If you have a Shaper Orgin, you can save the money on the different templates and make your own perfect matched veneer covers. You could also make the gap between the outlet and base board pretty much invisible.
Yeah, but he has one on the shelf right behind his right shoulder. I agree that a DIY project wouldn't benefit from the Shaper cost, but someone that trims out high end spaces day in and day out would.
As an electrician I can imagine a huge problem with this. The appliance is plugged in, but the plug isn’t seated properly into the outlet. The thickness of the plate appears to be around 3/16”. Which is nearly a quarter inch. A toaster oven or something drawing higher amperage is what gets used in kitchens, that plug can heat up the blades, which are now partially exposed, the veneer is likely to be flammable. Additionally, heating the plug and the outlets contacts, possibly from the looser fit, creates heat, heat from resistance. Tripping the breaker. Just because something looks good doesn’t make it a good idea
Agreed...veneers (combustible veneers) fire issue & yes seating of the appliance cord is an issue that appears to not be talked about, 3/16" or 1/8", overall good product, minus the combustible/seating elliment.
This seems dangerous and against electrical code. You are adding an extra bit of dept to the portion you plug in so it's going to hold the contact point out further which reduces it's holding power and could even lead to electrical arcing if it falls out slightly.
This is pretty slick! I was questioning it but by routing the recess into the wood, it made that the new “finished surface” so it satisfies NEC 314.20. And as long as the veneer is part of a UL listed kit, it satisfies NEC 406.5(d). To be on the safe side I would have the paperwork from the manufacturer ready to show the inspector. Any of them I’ve dealt with would want to see it.
Can you really use the wooden veneir just like that? I live in one of the European Union countries, and while I cant talk for all of them, at least in here, the code requires you to use only products that have been approved for the use with electricity (they usually don't catch fire at all or at least burn at a very slow speed). Not sure if this would pass the inspection :) but it does look damn pretty :D Maybe, somebody from EU could chime in with a local product that works with our outlets and is up to code :)
Lots of comments about the installation height being a code issue. For what it’s worth, the National Electrical Code does not appear to specify a minimum height for receptacle installations. This, of course, doesn’t mean your municipality adopted the NEC verbatim, so your local code may have minimum height requirements. However, the NEC *does* specify in 324.20 that receptacle boxes mounted in combustible materials must be flush with the finished surface. The code allows for a recess of no more than 1/4” from the finished surface of non-combustible material. My code book is a few years old, so might be outdated. Just wanted to point out that the recessing of the box is likely more of an issue than the height at which it is installed.
The issue with recessing has to do with combustible material being exposed. By recessing the entire box this way no combustible material is open to the inside of the box. This system appears to satisfy all NEC requirements.
The ADA isn’t the NEC. If your working in a health care facility, ADA all the way. In a house? If it’s spec’D for it then yea, ADA, but otherwise it’s the NEC, local building codes, and ultimately the AHJ.
I think that is a very cool idea, from an electrician's perspective I'd like to see how you remove the cover without damaging the surrounding surface. I've installed many of those type of outlet covers and to remove them you need to apply some side pressure to the cover to get it to pop off the back plate. Maybe a little follow up video about removal after they are installed, would be nice. Regarding electrical code, cover plates need to be listed and non combustible. With that being said I know you can buy wood cover plates, but those plates aren't slotted where the prongs of an appliance cord pass directly through the wood part. I'm curious what a local authority would rule on these veneer plates.
You have all four templates but the kit includes only one. I like your channel and your informative videos but this definitely seems like an ad for the manufacturer.
He was pretty upfront that you had to get the exact template to match your desired combination of box and wall plate, or at least I did not think at any point that I would get templates for more than 1 combo in an order.
cool product. @00:54 idk if an outlet that low/ in a baseboard would pass home building code regardless if it's flush or not...seems like a bad idea in general.
They are recommended to be 12-18 inches from the floor, but there’s nothing saying you can’t have outlets higher - bathroom and kitchens often have outlets above counter height
Not sure I see the necessity for a special template or the two step process to routing what ends up being the support rabbet. Cut/rout the through hole and then rout the rabbet in one pass; or rout the rabbet in one pass then cut/rout the through hole. Maybe the factory template has value in the baseboard application, but I'm not seeing how it adds anything but cost to a relatively simple operation.
At $199 price tag I would have to agree. If a guy would have a number of them to do like maybe a contractor does and on future jobs I can see it, but a diyer and maybe used once nope, not me anyway.
