his 36" switches is future resale. They may love it and it might work great for their needs and cosmetics but a future owner may not agree. When I wired my current house I added some stuff I don't plan to use such as an electric dryer outlet, for future resale. I don't plan to move again but who knows.

 

[yeldogt]

Well, it sounds like no one has actually done this.

It can't be noticeable, or a big deal -- I have been in other houses designed by my architect for various function and never noticed .. unfortunately, I'm not friendly with anyone .. so I can't say .. "hay, how are your switches".

I don't build my houses for next owner. I like good pocket doors and no tubs ... been doing it for years 30 .. they always sell. We did do a tub at our old beach house .. and never used it.

The reasons for the 36 are clear wall space -- same height as the door knobs. May they do it to be different -- architects are like that.

 

[reader2580]

I don't build my houses for next owner. I like good pocket doors and no tubs ... been doing it for years 30 .. they always sell. We did do a tub at our old beach house .. and never used it.

Do you really not get any objections at sale time to the lack of a tub in a house?

I would have liked to put in a shower instead of a new tub in my main bathroom, but I thought lack of a tub would be a major obstacle in a future sale. Mine is certainly a starter home in terms of size, design, and price. A likely future buyer would probably have a young family who wants a tub to bath young kids.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Well we would all check our hammers before we started. Saved time. How much deviation in hammers can there be? What?.....ya got a 7" hammer!?

Here's my hammer,how tall is yours?
Mine is 15 1/2"

 

[AntonLargiader]

We took both tubs out of our house (against the sale-conscious advice of friends and family) and put in walk-in showers that were MUCH more useful. Then we had kids, and we use a plastic bathtub for them inside the walk-in shower. Filling a bathtub for kids is a waste of energy. For adults, too. If they want a big bath they can go to grandma's house ten minutes away (which they do).

Bathtubs are terrible places to take showers, especially with more than one person in there.

We figure we are the last residents of our house. If we sell it, something else will be built on that land.

Do you really not get any objections at sale time to the lack of a tub in a house?

I would have liked to put in a shower instead of a new tub in my main bathroom, but I thought lack of a tub would be a major obstacle in a future sale. Mine is certainly a starter home in terms of size, design, and price. A likely future buyer would probably have a young family who wants a tub to bath young kids.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I just measured my dead on hammer,its just under 18".

 

[ard]

Do you really not get any objections at sale time to the lack of a tub in a house?

I would have liked to put in a shower instead of a new tub in my main bathroom, but I thought lack of a tub would be a major obstacle in a future sale. Mine is certainly a starter home in terms of size, design, and price. A likely future buyer would probably have a young family who wants a tub to bath young kids.

We put a stall shower and a tub in the kids bath.

Guest bath a stall shower. Utility room/bath stall shower

Then a two head walk in shower in the master. On a deck off the master we have a spa. Just could not see running 150 gallons of water down the drain for the occasional master bath here in California.

Kids bath, yes- when they were little. When they were old enough to wash themselves it was all showers. Last time the tub was used, the dog got into it with a skunk!

 

[yeldogt]

Do you really not get any objections at sale time to the lack of a tub in a house?

I would have liked to put in a shower instead of a new tub in my main bathroom, but I thought lack of a tub would be a major obstacle in a future sale. Mine is certainly a starter home in terms of size, design, and price. A likely future buyer would probably have a young family who wants a tub to bath young kids.

I want a dedicated shower. In city properties -- a separate tub takes up too much space for something little used. Even with a larger home they take up a lot of valuable real estate and IMO make the whole bathroom space too big. We did a free standing tub at one project -- huge waste of space .. and money .. we never used it. It's the same with huge two people showers and body sprays -- Give me a nice max 5x5 shower with a thermostatic valve .. i'm happy.

My guess is that enough like having showers that it's not a problem.

 

[ford33]

I think 36" high wall switch is too low. Visitors to the home and others will have difficulty finding the switches as they are expecting them to be higher on the wall. At night it could be a difficult to find a light switch.

 

[tlmartin84]

Cabinets hang at 54" so make sure not to get them to high. Same thing goes with 36" - countertops. I like everything thing the same height without having to have step downs or ups where my counters are.

