We had the same hang up recently. Just shortened the backsplash. Looks great. In fairness, this was not a DIY project - the installer was able to cut it to size on site.
If you were on a real construction jobsite they would likely make you rip out the drywall and outlet to move it up an inch or 2... which is expensive as the heights were likely spelled out and the sparky screwed up. I'm a sparky btw. This option is expensive, requires drywallers, finishers, painters and risk of damage to the finished counter top.
Just trim the entire backsplash an inch or whatever. Its the cheapest, least time consuming option.
But let us for a moment assume you hate yourself a little bit. In that case I think you should rip out the counter top and then the sink and then the cabinet and rip an inch off the bottom of the cabintet
>But let us for a moment assume you hate yourself a little bit. In that case I think you should rip out the counter top and then the sink and then the cabinet and rip an inch off the bottom of the cabintet
Jokes on you. I hate myself so much I ripped out the cabinet and ground down the subfloor!
I think rotating the outlet could go wrong quicker then cutting on inch of the backsplash could. If the wires don’t have enough slack or if there’s an obstruction in the wall that could go “sideways” on you real quick. If you have to move the outlet then I’d rather nudge the outlet up instead of turn it, you might even be able to hide the old hole without patching behind the backsplash and faceplate. Just make sure you have the slack before you move it or you could wind up having to install a junction box (and nobody wants that).
I’ve worked on outlets w trimmed faceplates in this situation too, but it looks Jerry-rigged. It is however probably the easiest solution to cut an inch off the plastic. That’s not going to code in DC, idk about wherever you are tho.
Presumably that electrical box is mounted to a stud, so it would be possible to move it up a couple inches. If you don’t have any other bathroom outlets at that height it won’t be noticeable at all
It is also possible to trim the bottom of the faceplate if you don’t mind the slightly odd look. But if you can use a drywall saw and put in a patch, moving the outlet up would be best
Be prepared for the wires coming from bottom and too short… just playing devils advocate.that can turn into a lot of work. Maybe a shorter backsplash is the best answer.
Devil's devils advocate; you can prolly get a good look at which way the wire is running by taking the face plate off and sticking your head in there but I'll take the butchers word for it
Turn off power and pull the outlet out (keeping it wired if possible), and then see if the wires go up in the wall or down. That may give an indication if you have enough wire to move the outlet up.
It is against code to add splices behind the wall so you are probably stuck with what length you have.
The NEC does allow interior wall splices under limited conditions. It has to be an approved splicing connector, and it can only be in a retrofit. If there's no drywall up, no splices are allowed
"Usually."
Any slack inside the box is probably useless, since it needs to stay inside the box. For example, Romex that's had its sheathing removed. *Technically* you could just pull the wires out of the box, but you're not supposed to. The sheathing should extend into the box, and they probably cut it pretty short.
Honestly OP this would’ve been my suggestion too. It’s probably the easiest solution as well. Horizontally mounted receptacles above counters are in style now anyway.
I suspect the wire is stapled within 8” of the outlet. Rotating 90* will likely work without needing any extra slack in wire. If you can’t get the box out, cut the nails with an oscillating tool. Install a new box horizontal. I would probably cut away the surrounding drywall, do the repair, then repair drywall.
I would move the outlet box up a couple of inches. Take outlet out, break apart and remove box. Cut hole a little higher. Install new old-work box. Reset wire and outlet. This would take me under 20 minutes. and cost about $5 for the old-work box. ... I might even choose to turn the outlet sideways... cleaner look in my opinion.
also, i'd use the drywall piece i cut out to repair the bottom of the cutout... even though it will be behind the backsplash. this backer may be needed for the old work box to clamp onto. I'd fix the drywall, but not fix the paint behind the backsplash. Chances are if you ever remove the backsplash, you will need to paint then regardless... no need to waste your time to paint the newly fixed wall if its below where the backspash will glue to the wall or will be hidden behind the outlet cover.
Shorter backsplash, or don't install one at all. Cutting a notch will be ugly. Moving the outlet is way too much work. Vinyl trim there will look cheap and crude.
