How to Install a Switch Plate on Tiled Walls

Tiled walls in a bathroom or kitchen present a slight challenge to installing switch plates. Because tile is installed on top of drywall, a tiled wall is thicker than a non-tiled wall. This difference in thickness means that an electrical switch screwed into an electrical box behind a tiled wall will not be flush with the surface of the wall. The switch plate will not fit properly when this happens. The plate can be installed by adjusting the switch height using a screwdriver; this takes just minutes to accomplish.

• 1

  Place the switch plate on top of the switch and determine how far the switch must be raised to fit in the plate.

• 2

  Loosen the bottom and top screws that secure the switch into the electrical box. This will allow the switch to float out toward the surface of the tile.

• 3

  Fit the switch plate over the switch to test whether it fits. If it does not, loosen the screws a little more and test the plate again. Loosen the screws until the switch plate fits over the switch, with the switch part protruding through the hole in the switch plate.

• 4

  Fasten the screw in the center of the switch plate to secure it to the switch.