I’m in the middle of a kitchen build. I’ve picked out some tiles for the back splash. It’s a 12"x12" mosaic, with a bunch of smaller tiles mounted on a mesh, and cut to the 12"x12" size.
So the question is, when it comes to outlets and light switches, do I run the tiles upto the outside of the covers, or to I lay the tiles to the edge of the electrical boxes and then the covers go over the top of that.
If the second, how do I mount the actual switches and outlets far enough forward so that they will be flush with the covers?
In my kitchen the covers go over the tile. The outlet boxes were done by the contractor so I’m not sure exactly how he did it, just that he needed to know the tile sizes before he put all the new outlets in.
run the tiles to the outside of the electrical box. in new construction you can mount the box to be flush with the tile. in a remodel you can remount the box to be flush with the tile or mount the device (switch or receptacle) with spacers designed for the purpose of bringing it flush with the tile (in this case it is important that the device be stable and have a grounding wire direct to it).
In the electrical department at the home store, you’ll find little spacers that go between the box and the switch/outlet. The mounting screw goes through it, so it stays in place, but it holds the switch/outlet out from the front so it’s flush with the tile.
Aren’t the switches integral to the fascia unit? I ask out of sheer unfamiliarity with the way things like this work in your locality - here in the UK, the bit that fits in the wall is just a metal or plastic box with some flanges to receive screws - the socket and/or switch assembly bits are built into the front plate that screws over the front of the box.
(so you remove the plate, tile up to the edge of the box and replace the plate screwing it flush to the surface of the tiles - sometimes you need to use longer screws than the original ones, if the tiles are thick)
the devices used in the USA and UK can be really different. in the USA most face plates (fascia) are solely decorative and matched to the switch/receptacle size and color. some things like dimmers or timers in a few styles might be integral with the face plate.
wire fastening devices and methods are also different. it can make electrical discussions on international forums interesting until everyone knows what is being talked about.
I recently redid my kitchen, replacing old tile with thicker marble. All I needed was longer screws. The cutouts in the marble were the exact size of the electrical boxes. The way it works around here (not sure if this is standard across the US) is that the actual switches and outlets have a metal frame that is a bit longer than the height of the box opening. So that frame will rest on top of the marble. That frame is then screwed into the electrical box, and it was here that I needed the longer screws to span the thicker marble. Then the switch plates go over that, covering and screwing into the metal frames of the switches.
I can’t imagine that anyone would want the backsplash to go around the switchplates themselves. The switches and plates would then be recessed? Seems like that would not only look funny but be less convenient for flipping the switch.
your situation might not last long. you are depending on the plaster ears (if they are still on and are designed to easily break off easily) or the metal frame (yoke) to support the device, the metal will bend and it will loosen.
you want a spacer around the screw that the metal frame (yoke) can securely compress on. the switch/receptacle has to be stable to movement without the cover plate on.
Yes, as Johnpost said, that’s not a good idea. Putting pressure on the metal tabs will cause them to bend, like he said. You are also putting the pressure from the metal tabs onto a very small part of the marble, right at the edge where it’s weakest – over time, this will cause bits of the marble to crack & break off. That will make an insecure mounting for the fixture. In the worst case, it will cause a crack in the marble that goes the whole length of the tile, seriously messing up the looks of your wall.
Just buy the little spacers to hold the fixture at the appropriate height. Or just use as many 6-32 nuts as needed on the longer screws to reach the right height.
Another option is something called a box extender or a mud ring. This is basically a short box (usually 1/2" or 3/4") without a back – basically just the 4 side walls. You screw that on top of the existing box, to extend it 1/2" or 3/4", to make it flush with the wall. This is actually better than spacers, because now the metal or plastic box extends all the way out to be flush with the wall – there is no space where the wall is exposed and a wire might come in contact with a flammable part of the interior wall.