Uses for Smaller Light Switch Cover Plates

Many of our customers call us regarding tight spaces in which a standard light switch cover just won't fit.

Today, we're sharing how several of them have used small switch plates from our online wall plate store to fix an eye sore or complete a home renovation.

One of the most common problems is tile that runs too close to the electrical box, as two customers describe here:

But switches can also end up too close to door frames, wall trim or other mouldings including high baseboards or board and batten walls that run up too close to electrical boxes.

We've helped several customers fix an unattractive uncovered switch or one covered by a poorly cut cover, and the results have been these 5-Star reviews:

Otherwise, the trim may need to be modified after board and batten has already gone up. which as you can see here, doesn't look very good:

Here, a narrow plate was the perfect fit:

Skinny plates can also work on narrow door frames.

We've even had a customer with a switch between cabinet doors that left too little space after a bathroom remodel:

Other DIY home renovations that raise the surface of your wall and come too close to an electrical box can create an eye sore.

As you can see, narrow switch plates have a lot of great applications and get be a great solution to get you out of a pinch with an obstructions of any kind is blocking your standard cover from going back up.

At Kyle Switch plates we carry over 50 sizes of narrow plates and plates with shifted openings to help you find a good solution. Shop narrow plates or short plates to find a plate that meets your specific needs.

Switch Plates for Tile Backsplashes {with trimmed edge}

Updating your home is a fun way to personalize your living space. Adding a tile backsplash to a wet bar, installing board and batten to your walls, or upgrading your kitchen with marble counter tops are all popular ways to make your living space your own.

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.