The switches have this annoying thick metal plate. Half of my faceplates do not sit flush against the wall even though I am trying hard to screw in the switches as close to the wall as possible.
Worse, the normal Decora faceplates from Homedepot break/crack easily when trying to screw them in too tightly.
And lastly, annoyingly, these faceplates have additional plastic around the screwholes which exacerbates the situation actually. I sometimes can cut some plastic away to make them sit a little bit more flush but still not perfect.
With this in mind, what are some better faceplates to use?
Must be available in 1gang and 2gang version
Bonus if they are more aesthetically pleasing than the conventional Decora ones with the two screws on top/bottom
The gen 3 switches (red/blue 2-1, fan, and upcoming switches) are color matched to Lutron Claro faceplates which are also screw less on the front face. Amazon.com
Are you talking about the plates? All screwless plates are plastic.
In my experience, the Claro plates can be a bit more forgiving with fitting flushness on an uneven surface, but a lot of factors there to consider ā sometimes you just have to try a few options and see what works best in that spot.
Iām not a fan of the Claro side seam, so I prefer Eaton screwless plates. Available at Amazon or locally at Lowes.
Itās just gross! The box itself is fairly flush and well in the wall (to the extent possible). The main issue is really the annoying >1mm thick Inovelli bracket:
Just mind boggling who came up with that idea. It just exacerbates issue because this is where the screw is (which by the way adds another mm). Sometimes I am able to scratch off that elevation with a knife but itās not perfect either.
Overall, these faceplates, along with the thick frame and screw of the Inovellis just doesnāt seem like to great solution and Iām looking for something that works better. For example, a plate thatās more flexible and/or is a bit thicker to properly fit the thick Inovelli frame/screw underneath.
Note, the screw is not my main reason to look for a different plate, itās the fit (but I wouldnāt mind if it looked a bit nicer). With that in mind, do the Claro or Eaton Screwless provide more space and better fit than the conventional Leviton ones from HomeDepot?
None of us can answer that for you (with 100% certainty, anyway) ā I suggest you try a few plate options and see what works best for your particular installations.
FWIW, I have a couple spots where wall flushness isnāt as tight as Iād love it to be, but thatās not due to Inovelliās ābracketā thickness ā itās either just janky wall shape or the box not being aligned quite right. Iām just too lazy to fix the underlying causes, so I live with the wee bit of plate gap in those cases.
That plate appears to be too tight, notice how itās āpuckered inā at the screw? And thatās not just to pick nits. Doing so can act as a lever and cause the plate to pull away at the edges when you do that.
As mentioned, you will have to be your own judge, but I second the recommendation for the Lutron or Eaton plates. For whatever reason, the screwless plates appear to be more forgiving in, er, appearance.
