Switches and plugs - Level or plumb with floor?

[ForceFed70]

About to put down chalk lines for my switches and boxes and got to thinking.

My floor is sloped to the front for drainage. Approx 1/8" per foot for 32'. Over 3" across the entire slab.

For best esthetics should my chalk line be level, or plum with the slab? Gut instinct tells me it should be plumb.

Thanks!

 

[ishiboo]

About to put down chalk lines for my switches and boxes and got to thinking.

My floor is sloped to the front for drainage. Approx 1/8" per foot for 32'. Over 3" across the entire slab.

For best esthetics should my chalk line be level, or plum with the slab? Gut instinct tells me it should be plumb.

Thanks!

Is the wall level, or does it have the same slope as the floor? If the top is level and there's a ceiling, I'd measure down and make them all the same height from the ceiling. If not, same level from the floor.

One of those things about "level" and "plumb" I've learned from old houses; having something level is great, but if nothing around it is, it'll look like ****.

 

[ddawg16]

1/8" slope? That is a pretty good slope....4" at the front of the garage....

Following along the points that ishiboo pointed out....how high do you plan to make them? At least 40"...right? 48" would be better.

Are you going to put cabinets on the floor or have them anchored to the wall?

If your going to have cabinets on the floor...then use the floor as the reference....

 

[nate379]

That'd drive me nuts having that much slop on a floor! I have about 1.5" in 26ft and that is annoying. Had I been around when the slab was done, I would have made it flat.

 

[ptschram]

That'd drive me nuts having that much slop on a floor! I have about 1.5" in 26ft and that is annoying. Had I been around when the slab was done, I would have made it flat.

When I was shopping to have a shop built, I told three or four contractors to leave as I was not going to argue with them over a dead flat floor that I wanted.

Apparently, they'd never heard of a mop or a squeegee.

As for the outlets, I'd want them level and would probably use this job as justification to finally buy a rotating laser level

 

[Aceman]

Like Ddawg said, are you going with cabinets? And will they follow the floor slope or would you shim them up level?

 

[pattenp]

Not trying to be smart but plumb and level are two different things. Plumb is a vertical term and level is a horizontal term. I think you'd want your outlets to be level.

 

[larry_g]

I would go with level, or parallel with the ceiling. Odds are that you will see the ceiling and the plugs at the same time more than you will see the plugs in reference to the floor. Remember in situations like this "If it looks right it is right".

lg
no neat sig line

 

[Rickster55]

My rule of thumb with everything is to make it level regardless of what the floor is doing.

 

[DrunkSmurf]

After living/working in a lot of older spaces where a level may as well be chucked out a window, I've found the best bet is to just try to make things aesthetically pleasing to the eye...lol

Try taping some outlet/switch covers to the wall here and there to see what looks good to you. As already mentioned, try to plan where base cabinets may be, and adjust your outlets to have some counter height etc.

 

[larry4406]

Keep them level. I made the mistake and followed the sloped floor. Then I later painted a horizontal stripe on the wall and it drives me nuts that the outlets are not centered in the stripe.

 

[ForceFed70]

Thanks Guys. Maybe I will split the difference.

I don`t plan on many cabinets. But I am sure I`ll have some eventually.

The floor is sloped as per what the concrete guy told me was required if I didn`t want any pooling. He has over 30 years experience and really knew what he was doing (concrete work looks perfect). Working on it so far, I haven`t noticed it being out of level. Seems level even tho I know it`s not.

The walls are level as they sit on a concrete stemwall that is level.

I am planning to put the plugs and switches at around 4` high.

 

[nehog]

If the ceiling is relatively 'level' what I do is take a laser and set it up in the middle of the room and shoot a line at the 'average' desired height for outlets. For wall switches (if there are not too many near each other) I measure up from the floor and let them vary.