[titan7]

Okay so we get the kitchen remodled complete tear out to the studs we add some outlets. electric guys turn a 2 gang box into a 3 gang box it was attached to the stud on the the right side. So 2 months later, tonight, I am making dinner and notice what looks like a bulge on the left side of the outlet cover? So I take the cover off and what happened was as the outlet was screwed into the box on the left side, it pulled the left edge of the plastic box into the drywall and cracked the mud/drywall.

The electrician must have tightened the outlet too much or??? So I was able to get glue in joint and push it back in place, I also trimed a bit of the mud so when the outlet is tightened it will not push on the mud again. think this will hold. I really hope so as we just got every finished and painted, it would be a nightmare to attemt to retexture paint etc.


Any other ideaS?

 

[Willie T]

I know it won't help you much now, but for others having this same thing done, here is how it should have been to keep the box from flexing.

That 2x4 could go on either the top or the bottom of the box. Sometimes, on a long box, we put it on both top and bottom. Creates a minor hassle for the electrician sometimes, but they know how to work around it.

 

[titan7]

yep, that's want as asked the electrician to do but they said the box would be fine. I guess I was right and now I am screwed. I was able to sort of pull the broken piece away from the box and was able to get glue in there and push it back into place. The paint did not break so you can't tell there is a fracture no. So should I trim the drywall beyond the edge of the box so when I put the outlet back on the box will not press into the unsupported edge? If this does not work I am totally screwed, we just had the drywall textured painted and this outlet is below the cabinets what a complete mess.

 

[AllanJ]

The box is probably going to wiggle some more no matter what you do now.

If you spackle or epoxy or caulk around the box to try to stop it from wiggling, chances are the extreme edge of the drywall will start to disintegrate around the bead of spackle or epoxy or caulk.

 

[Willie T]

Can you take a pair of pliers and bend the round 'ears' off the top and bottom of the receptacle mounting strip? Check to see that you won't need them to seat the receptacle properly before you remove them.

 

[Willie T]

It is a dirty shame that many of today's 'tradesmen' (and I have to say that I use that word very loosely anymore) are so lazy, or rushed, or starved for money that the correct and proficient ways of performing construction have almost become a thing of the past.

 

[titan7]

Just reporting back. So far my repair has worked, I just waited a couple days for the carpenters glue to harden up and I also trimmed away the extra drywall mud that edge of the box was hitting on. And finally, I did not torque the outlet screws to 100 ft pounds :laughing:

Actually they were not that tight, but they were WAY over tighten and that caused the issue. I have never understood way people overtighten everything.

 

[oldrivers]

did he use one of those newer boxes that has a flange all around them to help make a seal on the exterior walls vapor barrier ?