On the surface, wall plate covers appear far too small and simple to be all that important. They tend to blend into the background, so you probably don’t give much thought to their real purpose. In fact, you might wonder if they’re necessary at all. The truth is, those wall plates are much more important than their size and simplicity might imply. Yes, wall plates are essential for your home. Keep reading to find out exactly why.
Protecting Electrical Wires
If you’ve ever removed a wall plate, you know that it covers up the opening behind your light switch, and inside that opening in the wall are several electrical wires. Without a wall plate, you’d not only be left with a pretty unattractive hole in your wall, but you’d also be exposing electrical wires to the elements. Now, you might think, “It’s in my home, not outdoors. How much harm could exposing the wires really cause?” The answer is more than you think.
No matter how clean your house might be, dust and debris can still find their way inside openings like these. While a little might not do much, accumulated dust and dirt can gum up your wires and cause electrical shorts. But worse than dust is moisture. Everyone knows that electricity and moisture don’t mix. Your wall plates help keep that dangerous element away from your electrical wires, especially in rooms prone to high humidity levels, like your kitchen and bathroom. That little wall plate is a line of defense that protects your wires from major electrical issues down the road.
Keeping Kids Away
Kids are curious enough about outlets as it is. Wall plates keep those wires covered, so curious little fingers aren’t tempted to grab them. Could you imagine what a toddler could do with a plate-free outlet, a small toy, and less than 30 seconds of your back turned? It’s probably not something any parent would want to try to juggle daily. It would be stressful and exhausting, but it’s incredibly dangerous for your children.
Providing Accessibility
At this point, you may be wondering, “Why not just cover up that space around the switch altogether?” Technically speaking, you could cover up that space with a drywall patch and just leave the switch or sockets themselves set inside the wall.
If you ever have wiring issues with an outlet in your home, want to upgrade your switches to smart switches, or want access to those wires for any reason at all, it’s a feature that you’re sure to appreciate. The issue with that is you will no longer be able to access the wires behind the switch or outlet without cutting into your drywall. A wall plate provides the coverage and protection we mentioned above while still keeping those wires accessible.
Offering Style Options
Finally, it’s worth noting that the presence of a wall plate allows you to take advantage of different styles and materials to complement your home’s décor. While you’re probably most familiar with white plastic plate covers, there are far more options out there. Our online selection here at the Wallplate Warehouse offers hundreds of different materials, colors and style options to choose from.
There’s not much you can do to style a switch or a socket. But that rectangular cover around them is the perfect way to add some creative accents to a room. Find a light switch plate cover in a sleek metal material or an outlet cover in a bright color that really pops. Your plate covers do perform a very important function, but there’s no reason that they can’t be stylish while they do it! Check out some of our plate cover styles today.