Hey man, just thought I'd point out you didn't have any wire in that outlet box. Thought I'd let you know in case you plugged something in and it didn't work. 😂😂😂😂
I'm just SO incredibly impressed with the template and product considerations. But what about having to remove the face if you need to do electrical work again? Is that going to destroy the veneer?
I believe that type of face plate pops off by prying in the gap with a flat stiff blade such as a putty knife or screwdriver. With a little care, you should be able to finagle it off without applying much pressure to the veneer.
Doesn't matter if your house is 100k or a 100m, everyone is using the same outlets and switches. Its great to see some innovation in this category. This seems like a great idea for historical houses.
As an architect doing higher end residential I just want to thank you. These videos always teach me things I don’t know. Finishes and tech. Thank you! Keep up the excellent work!
I've been wondering why this wasn't a thing ever since I got into remodeling 20 Years ago. I've seen it ONCE a long time ago and have always thought flush mounted outlets are so much nicer and have wondered as well how they aren't common or a trend at the least. I was thinking more along the lines of drywall though, since that's the most common wall material- just plugin prongs and switches, no surrounding stuff, no seams either. Probably has to do with how difficult servicing them would be, you'd have to re-drywall any time you had to mess with a switch or outlet.
I wish I didn't waste a few minutes of my time watching this. I simply don't see any positive point in these. You reduce the insertion depth of the plug to receptacle contacts' engagement, which is a major negative. Engineers call this kind of thing fashion victim design.
This was a great video again bents and u are very help ful and a great man and u always will be and I’ll always love watching u and your the best and that show was awesome and I will miss it and u sir!!
If the material is non combustable it meets the National Electrical Code, if it is combustable like wood or wood veneer it does not meet the code and is in fact a dangerous fire hazard. The electrical prongs of a cord can heat up under different circumstances. As an electrician and a former NEC instructor for 20 years I would not even consider doing this in my home unless the veneer is non combustable. . There are plenty of safe alternatives.
I wouldn’t trust the veneer either, especially after the receptacle gets some age on it and starts loosing its grip. This installation method does satisfy the requirements of 314.20 though. By routing the rabbit around the edge of the hole it made that recessed surface the new “finished surface”. The face of the box sits flush with the new finished (combustible) surface and the box cover sits agains the box just like a normal installation with an old work box. As a 30 year journeyman I don’t see a code violation here. The AHJ could choose to fail it for the veneer though. Depends on the AHJ. Some are worse than others.
Interesting, but it's a solution for a problem that doesn't really exist. Besides, it's against any building code to put outlets down low into baseboards.
You are right about the baseboards, but there are other applications where a recessed outlet would be nice such as a faux brick/ stone wall that is uneven or a wall covered in knottypine/reclaimed wood. And like Jason did on his island. So I can see a contractor buying this and having it in his tool box.
@@danielakerman8241 At the beginning of the video Jason said the owner of the company that designed the jig, designed it in the first place, because a homeowner asked him if he knew of a way to inset outlets into baseboards.
Got out of electrical a decade ago, but there was nothing wrong with baseboard receptacles then. Did many houses that way, all inspected, and it was never even a question.
A trick when using the Lutron products. Get the outlet screwed mostly in, but not tight. Then attach the backing plate for the cover. Run those screws down tight. Take some playing cards and use them as spacers to get the backing plate perfectly centered in all four directions. The screws for the outlet are still accessible. Run them down tight so nothing moves. Remove the playing cards and snap the cover in place.
I think their marketing team is missing out on the shiplap craze, it has to be 1x7 shiplap or t&g to be wide enough. There are no pics on their website other than baseboards.
Something looks off when it's just the veneer and plug holes, I almost think it looks better with the proper white trim around the outlet.. But i love the idea of having it flush mounted. Cool system.
Is there a way to use these with an extention frame over an existing stud mounted box? These would be great for a remodel, but having to pull the boxes in through the front would mean undoing a ton of existing wiring.
Because 99% of receptacles are installed over drywall. And of those, it's mostly electricians who are installing them and they do not have the detailed touch of a woodworker 😂
Very nice - I'm going to try these out myself. One side note: something you probably already know -- another rule change in the new NEC 2023 apparently does not allow installation of an outlet receptacle below the countertop. Maybe it's different in your area. Too many people were snagging the cord when they walked by and getting scalded from hotplates, crockpots, etc. or worse.
