How can I fix this?

[fastsvo]

I had sheet rock installed in my garage and now a few months later I decided to install the trim pieces for all the outlets and switches. To my disbelief this is what I found!

Is there a painless work around here? Spacers?

Thanks in advance!

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[Negen]

If the box is nailed to a stud rip it out and get a old work style junction box and then it can be flush. The tabs will get tight against the sheet rock. Cost about 2-5$ depending on location.



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[The Cobbler]

dont rip out the old box. but you need to get the plugs freed up and the tabs on the surface of the drywall . washers behind will aid in shimming them. if you're careful you can do it without damaging what shows on the drywall.
the one cover looks like it openings are larger than the receptacle. never seen that before

 

[sierradmax]

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Ideal-Spacers-25-Pack-172451L/202937111

 

[purplezr2]

It appears the box was either set flush with stud, or they sheeted over the box and they sheetrock is on cut around the box.

So you have a rotozip?

I would get the outlets out(shut the power off) and they rotozip around the box, and see where you are at. If it sits flush after that you should be good to go. If not they make mud rings for this.

 

[larry_g]

search for 'box extenders' many forms available. They are made to cure just your problem.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[bugnut]

retrim the drywall and add electrical spacers, found them after getting tile backsplash installed

Ideal spacers Model # 172451L

Gardner Bender GSP-24 24 Piece Switch and Receptacle Spacers, Neon Green

 

[Homebody]

Get your screws exposed with a razor knife first. Then buy some new longer screws and some soft plastic tubing that fits over the screws, cut to size to extend them out far enough and done.

 

[Jim greengo]

Box extensions would fix that. Just happened to have one handy.

 

[Zeke]

Those that suggest spacers haven't read the code. I think, I think, an eighth of an inch gap is allowed.

What I don't understand is the smooth parts where the plate was obviously in place before texture was applied. You see some strange **** around here.

 

[JoeMcGov]

Most gypsum wall board (you can call it "drywall") installers are paid by the piece. I.E. paid by the square foot for their installation. Boxes just slow them down and reduce their impuned dollars-per-hour. So I can't believe that they actually attempted to get the board around the boxes. I've seen literally thousands of boxes just boarded over and the wall board mechanics just rock on with their pay in their hand.

 

[TRWham]

This is why we don't trim electrical before the drywall is finished. The rockers sometimes leave boxes half full of mud and the electricians are forced to chip their wires out to install the devices.

 

[Flail]

In the top picture, the right outlet appears deeper than the left. This implies the box is attached on the left side and bent inwards. Firstly, kick the drywall guy in the nuts for making such a mess, then kick the guy, who installed the outlets in the boxes before the drywall, in the nuts as well. You are gonna have to do a lot of carefull digging to get those outlets out of the mud.

 

[Norcal]

Most gypsum wall board (you can call it "drywall") installers are paid by the piece. I.E. paid by the square foot for their installation. Boxes just slow them down and reduce their impuned dollars-per-hour. So I can't believe that they actually attempted to get the board around the boxes. I've seen literally thousands of boxes just boarded over and the wall board mechanics just rock on with their pay in their hand.

Most of the Neanderthal drywall hangers are barely able to walk upright and most are not able to pass a piss test either. Being able to pass a drug screen is a major hurdle for a lot of job applicants though.

 

[b-boy]

If you're going to cut around the drywall, I recommend either of these. The Dremel blade is my favorite.

https://www.all-wall.com/Categories...5TuzYYRnJmkDBzzWLLp_WACVttxpZ5mRoC2G0QAvD_BwE

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Dremel-...R_rMstmupsRQYYsKnKBoCUQEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[mm08822]

Just another classic example of devices installed before the rest of the trades were done.

Worse is when the devices are installed before the drywall is up. Now there's a gap to talk about!

 

[Toomanytools?]

Lot's of blaming and moaning, just dig them out get the tabs on top of the drywall. Use box extenders if needed you can't have flammable material exposed to the outlet wires, screws.

 

[PelicanPines]

Lot's of blaming and moaning, just dig them out get the tabs on top of the drywall. Use box extenders if needed you can't have flammable material exposed to the outlet wires, screws.

It happened to me... TooManyTools nailed it... Dig them out... box extender... reinstall outlets... put a cover on it... enjoy.

If you do it carefully... you won't need to paint patch.

You need to utility knife the outlets out of the box... be careful... SHUT THE POWER OFF FIRST. Power tools are overkill for this job.

 

[shadycrew31]

Just get a little drywall saw and good box cutter cut out around the box. I am not 100% sure you can use a plastic spacer on a metal box, it looks like you have a metal box based on the pictures. If you can go for it they can be found at any big box.

If you do happen to have a plastic box some have an adjustment screw which can bring it forward or set it back on the side of the box closest to the stud.

Good luck.

 

[PelicanPines]

Just get a little drywall saw and good box cutter cut out around the box. I am not 100% sure you can use a plastic spacer on a metal box, it looks like you have a metal box based on the pictures. If you can go for it they can be found at any big box.

If you do happen to have a plastic box some have an adjustment screw which can bring it forward or set it back on the side of the box closest to the stud.

Good luck.

You can use a plastic spacer on a metal box... it doesn't alter the grounding... as the outlet is grounded with the green/bare wire and the screws themselves ground the frame of the outlet to the box.

 

[Lonstar]

What you need is called a mud ring, they're made precisely for the problem you have. In my area Lowe's only has one size while Home Depot carries them in flat, 1/2" rise and 5/8" rise. They also have 11/16" and 3/4" available but you have to order them (again, that's in my area, yours could be different).

