One issue that DIY homeowners often run into when doing projects like these, however, is that the newly installed tile or wainscot materials can leave little space for your light switch or outlet cover.
When Your Switch Plate Won't Fit
Here, an existing light switch and outlet were tiled around after granite was added to a wet bar countertop:
We've outline the area that the cover plate takes up around these electrical devices. As you can see, the trim around the tile eats into the space where the outlet cover needs to rest.
Note: There is some wiggle room with switches and outlets. Loosen the screws mounting the device into the electrical box and push as far as you can in the direction you need the devices to shift. Sometimes, that's all it takes to get a cover plate to fit into a tight spot.
In the situation shown here, shifting the devices as far to the right as possible wasn't enough.
But a 2nd solution is very simple - a cover plate with all of the openings shifted in one direction.
The {trimmed} left edge of this narrow plate allows it to fit:
Narrow Switch Plates Fit Tricky Tight Spaces
In some cases, you'll need a cover plate that has a single edge that is "trimmed" or narrower than a standard plate (as shown above). Other times, you may need an outlet cover that is narrow all around.Find a variety of hard to find narrow cover plates at Kyle Switch Plates - where we specialize in switch plate solutions for DIY homeowners.
