Buying the Correct Outlet Cover for Your Receptacle

The cover plate that is most commonly ordered incorrectly is the outlet cover.

The 2 most common types of outlets are:

Duplex:
Duplex outlets have two distinctive features:

• Two oval plugs
• Open screw hole in center (for attaching cover plate)

Shop Duplex Outlet Covers

Block / GFCI:
Block outlets (often GFCI with the test/reset buttons in the center) are different from duplex receptacles:

• Rectangular in shape
• No center screw hole

Shop Block Outlet Covers

You May Have Both

It's not uncommon for a home to have mixed outlets throughout - one room might have duplex outlets, while another room has block style receptacles. We've even seen homes where the two styles are present in a single room.

Save yourself the extra trip to the store (or extra shipping fees) - carefully assess each outlet you are purchasing new covers for. The easiest way to do this is to look for a center screw openings on the outlet itself.

More Outlet Types

The amperage (15A vs 20A) does not effect which type of cover your receptacle requires.

For outlets behind a TV or large piece of furniture, you can get outlets that come with cover plates and are recessed into the wall.

Shop Recessed Outlets & Covers

If you have round outlets or large amp ones (30A, 50A or 60A), you'll need another plate entirely.

Shop Round Outlet Covers

For electrical outlets installed in floors, cover plates are not sold separately, so you'll need to replace the floor box unit entirely to get a new cover.

Shop Floor Outlets

Replacing Your NuTone Door Bell Intercom Cover

If your home has an old door bell with a bulky NuTone intercom speaker, you no longer use it, and you don't want to look at it anymore, you're in the right place.

We received so many calls about covering up old NuTone door bell intercom speakers, Kyle created a custom cover plate as a solution.

Intercom covers are 7.5" x 5.5" with screw holes spaced 4.5" center-to-center. This is a custom measurement created to fit NuTone brand speakers (as shown in image above). They're made in the USA out of .050" thick aluminum, and have been a best seller since we introduced them last Fall.

Buy a blank cover plate for a vintage NuTone intercom here.

To remove an in-wall intercom speaker that has screws on the left and right sides, rather than positioned top-bottom as shown above, here is a blank intercom cover.

Measuring for Your Replacement Nutone Cover

First, remove your intercom cover from the wall.

Then, measure the width and length of the area that needs to be covered (including any damaged wall around the metal frame).

Finally, measure the distance of the screw holes. Note that the correct way to measure distance between screws is from the centers of the screw holes.

This particular intercom speaker needed a 7.5" H x 5.5" W cover with screws spaced 3.75" apart (center to center). That cover can be purchased here.

Shop all doorbell and intercom cover plates here.