When it comes to home upgrades, cost is always a factor. You have to determine, as the homeowner, whether or not the upgrade is worth the cost and if the benefits outweigh the expense. This even includes smaller home upgrades, like switching out your wall plates. While there are many different types of plates out there, one upgrade you might consider is switching to screwless wall plates instead of standard ones. These cost slightly more, and whether or not you consider that cost to be worth it is ultimately up to you. But here are some benefits to keep in mind when making that decision.
A Sleeker, Cleaner Look
Many of the home upgrades people choose to do are done for no other reason than because the homeowner thinks it will look nice. A fresh coat of paint or different throw pillows aren’t going to improve the functionality of your space, but you’d probably do it anyway because you like the aesthetic change. Screwless wall plates also provide a change to aesthetics, giving your switches and outlets a sleeker, cleaner look. Because the screws aren’t visible, these plates simply have a higher-class feel to them than your average wall plates.
No Visible Cracking from Tight Screws
Have you ever tightened the screws on a wall plate a little too much and cracked the plastic? That’s certainly not a very high-end look for your wall plates, and you likely would choose to replace the plate as a result. Screwless wall plates do actually have a screw, but they’re covered by a top plate. If you tighten these screws too much, not only are you less likely to crack anything, but even if you do, it won’t be visible once you snap that top plate on.
Keep Kids Away from Wires
It’s amazing what kids can get into when they set their minds to the task—especially when that task involves getting into places they shouldn’t be. If you have kids who are learning to turn screws with a screwdriver, you have a whole new list of possible problems on your hands. But if you have screwless wall plates, you at least won’t have to worry about them removing the plates and getting into the wires behind the switches and outlets.
As we mentioned, the screws on these wall plates are hidden behind a front plate that snaps onto the backplate. That front piece is very hard for little fingers to pop off. This makes it very unlikely that they’d be able to pop off the plate and get to the screws, then to the wires behind the rear plate. It’s just one added layer of safety for those curious little fingers.
Is It Worth It?
As we said, the final decision on whether or not screwless wall plates are worth the cost will depend on you. You might decide it’s worth it just for the aesthetic improvement in your home, or you might want the added layer of safety. It all depends on your personal priorities as a homeowner. Be sure to explore or enormous catalog of switch plate covers so you can compare the prices of different styles of switch plates.