 

[PLOWJEEP]

We have always set our switch boxes at 46" to the top of the box. 54" seemed to high and if you set them at 48" they would be in the dry wall seam and be filled with mud. Not only would it take extra time to clean them up. You take the chance of the switch plate not sitting flush.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

We have always set our switch boxes at 46" to the top of the box. 54" seemed to high and if you set them at 48" they would be in the dry wall seam and be filled with mud. Not only would it take extra time to clean them up. You take the chance of the switch plate not sitting flush.

I cant count the number of times Ive been on a service call, pulled the switch out of the box only to find it packed chalk full of mud. Very annoying....so many careless drywallers out there...i really wonder how much profit is wasted on excess mud....

 

[engineer2]

Our entire subdivision is 36". I like it. Not a big deal either way.
Pro: little kids can reach the switches easily.
Con: It's the same height chair rail is normally installed, no biggie.

In the old days I believe they put the switches high to prevent little kids from fiddling with the lights.

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

We have always set our switch boxes at 46" to the top of the box. 54" seemed to high and if you set them at 48" they would be in the dry wall seam and be filled with mud. Not only would it take extra time to clean them up. You take the chance of the switch plate not sitting flush.

Get a better drywaller!

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

I cant count the number of times Ive been on a service call, pulled the switch out of the box only to find it packed chalk full of mud. Very annoying....so many careless drywallers out there...i really wonder how much profit is wasted on excess mud....

I actually come across more plug boxes full of mud than switch boxes.

 

[PLOWJEEP]

I'm not saying that it made more work for me. It's much easier for them to finish their seam if there not a lot of boxes to finish around. We all work together. 46" to the top of the box works for kitchens also. It works for baths if you mount your boxes to the side of the vanity. Then you don't have to worry if they use a different height vanity or what mirror the use.

 

[yeldogt]

Our entire subdivision is 36". I like it. Not a big deal either way.
Pro: little kids can reach the switches easily.
Con: It's the same height chair rail is normally installed, no biggie.

In the old days I believe they put the switches high to prevent little kids from fiddling with the lights.

The more I think about this the more I like. The house does have large trim -- no chair rails ... no kids. The only down side I see is if on a tight wall furniture would be close to a doorway -- the low switch location could end up behind something.

The lower height opens up the walls for more pleasing art placement -- especially triple setups.

The bathrooms and kitchen layouts will have all the switch and outlet placements marked -- I have a lighting designer ... she does the 36" also.

 

[Barnabas]

I was out measuring for ADA compliance today. The magic number is 48". That is the maximum reach to the side for someone in a wheelchair. Therefore, the switch should be a maximum of 48" from the floor if you want it to be accessible to someone in a wheelchair.

 

[Radix2]

The more I think about this the more I like. The house does have large trim -- no chair rails ... no kids. The only down side I see is if on a tight wall furniture would be close to a doorway -- the low switch location could end up behind something.

The lower height opens up the walls for more pleasing art placement -- especially triple setups.

The bathrooms and kitchen layouts will have all the switch and outlet placements marked -- I have a lighting designer ... she does the 36" also.

Honestly I think you were right when you said they just wanted to be different...oh that...my designer did it....

Switches are or should be so close to doorways that I don't really see any space cleared for anything. Who hangs pictures 6-8 in from doorways? And if you do hang art where the switches are in the 99% of houses.....? Doubt if it ends well.

Sorry about your etching...I thought it was a light switch..

 

[malibu101]

This is how you fix it when the centerline of the switch box is called out to be 48" to center AFF.
AND
The top of the tile is called out to be 48" AFF.

 

[AntonLargiader]

This is how you fix it when the centerline of the switch box is called out to be 48" to center AFF.
AND
The top of the tile is called out to be 48" AFF.

Maybe where you live, but that looks like total ***. Any decent tile guy could come up with a more interesting solution than that. Actually he wouldn't even have to be decent. I guess that guy never noticed the box until he got to it.

 

[malibu101]

Maybe where you live, but that looks like total ***. Any decent tile guy could come up with a more interesting solution than that. Actually he wouldn't even have to be decent. I guess that guy never noticed the box until he got to it.

Fully agree.
This is one of many things was handed over to us "maintenance guys" in the bathrooms as a brand new, multi-million dollar, college level laboratory/research/office building.

There are some other issue too. But this screwup shows itself many times.