Decorating a home allows you to add touches of your personality to each room. Installing decorative screwless wall plates is a quick and easy way to add a personal touch to any room in your home. Here are some tips on how to properly install wall plates.
Picking the Right Wall Plates
Like throw pillows, curtains, and furniture, the types of hardware you use contribute to the overall design of a room. Wall plates are a great accessory, adding to the ambience of each room in your home. There are several styles to choose from, including whimsical, classic, modern, and romantic. Once you have figured out a theme for the room you’re currently working on, think about the message you want your wall plates to convey.
Whichever room you’re decorating, you should already know what kind of look you’re going for and the décor elements you need to make the design come to life. The color you choose to put on the wall and the furniture and accessories you choose to add all contribute to the look you have chosen. Whether you choose to buy wall plates online, at a wall plate supplier, or at your local hardware store, these accessories can provide that extra special touch and improve the look of the room in a small yet significant way.
Installation Tips
When installing wall plates, there are a few things to be aware of. Check for lumps or bulges in the drywall or plaster. A flat surface will ensure the subplate gets mounted correctly. Some homes have plastic old-work electrical boxes installed. Devices are installed and wires are fished through these boxes. The face of these boxes will generally sit slightly above the surface of the wall. Some subplates can be mounted to this type of electrical box. There are also standard electrical boxes, which sit flush with the wall. Most modern subplates work best with the standard box. Make sure you know which electrical box will work best with the wall plates you chose, and remove any devices already installed that you don’t need before you start installing anything.
Installing the Plates
Screwless decorative wall plates are relatively easy to install. The plates work with most standard duplex receptacles and rocker light switches with rectangular faces. First you need to install the subplate to the outlet. The subplate comes in two halves and is held in place with mounting straps, which are connected to either side of the outlet.
To install the subplate, cut the power to the device, then simply remove the cover plate and loosen the mounting screws. Next, lift the receptacle up roughly half an inch. Push the subplate under the mounting strap and screw the device in place. When this is done correctly, the straps will snap down firmly onto the subplate while you finish tightening the screws. Now you can install the wall plates.
Each screwless wall plate has an arrow to point out which side to face up. Position the wall plate over the base with the arrow side facing the device. Then simply snap the plates to the base. If you ever choose to replace the plates, pop them off the base by inserting a small screwdriver into the slot at the bottom.
Wallplate Warehouse has more tips on how to properly install wall plates onto your light switch. Contact us online at https://www.wallplatewarehouse.com/pages/contact or email us at info@wallplatewarehouse.com.
