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Theres a Better Way


Don't Let Drywall Compound Derail Your Electrical Rough-In

comments (9) March 21st, 2013 in Blogs
grateful.ed Chuck Miller, editor at large

Video Length: 1:21
Produced by: John Ross and Chuck Miller

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Sometimes when the drywall guys get on the job site, they inadvertently fill the holes in the outlet boxes. We need these holes because that's where the screws go that hold the switches or the outlets in place. You could spend your time trying to chip the drywall compound away, but there's a better way.

Mike Guertin from East Greenwich, R.I., uses the wax from a toilet bowl gasket to solve this problem. He chips off a little bit of that stuff and fills all of the screw holes so that it's easy to pop off any joint compound that gets spread across them. Any wax that remains makes it easy to screw the screws into the box. Now I don't have to worry about the drywall taper coming along and filling these up. I know he doesn't mean bad, but sometimes it happens.

Sure enough, we came back after the drywall guys paid a visit and they've inadvertently filled one of the holes in our box here. But because we have that wax in there, the hardenend compound will pop right off. Great tip, Mike. Anything that saves me a little trouble with drywall work is OK with me. Thanks for sending that in.

posted in: Blogs, electrical
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Comments (9)

rusticedge rusticedge writes: what about sanding and caulk??
Posted: 5:33 pm on April 9th

user-2431738 user-2431738 writes: It's bad enough that electricians dangle the receptacles or switches around, marking the new paint with those metal edges - scratching, even - without popping the device off... only to smear wax from the screws as well.
Posted: 7:13 pm on April 5th

renosteinke renosteinke writes: My first thought on seeing this tip was "my, how clever!" Then I began to scratch my head, wondering why, after a career in electrical work, I had never encountered either this problem or this solution. Now I know why.

I use metal boxes. While the wax might help, usually all I need is the tip of my screwdriver to pop out an offending bit of mud.

Considering the havoc that can happen to steel boxes when the drywall is hung, I'm somewhat amazed that survvive the process at all!
Posted: 4:07 pm on March 29th

jeremiahschwenger jeremiahschwenger writes: Agreed lwleedy! I logged in also for this years April fools gag, maybe next week? I still wonder how many people went out and ground down there claws on their hammers to make a nail set!? Come on chuck don't make us wait too much longer!
Posted: 5:55 am on March 29th

Jimmienitro Jimmienitro writes: I hope this case was for demo only, my 6 year old grandson could mud much better than that 2 years ago. But that is a great tip.
Posted: 6:44 am on March 26th

fxdp fxdp writes: Masking tape?
Posted: 11:12 am on March 25th

lwleedy lwleedy writes: Can't wait for this years "April Fools" tip. I signed in to see if it was here yet.

I really like the series.
Posted: 7:33 am on March 25th

jeremiahschwenger jeremiahschwenger writes: Well dugantr, your right about that and your also wrong at the same time. If the drywall that fills that hole is a drying type compound then your right. A simple flip of the finger and its gone. However if its a setting type compound then you have a different story! try shoving some hard setting durabond in there and tell me if it just jumps out of that hole with a flip of the wrist.
Posted: 5:28 am on March 25th

dugantr dugantr writes: I like this series, but this one deals with a non-existent problem. I am a builder and electrician and have never found a little sheet-rock mud in the holes to be a problem. With my small electric screwdriver, the screws simple pass right through whatever mud might be in the way in the hole. Popping the clump off with my finger as depicted in the clip, will happen without the was. Ugh, going around pushing wax into several hundred boxes is a waste of time for me. IMHO
Posted: 9:28 pm on March 22nd

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