Align Switches in a Multi-Gang Box
Loosening every device so the cover plate itself pushes them square before they're tightened down.
Coil Scrap Wire Around a Screwdriver to Shim a Recessed Outlet
Wrap scrap 12-gauge solid wire around a screwdriver shaft, cut the coil to the depth you need, and slip it over the device screw — the outlet tightens down solid against a box that's set back from drywall that was cut proud.
sunken outlet fix, receptacle sits too deep, outlet moves when you plug in, drywall hole too big around outlet
The Problem
When drywall gets cut a little generous around a box — or the box sits deep — the outlet's mounting ears have nothing to land on. Tighten the screws and the device floats, flexing backward every time someone pushes in a plug. On metal boxes especially, a wobbling device working its terminals loose over years is how a cosmetic annoyance becomes an electrical one.
The Technique
An electrician's shim made from what's already in the box:
- Take a piece of scrap #12 solid wire — leftover from the circuit you're working on.
- Wrap it around a screwdriver shaft several times, making a tight coil like a small spring.
- Measure the gap between the device ear and the box, and cut the coil to that length.
- Slip the cut coil over the device's mounting screw, between the ear and the box.
- Tighten down. The screw compresses the coil into a solid metal standoff, and the outlet pulls up flush and rigid — no float, no flex.
Solid copper doesn't crush or creep, so the device stays as tight as the day it was set.
Pro tip: Purpose-made spacers exist — plastic "caterpillar" strips that fold to thickness cost a few dollars — and if you're outfitting a whole job, buy those. The wire coil is for the box you're standing in front of with no spacers in the truck. Either way, if the drywall gap around the box exceeds what a listed spacer solves, the box needs an extender, not a taller shim.
Electrical, plumbing, and structural work may be regulated where you live — check local code before you start, and note that a permit may be required. More in our disclaimer.
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