My wood switch plates are flat and slim, about 1/8″ thick. A standard plastic cover has a raised border that hides a switch or outlet sitting a little proud of the wall; a flat plate doesn't. That's what backing plates are for. A backing plate adds an edge around the back of the plate and raises it 1/8″ off the wall, so the plate sits right over the device. This short video shows how to line one up and attach it.
What a Backing Plate Is
Each backing plate is cut to the outline of a specific plate configuration, from 1 to 6 gang, out of MDF (the same core as the veneered plywood the plates are made from). It has 3M adhesive on one side and sticks to the back of the front plate.
- Made to fit my wood switch and outlet plates only
- Sized by gang: 1 for a single, 2 for a double, and so on. A duplex outlet takes a single backing plate.
- Can be added to a plate you already own
- Backing plates are 1/8″ and can be stacked if you need more depth
Attaching It
The adhesive grabs as soon as it touches, so the one thing that matters is alignment. Line the backing plate up with the edges and screw holes of the front plate before you let the two touch, then press it down firmly. Check the screw holes line up and you're ready to install.
Not sure which one you need? Send me a photo of your existing plate through my Etsy shop and I'll point you to the right plate and backing plate.
If you ever need to take one back off, there's a short video on removing a backing plate too.
More short how-tos on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.