ᐅ Applying wallpaper inside distribution boxes / junction boxes

Hello,

during our renovation, we reused existing junction boxes. On the ground floor, the walls were plastered, sanded, and then painted. The boxes were closed with spring-loaded covers. It doesn't look very neat, but it’s not very noticeable unless you look closely.

Upstairs, wallpaper will be applied everywhere. It’s non-woven wallpaper that can be easily removed and repositioned. Do the junction boxes need to be additionally covered with lids? Or can they simply be wallpapered over?

If I install a lid now, it will probably protrude about 1cm (0.4 inches) from the wall and show through the wallpaper because the spring mechanism doesn’t hold properly.

On one wall, I removed the springs, glued the cover on, and then wallpapered over it. Would it be okay to just wallpaper over the boxes, or are there any risks involved?

What other options are there?

I realize it might have been better to use deeper switch boxes, but now it’s done and I have to live with it.

Best regards,
Jan

jan2110 schrieb:
What other options are there?

Switch frames and blank covers from your electrical series could also be considered.

That would be an option for the painted walls and the bathroom. Thank you.

However, unfortunately, I cannot apply wallpaper over it.

Yes, junction boxes must be closed with a cover.

So, 1 cm (0.4 inches) will definitely not bulge out. If it does, the cover will also protrude accordingly. If you want a smoother finish, you can scrape off the plaster around the junction box to the thickness of the cover. This way, you can somewhat recess the cover and the wall will be even.

There are several reasons why the springs on the cover might not catch. Either the junction box is so full that the springs simply have no space left. Try to create some room. Additionally, it could be that you simply have the wrong cover.

At the end, you suddenly mention switch boxes. Since switch boxes and junction boxes are two different things, I wonder what you actually installed. Or was that just a typo?

I have already noticed myself that my lids were simply too large. I had 80mm (3 inches) ones and now the smaller ones. The spring fits better, and the curvature is almost gone. I will remove the wallpaper where there are no lids underneath and then place the lid on top.