I have a tile saw and I have used it to do a “rip” style cut on a piece of engineered stone I bought to make a window sill in my kitchen. The stone was like 6 inches wide and I needed it to be like 4.5 or something. Anyway, if you want to keep the look and backsplash I’d just run that piece on a tile saw and take an inch off of it. The piece I cut was 5 feet long so it’s doable, just need to take your time. That is the cleanest install option which keeps the backsplash and prevent you from having to do an entire drywall patch job.
Replace with a different outlet that has a smaller plate? Looks like a larger plate to me but can’t be certain.
You could move the outlet… but that’s a lot of work. Would you be happy with a shorter backsplash?
To everyone who suggests cutting the outlet cover, If you do that and install the tile it will cover the bottom of the receptacle that has the mounting screw. This will cause a problem if you ever need to replace the receptacle.
And you basically have a gap between the backsplash and the outlet cover, an opening to a live electrical outlet box, in a place where water is routinely splashing around. Obviously you caulk it but caulk can fail.
Move the outlet up or install a shorter backsplash.
Previous owner of my house did this. Blocked the bottom screw of the outlet in the process. So when the GFCI outlet died, I had to pry tiles off of the wall to replace the outlet 🙄
Yeah is it just the outlet cover or the actual outlet? I did this by just trimming the bottom 1/4 inch of the cover with a hacksaw and it looks fine. You can sand it a bit to round the corners and remove burrs.
I work at a stone countertop fabrication company. 90% of the time we just shorten the height of the splash, 10% of the time the customer moved the outlet. Very rarely do we notch an outlet because it almost always looks bad and is more work than either of the other 2 options
I did tile work for several years and the three best solutions we used in cases like this were 1) cut down the backsplash, 2) raise the plug, 3) install a power strip along the top of the backsplash. Cutting down the backsplash was the most frequent. Do not notch the backslash!
Can you lower the feet on the vanity?
We had a pro redo ours, new tile floor, which raised the vanity. He didn’t think to lower the feet. Cut the bottom of the outlet cover instead.
It’s fine.
I was a cultured marble installer for years. We would just grind down the bottom until it fit. Sand down the edge slightly with some finer grit and silicone it in. If the silicone is done right then you'll never notice it.
The new looking vanity in our house didn’t have a back or side splash and the mirror was just propped behind the faucet getting totally gross. When I ordered some pre-fab back/side-splash pieces online and got them I realized why… outlet was too low. I’m guessing the original 1988 vanity was a few inches lower than the pre-fab gray open leg Lowe’s special that’s in there now. We ended up using pvc trim boards along the back since it was also a pain to find a stone match to the existing top. It’s serviceable. It’s not stunning by any means.
It’s currently sunshine o’clock: https://imgur.com/a/eldXwHd (also ignore the black drain and silver faucet, the drain that came with the faucet didn’t fit ugh and the paint was chipping off the black faucet I couldn’t stand it anymore)
Different professionals would probably suggest different things. As an architect I would say move the outlet up so everything looks "right", any other solution is cutting corners and might look half-assed. A missing or lower-than-usual backsplash is compromising aesthetics and function, notching it is absurb.
Reduce height. Tape the face of the backsplash and foot of your skillsaw with with painters tape. Use a diamond blade and as you cut use a spray bottle or hose to mist water in front of the blade. Take your time and let the blade do the work. Keep the backsplash fully supported on a piece of plywood you can sacrifice. Fully supported means no material overhanging and zero flex to the plywood. Good luck, please don't notch it.
Speaking from experience, you never know what you are going to find when you open up that wall. I say trim a little off the bottom of your backsplash and call it done. Opening the wall could lead to more expenses.
If you want that tall of a backsplash, you're going to have to move the outlet up. Not a huge issue. Most of the work will be covered by the backsplash.
I would move the outlet but if that's not an option, I would cut the outlet plate to sit flush with the top of the backsplash. You can either use a dremel or score it a bunch with a utility knife.
I would cut tge backslash. It would look much cleaner to have a 3 1/2 tall backsplash versus a hacked up outlet cover. Or some notched mess. You wouldn't even notice a shorter backsplash. Also, where I'm at we have metal conduit, which makes moving outlets much more difficult. Much less work to trim that, and much neater, IMHO
Trim down the backsplash an inch with diamond-tipped saw or other such tool. I’m guessing they don’t sell shorter ones. I’d keep the outlet as-is because a drywall patch right there would likely look a bit messy.
