Current job is to renovate third floor of home. Since the final wall surface location in this sort of work is sometimes hard to predict, I used the new (to me, anyway) blue plastic electrical boxes that have an adjustment screw to bring them to final wall thickness after the drywall is hung. (BTW, I don’t think that I would use these again — too flimsy, and hard to get them set perpendicular to the studs.)
So I adjusted the boxes “back” so that they would clear the drywall as I hung it, marking the box locations on the face side of the drywall as I went. Or so I thought! I planned then to cut out the box openings, and adjust the boxes flush to the face of the drywall.
Except, of course, I forgot to mark one of the boxes, so I’m standing here with a line-voltage thermostat for the elctric heat, with no box to put it into.
I suppose others have been this clever in the past, so how does one find the box without ripping out a big section of drywall. I know where the box is, plus or minus 18″ in each direction, but prefer NOT to rip out and replace if there’s a smarter way.
Any suggestions, pls?
Bob Chapman
Replies
Can you get power to that box? I have a voltage sensor(they cost less than 10 bucks) It may ring if you get near it. Then start by cutting smallish holes.
Even though I have a potential solution, You need to know I have never done anything like what you are describing.
Edited 1/29/2005 4:23 pm ET by TMO
1) Wasn't the box hung on a stud ? You can find the stud easily enough, which narrows the seach space.
2) Per post #2, use a current detector. to further narow it down.
3) once you have the verticle naile down, guestimate the height and drill a 1/32" hole through the drywall and probe with a length of piano wire; you'll be able to tell if you're inside the box from the sound when it bottoms out. Usually zen takes over on height and you nail these the first time.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
Unionville, Ontario
BFH
Just for the future: Before rocking a room take pictures, so the location of all boxes, wiring, plumbing, etc will be at least roughly known.
Mark subfloor with sharpie where features you want to find are.
If you know the bay it is in and the elevation a length of piano wire, a piece of steel fish tape, or similar can be inserted and worked round until you can hear or feel the lost box. Simple enough to cut it out then. the tiny holes are easy to patch.Don't know where it is? Find the bay by climbing into the attic or crawl space and locating the thermostat run. I would use my wire tracker. Couple hundred will get you one. You could hook it up to 120v and use a non-contact voltage detector, about $10 to $20 depending on what you get. Some electronic stud finders have a voltage detector that can also work.Once you know the stud bay you could cut a hole for an old-work box. Reach into the hole and grab the run. Push the cable into the new box and install it.Marking the subfloor saves this sort of trouble. You could use a Sharpie but down-spraying paint works better. Receptacles and switches are standard elevations in a house but odd elevations should be noted beside the symbol. Makes things easier after the overzealous drywaller covers those boxes.
Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I think I see how to combine a couple of these ideas and get done what I need to do.
Bob
Hang a small Neobnium-iron rare earth magnet from a string. You will be able to find the adjustment screws (and every drywall screw too!)
Bust out a big hole on the opposite side of the wall.
Seriously, we always felt along the wall to see if there was a hump in it. Then, since we knew the height of the box, we would just probe the wall with a small flathead screwdriver until we found it..
What Phill said.
Who Dares Wins.
just cut the hole.
this is a dryall patch we're talking about ...
every remodel has roughly a million patches hidden in there ...
You coulda had the access holes cut and patched before ya typed out this post.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
That's what I was thinking.Yeesh. Yap about it for two days... or just cut it and patch it... Done and done...
The person you offend today, may have been your best friend tomorrow