Quirky and OCD tendencies..... Anyone else have them?

[aczlan]

Wow, I do almost every one of these things.

Being an electrician I have installed hundreds of switch plates and receptacle covers. Every one of them had the screws located vertically. There were 10 of us electricians in my department at the time so one time while we were on break, I asked the others what do they do. All of them said they installed them vertically. It looks more neat and professional.

Back when I worked as an electrician the boss insisted that all plate screws be vertical.

Aaron Z

 

[k0ua]

Back when I worked as an electrician the boss insisted that all plate screws be vertical.

Aaron Z

I insist that all plate screws be "snug" but no more. You risk cracking the plate if you try to make them vertical. Many plates are very brittle, and the "soft" ones will often pull away from the wall slightly if you over-tighten them. I can think of no good reason to "insist" that all screws be vertical. I will take function over looks any day of the week.

 

[teejk]

I insist that all plate screws be "snug" but no more. You risk cracking the plate if you try to make them vertical. Many plates are very brittle, and the "soft" ones will often pull away from the wall slightly if you over-tighten them. I can think of no good reason to "insist" that all screws be vertical. I will take function over looks any day of the week.

I think they mean that they take the time to ensure that the outlets/switches are perfectly plumb (fiddling with the drywall ears). A good heating/plumbing friend of mine is fussy about appearance also (he wasn't happy about my decision to go with Pex because of that). His father taught him that no job should look like a shoe-maker did it (i.e. "cobbler").

 

[kcflhrc]

It's not hard to make Pex look good, but most old school plumbers prefer copper as do I.

 

[teejk]

It's not hard to make Pex look good, but most old school plumbers prefer copper as do I.

It comes on big rolls. It can be made straight with heat but that takes time. I swore off copper after my last house where I was constantly chasing pin-holes behind drywall...open it up, fix the leak then repair the drywall which if done properly is a multi-day project. Our water here is slightly acidic and I'm sure it would be a problem with time.

 

[k0ua]

I think they mean that they take the time to ensure that the outlets/switches are perfectly plumb (fiddling with the drywall ears). A good heating/plumbing friend of mine is fussy about appearance also (he wasn't happy about my decision to go with Pex because of that). His father taught him that no job should look like a shoe-maker did it (i.e. "cobbler").

There is nothing wrong with making sure the outlet boxes are plumb and all the same height. That is just good workmanship, but they are literally talking about the screw slots that hold the wall plates on being either all vertical or all horizontal. The majority want them all vertical. I say tighten them all to the same torque. Snug but not enough to crack the plate or distort the plate. Let the screw slots fall where they may.

 

[MossRoad]

Wow, I do almost every one of these things.

Being an electrician I have installed hundreds of switch plates and receptacle covers. Every one of them had the screws located vertically. There were 10 of us electricians in my department at the time so one time while we were on break, I asked the others what do they do. All of them said they installed them vertically. It looks more neat and professional.

I am also a counter of things. I am surprised that no one has mentioned trying to count the number of geese in a flock flying over head! Or any flock of birds or animals for that matter.

Count me in as a goose counter! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

I think they mean that they take the time to ensure that the outlets/switches are perfectly plumb (fiddling with the drywall ears). ...

Yeah, a normal person might think that, but, no, we're talking about lining up the slots in the cover screws so there are perfectly vertical or horizontal.

Plumb should have been taken care of long before the cover screw alignment inspector shows up....

 

[MossRoad]

How many of you check your fly before entering a public space?

Raise your hands...

:wave:

 

[Doofy]

How many of you check your fly before entering a public space?

Raise your hands...

:wave:

Haven't seen my fly in years or my shoes, for that matter.