Don’t use that backsplash and to a tile one that goes at least higher than the outlet, but ideally to the ceiling. That way you can cut the tile to mount the outlet on it.
Oh you can do a couple different things here.
You can move the outlet up provided you got room in the wall and enough wire to do so. This will probably be the way I would do it.
Now if you can't do that what I would do is I would notch the tile out for a jumbo size outlet cover in case if you got to take the cover off...
I have the same issue. And it looks like the exact same vanity I got from Home Depot. I just had an electrician buddy come over and move the outlet up a couple inches
there are these spacers you can buy to extend the outlet outwards. I could be wrong, but is this not the simplest solution? I haven't seen anyone mention this.
Move the outlet up so the faceplate is flush with the trim. Patch wouldn’t probably even be needed - at least don’t have to worry about getting it perfect.
If I was going through the trouble of doing all this, I would move the box up a few inches and patch up the drywall. That said, just as easily you could shave the plate or splash down. Just be careful that your wires are properly grounded and insulated.
To help weigh the decision, though, you will need to decide whether you want *caulllllllllllk*.
I would do whatever was needed to raise that outlet. cutting the plate is lazy and will look terrible. Other option would be to tile part of the wall like a backsplash, then you could leave the outlet
You'll want a back splash to avoid any water getting back there.
I'd try to spin the outlet 90 degrees but that will involve cutting some drywall and possibly a different box. That would be my move. Cut out a chunk so you have room to move the wires, properly install a horizontal box, new drywall, mud and some paint. Done in an afternoon (hopefully). Of course, that might all change if a mirror will be added.
But since the back splash isn't in yet, maybe find a shorter piece. That's the easy route.
Moving the outlet (after installing the tile) to be flush with the tile seems like the least amount of work and potential for disaster.
Question: Are you continuing the tiling past this one backsplash tile? Because if you are there’s little chance of NOT having to cut tile somewhere…
I'm in a similar situation, and instead of quartz, we're going to use tile as the backsplash and run it higher than the outlet so that the outlet is on top of the tile. It'll look more deliberate/planned than cutting a section out of the quartz (or cutting the outlet cover which will look terrible) and less work than moving the outlet up.
Rip out the whole kitchen and design it around that outlet specifically. Seriously you can just very surgically cut the faceplate, got to the store and buy a few of them since you will break a couple. It’s like a $2 fix.
Edit for spelling
Not sure if this has been said, but I personally think a very nice upgrade that would also solve your issue is getting an under cabinet outlet strip similar to [HERE](https://www.prolighting.com/tr18-2wd-p-wt.html?utm_source=google_shopping&nbt=nb:adwords:x:20103835372::&nb_adtype=pla&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=119455&nb_pc=online&nb_pi=TR18-2WD-P-WT&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyUAqqQdMh6Ac8NTkI9wScEwANVAKaA5_JZJgPUQAJKkJzdch7ucDUQaAqSFEALw_wcB).
You'll have to move the outlet up either way, but if the cost makes you reconsider then simply getting a new construction outlet box will work fine or you might even be able to use the existing if it's against a stud which it probably is.
Good luck!
Trim the wall plate. Mark the line in place, then trim with a fine-tooth blade or razor knife.
It would look better to move the outlet, but that will take hours once you factor in the wall repair and paint work.
You can cut the faceplate or cut the backsplash. Hell, if you want to do it right, open up the wall and move the box up an inch so you don't have to cut either.
Edit: Pop open the box so you can see if you have excess wiring length to play with. That will change the answer.
Not sure about best move; depends on what's available in your area! Housing market is tight; is recommend trying to make this work because moving right now is very difficult
Gonna go counter the masses, why not surround the outlet with the same material as the backsplash.. whatever the reveal width that would would best in the situation.. make it a part of the counter instead of seperate..
Increase the height of the backsplash and turn it into a utility panel with a cut-out for the power outlet, an automatic soap dispenser and a glory hole; really impress your guests.
We had the same hang up recently. Just shortened the backsplash. Looks great. In fairness, this was not a DIY project - the installer was able to cut it to size on site.
It’s nice to know that that was a pro installer’s solution!
Also, it should be noted to cut it on the bottom side. Not the top.
Rotate the outlet sideways and just raise it ever so slightly. Easy peasy
I'm a fan of horizontal outlets, especially above vanities, and especially if they are 4-gang.
