When you shop for a switch plate, the first word you run into is "gang." It sounds technical, but it just means how many devices sit side by side in one electrical box. One switch is a 1-gang. Two switches next to each other is a 2-gang, and so on. This short video walks through it in under a minute.
Each Gang Can Be Something Different
The gangs in a box don't have to match. You can have a toggle next to a Decora, or a switch next to an outlet, and the plate just needs an opening for each one in the right spot. Two outlets in a 2-gang box are often called a "quad," since that gives you four plugs under one plate.
- 1-gang: one device, like a single light switch or one duplex outlet
- 2-gang: two devices side by side, in any mix
- Quad: a 2-gang plate with two outlets
- 3-gang and up: more devices in a row, each with its own opening
How to Count Yours
Before you order a plate, stand in front of the box and count the devices from left to right. Then note what each one is: toggle, Decora, outlet, and so on. That list is your plate. If you're not sure what a device is called, my post on toggle, Decora and duplex covers the common types and the opening each one needs.
Order of the openings matters. A toggle next to a Decora is not the same plate as a Decora next to a toggle. Always read the layout left to right, the way you see it on the wall.
What I Make
I cut switch and outlet plates from 1-gang all the way up to 8-gang, in any mix of openings, in real wood and acrylic. Backing plates are available from 1 to 6 gang if your devices sit out from the wall; my post on attaching a backing plate shows how they go on. For sizing, wood types and fit details, see switchplates.info, and for the bigger picture on picking a plate, the wall plate buying guide goes deeper.
More short how-tos on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.