They carry both metal and the blue PVC (ENT) extenders, but the ENT extenders are usually only available in 1/2" rise. If your box is ENT you can use a metal extender, but then you must run a ground wire from the ground in the box to one of the screws in the metal extender.

 

[Aceman]

The correct option is what was posted in post #9, an arc shield.

Not a mudring.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002W6Z938/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[James-W]

Tear the garage down and start over with a more competent crew of workers.

 

[Lonstar]

It happened to me... TooManyTools nailed it... Dig them out... box extender... reinstall outlets... put a cover on it... enjoy.

If you do it carefully... you won't need to paint patch.

You need to utility knife the outlets out of the box... be careful... SHUT THE POWER OFF FIRST. Power tools are overkill for this job.

I beg to differ. This is one of my favorite tools, especially when cutting drywall and plaster/lathe). If you don't have one, I highly recommend it. Make sure it has variable speed so you can go with a light touch when needed.

Simply said, it's a ******* awesome tool that turns a pain in the *** job into child's play. You won't know how you got along without it.

 

[Lonstar]

The correct option is what was posted in post #9, an arc shield.

Not a mudring.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002W6Z938/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Either would work, I prefer metal mud rings over any type of PVC extender.

 

[Crazyjake8493]

Cut out the drywall covering any part of the box, then use spacers or box extenders and bring the receptacle out to the proper position. No need to remove the existing box.

 

[Aceman]

Either would work, I prefer metal mud rings over any type of PVC extender.

No, a mud ring will NOT work, and that is why I posted that above.

The OP has a 2 gang nail on box buried behind drywall.

A mud ring attaches to a 4 square box with the screws in the corner of the box. I'm not sure how you think a mud ring will attach to a 2 gang nail on box with the device screw holes located above the devices, not in the corner, like a 4 square box.

 

[PelicanPines]

I beg to differ. This is one of my favorite tools, especially when cutting drywall and plaster/lathe). If you don't have one, I highly recommend it. Make sure it has variable speed so you can go with a light touch when needed.

Simply said, it's a ******* awesome tool that turns a pain in the *** job into child's play. You won't know how you got along without it.

People were suggesting rotozips and pulling the box out etc... all requiring way more work then whats required.

YOU are CORRECT... I would use my multitool (I have 4... or 5)… but a utility knife from what the OP posted would do fine.

FWIW IMHO

A mud ring is not the correct solution...

 

[PugetDude]

Dig 'em out, space 'em out and trim 'em out.
Done; quicker than you can read all the replies to this thread.

 

[Lonstar]

No, a mud ring will NOT work, and that is why I posted that above.

The OP has a 2 gang nail on box buried behind drywall.

A mud ring attaches to a 4 square box with the screws in the corner of the box. I'm not sure how you think a mud ring will attach to a 2 gang nail on box with the device screw holes located above the devices, not in the corner, like a 4 square box.

FWIW IMHO

A mud ring is not the correct solution...

I'm Nick the new guy to this forum, the last thing I want to do is start a ******* match...and I'm not the type to want one to begin with. I agree that a PVC arc shield will get the job done, it'll be perfectly safe, and that's what the OP should get. But please don't say a mud ring cannot be attached to a 2 gang nail box. You're obviously knowledgeable on the subject, as am I, so you know how a mud ring could be connected.
To be honest, the possibility that the box could be a nail box and not a 4 square didn't occur to me, and not sure how you came to that being fact, but either way, I'll agree with your opinion and bow out.

 

[Jim greengo]

I'm Nick the new guy to this forum, the last thing I want to do is start a ******* match...and I'm not the type to want one to begin with. I agree that a PVC arc shield will get the job done, it'll be perfectly safe, and that's what the OP should get. But please don't say a mud ring cannot be attached to a 2 gang nail box. You're obviously knowledgeable on the subject, as am I, so you know how a mud ring could be connected.
To be honest, the possibility that the box could be a nail box and not a 4 square didn't occur to me, and not sure how you came to that being fact, but either way, I'll agree with your opinion and bow out.

A plaster ring is not normally made to attach to a box that is made to have outlets screwed to the face of it.
They do make nail on 2g fg boxes that have screws in opposite corners so they can be used as a sg or 2g by attaching the right plaster ring though.

 

[James-W]

I beg to differ. This is one of my favorite tools, especially when cutting drywall and plaster/lathe). If you don't have one, I highly recommend it. Make sure it has variable speed so you can go with a light touch when needed.

Simply said, it's a ******* awesome tool that turns a pain in the *** job into child's play. You won't know how you got along without it.

I have a corded Porter Cable version of that tool. It is a wonderful tool and I use it a lot more than I ever thought I would. I bought several extra cutters for it and I am amazed at all the things you can do with it. I was helping a guy out a couple weeks ago, he needed to cut a piece of trim down by the floor and he wasn't sure how he could do it without taking off the trim and possibly damaging it. With this tool it was super simple.

 

[Jim greengo]

I have a corded Porter Cable version of that tool. It is a wonderful tool and I use it a lot more than I ever thought I would. I bought several extra cutters for it and I am amazed at all the things you can do with it. I was helping a guy out a couple weeks ago, he needed to cut a piece of trim down by the floor and he wasn't sure how he could do it without taking off the trim and possibly damaging it. With this tool it was super simple.

I have the dremel version,definitely a handy tool.