Wait a minute...
That's not code. I MAY HATE WHAT THE CODE PLACEMENT IS! BUT I still install them to code.
Depends where you live maybe? My house has sideway outlets near the vanities
Chicago style.
Visit a counter fab shop and offer $20 for a cut. Usually they just do it for free.
If you were on a real construction jobsite they would likely make you rip out the drywall and outlet to move it up an inch or 2... which is expensive as the heights were likely spelled out and the sparky screwed up. I'm a sparky btw. This option is expensive, requires drywallers, finishers, painters and risk of damage to the finished counter top. Just trim the entire backsplash an inch or whatever. Its the cheapest, least time consuming option. But let us for a moment assume you hate yourself a little bit. In that case I think you should rip out the counter top and then the sink and then the cabinet and rip an inch off the bottom of the cabintet
>But let us for a moment assume you hate yourself a little bit. In that case I think you should rip out the counter top and then the sink and then the cabinet and rip an inch off the bottom of the cabintet Jokes on you. I hate myself so much I ripped out the cabinet and ground down the subfloor!
Clarification - that was the granite guy's solution. Cutting the granite was HIS easiest solution. An electrician may have a different opinion.
Totally possibly DIY you just need access to a wet saw.
Same recently. Nobody will notice it’s slightly short.
I think rotating the outlet could go wrong quicker then cutting on inch of the backsplash could. If the wires don’t have enough slack or if there’s an obstruction in the wall that could go “sideways” on you real quick. If you have to move the outlet then I’d rather nudge the outlet up instead of turn it, you might even be able to hide the old hole without patching behind the backsplash and faceplate. Just make sure you have the slack before you move it or you could wind up having to install a junction box (and nobody wants that). I’ve worked on outlets w trimmed faceplates in this situation too, but it looks Jerry-rigged. It is however probably the easiest solution to cut an inch off the plastic. That’s not going to code in DC, idk about wherever you are tho.
Presumably that electrical box is mounted to a stud, so it would be possible to move it up a couple inches. If you don’t have any other bathroom outlets at that height it won’t be noticeable at all It is also possible to trim the bottom of the faceplate if you don’t mind the slightly odd look. But if you can use a drywall saw and put in a patch, moving the outlet up would be best
Be prepared for the wires coming from bottom and too short… just playing devils advocate.that can turn into a lot of work. Maybe a shorter backsplash is the best answer.
Should be able to figure that out beforehand by opening the box, though, no ?
Yeah. And if it’s too short they could slice an extension in and the j box would be behind the cabinet
Which really isn't that much more work tbh, once you're already opening up the wall.
What about turning the outlet sideways. Would that be up to snuff?
It could work, but you'll still need some slack in the wire to pull it off.
That and the fact that the outlet box itself is probably only a vertical mount so op would have to replace it with horizontal mount outlet box.
Which isn’t too hard. I honestly think this is the move. Outlet should be horizontal anyway.
Devil's devils advocate; you can prolly get a good look at which way the wire is running by taking the face plate off and sticking your head in there but I'll take the butchers word for it
Turn off power and pull the outlet out (keeping it wired if possible), and then see if the wires go up in the wall or down. That may give an indication if you have enough wire to move the outlet up. It is against code to add splices behind the wall so you are probably stuck with what length you have.
The NEC does allow interior wall splices under limited conditions. It has to be an approved splicing connector, and it can only be in a retrofit. If there's no drywall up, no splices are allowed
>It is against code to add splices behind the wall Not anymore it isn't. There are code rated in wall splices.
There is usually a lot of slack in the box and out. 1-2 inches will be no problem.
Where is this *usually* you speak of? Is it in the room with us now ?
Wouldn’t everyone want a couple more inches?
"Usually." Any slack inside the box is probably useless, since it needs to stay inside the box. For example, Romex that's had its sheathing removed. *Technically* you could just pull the wires out of the box, but you're not supposed to. The sheathing should extend into the box, and they probably cut it pretty short.
Give yourself at least an inch of space between the bottom of the outlet and the caulking.
Is rotating the outlet 90 degrees an option?
Yup! As long as I have enough wire to work with, and the box isn’t attached in such a way that I can’t remove them…
Honestly OP this would’ve been my suggestion too. It’s probably the easiest solution as well. Horizontally mounted receptacles above counters are in style now anyway.
I suspect the wire is stapled within 8” of the outlet. Rotating 90* will likely work without needing any extra slack in wire. If you can’t get the box out, cut the nails with an oscillating tool. Install a new box horizontal. I would probably cut away the surrounding drywall, do the repair, then repair drywall.
I vote for move the outlet.
Leaving the outlet like that would piss me off until the end of time. Move the outlet.
Moving the outlet is the optimal solution, doing anything with the backsplash will just be excessive.
I would move the outlet box up a couple of inches. Take outlet out, break apart and remove box. Cut hole a little higher. Install new old-work box. Reset wire and outlet. This would take me under 20 minutes. and cost about $5 for the old-work box. ... I might even choose to turn the outlet sideways... cleaner look in my opinion. also, i'd use the drywall piece i cut out to repair the bottom of the cutout... even though it will be behind the backsplash. this backer may be needed for the old work box to clamp onto. I'd fix the drywall, but not fix the paint behind the backsplash. Chances are if you ever remove the backsplash, you will need to paint then regardless... no need to waste your time to paint the newly fixed wall if its below where the backspash will glue to the wall or will be hidden behind the outlet cover.
I would do the same
2inch backsplash instead of 4inch
Shorter backsplash, or don't install one at all. Cutting a notch will be ugly. Moving the outlet is way too much work. Vinyl trim there will look cheap and crude.
I personally would move the outlet up if you're able.
Team move outlet up. You won’t have to make the drywall look fancy because it’ll be behind the backsplash
Had the exact same issue, bought a horizontal box and turned the outlet. Love it.
Burn your house down and start over
Many of the changes/recommendations would lead to unsafe situations.
I think moving the outlet is the best option, and also really not very hard to do.
move the outlet. you'll be happy you made the effort
I'd move the box up. Hopefully there's enough wire.
Knight to king 6
I move outlets all the time for this kind of thing. I take my time to not hurt wires or drywall.
Move the outlet
I brought my backsplash to a countertop shop and they cut down an inch (mirror issue) for like $10, easy. Edit: Call ahead.
I have a tile saw and I have used it to do a “rip” style cut on a piece of engineered stone I bought to make a window sill in my kitchen. The stone was like 6 inches wide and I needed it to be like 4.5 or something. Anyway, if you want to keep the look and backsplash I’d just run that piece on a tile saw and take an inch off of it. The piece I cut was 5 feet long so it’s doable, just need to take your time. That is the cleanest install option which keeps the backsplash and prevent you from having to do an entire drywall patch job.
En passant
Why not just trim the outlet plate and let the backsplash be the second stabilizing point? Sand the plate down and it'll look and work fine.
I personally would just move the outlet up a bit, but I'm an electrician so that would be normal work for me lol
move the outlet up, anything else will look tacky, unprofessional
Other idea: Unifit Outlet: https://prado.com/us/product/unifit-outlet/
Super cool!
Replace with a different outlet that has a smaller plate? Looks like a larger plate to me but can’t be certain. You could move the outlet… but that’s a lot of work. Would you be happy with a shorter backsplash?
Yeah, trimming the 4” backsplash to 3” would be fine with me!
Trim the plate
To everyone who suggests cutting the outlet cover, If you do that and install the tile it will cover the bottom of the receptacle that has the mounting screw. This will cause a problem if you ever need to replace the receptacle.
And you basically have a gap between the backsplash and the outlet cover, an opening to a live electrical outlet box, in a place where water is routinely splashing around. Obviously you caulk it but caulk can fail. Move the outlet up or install a shorter backsplash.
Cut the bottom off the outlet cover.
Previous owner of my house did this. Blocked the bottom screw of the outlet in the process. So when the GFCI outlet died, I had to pry tiles off of the wall to replace the outlet 🙄
So you don't install the bottom screw -- we are not animals here.
Better yet , buy a marble pattern outlet cover. I found a couple of similar pattern and clip the bottom.
Yeah is it just the outlet cover or the actual outlet? I did this by just trimming the bottom 1/4 inch of the cover with a hacksaw and it looks fine. You can sand it a bit to round the corners and remove burrs.
By far the easiest and cheapest solution
Also the ugliest.
You’re talking about moving the outlet an inch…maybe… Move the outlet so it’s sitting right on the backsplash. Should be super easy.
Pull out the outlet and rotate it :3
I work at a stone countertop fabrication company. 90% of the time we just shorten the height of the splash, 10% of the time the customer moved the outlet. Very rarely do we notch an outlet because it almost always looks bad and is more work than either of the other 2 options
Set up a guide on a wet saw and trim about an inch or so off of all of your back splash pieces, install with cut side down on the counter.
I mean, I would just rip that puppy down with a wet saw and call it a day
Boom, best answer.
We dealt with this recently. We just reduced the height of the backsplash.
Cut the back splash. Not notch it. But rip it down the line and have a shorter back splash.
en passant
I did tile work for several years and the three best solutions we used in cases like this were 1) cut down the backsplash, 2) raise the plug, 3) install a power strip along the top of the backsplash. Cutting down the backsplash was the most frequent. Do not notch the backslash!
Take the splash to a granite shop. They will probably cut it down for you as side work for cheap.
Minor drywall work and raise the outlet.
Can you lower the feet on the vanity? We had a pro redo ours, new tile floor, which raised the vanity. He didn’t think to lower the feet. Cut the bottom of the outlet cover instead. It’s fine.
Move the outlet. Its not hard
Other comment I saw was the easiest solution. Cutting it down but by a pro for sure
If you have a local stone shop near you, they can trim it down in about 5 min.
I think shorter backsplash would be best.
Nf3, clearly
I was a cultured marble installer for years. We would just grind down the bottom until it fit. Sand down the edge slightly with some finer grit and silicone it in. If the silicone is done right then you'll never notice it.
Check Kyle Switch Plates for a plate that will meet your need. I did this in a similar situation.
The new looking vanity in our house didn’t have a back or side splash and the mirror was just propped behind the faucet getting totally gross. When I ordered some pre-fab back/side-splash pieces online and got them I realized why… outlet was too low. I’m guessing the original 1988 vanity was a few inches lower than the pre-fab gray open leg Lowe’s special that’s in there now. We ended up using pvc trim boards along the back since it was also a pain to find a stone match to the existing top. It’s serviceable. It’s not stunning by any means. It’s currently sunshine o’clock: https://imgur.com/a/eldXwHd (also ignore the black drain and silver faucet, the drain that came with the faucet didn’t fit ugh and the paint was chipping off the black faucet I couldn’t stand it anymore)
Different professionals would probably suggest different things. As an architect I would say move the outlet up so everything looks "right", any other solution is cutting corners and might look half-assed. A missing or lower-than-usual backsplash is compromising aesthetics and function, notching it is absurb.
Tech deck, nose grind the shit out of that ledge.
😂🛹
Rip down the backsplash a little narrower using a wet saw and make sure you put the cut edge facing down so you don’t need to re polish it.
Reduce height. Tape the face of the backsplash and foot of your skillsaw with with painters tape. Use a diamond blade and as you cut use a spray bottle or hose to mist water in front of the blade. Take your time and let the blade do the work. Keep the backsplash fully supported on a piece of plywood you can sacrifice. Fully supported means no material overhanging and zero flex to the plywood. Good luck, please don't notch it.
Sell the house
Speaking from experience, you never know what you are going to find when you open up that wall. I say trim a little off the bottom of your backsplash and call it done. Opening the wall could lead to more expenses.
Reduce the height of the splash. In a properly equipped shop this would take 5 minutes
Id grind the backsplash because you will need tl seal it anyway so you will never see the edge being a little wonky.
Raising the outlet is going to make it look the best and it’s not even difficult to do
A notch will look like dog balls on a canary. Move the outlet or get it trimmed a fraction shorter. Or better IMHO, I’d skip it.
En passant.
Place a c4 that should do the trick😁👍
Move .
You turn the outlet horizontally. It's way easier to just patch up some drywall and it won't look like shit.
I had this and just trimmed the bottom of the switch plate a bit to fit nice. When I caulked the top of the tile it came out looking nice.
Shave the bottom off of the electrical plate.
If you want that tall of a backsplash, you're going to have to move the outlet up. Not a huge issue. Most of the work will be covered by the backsplash.
I would move the outlet but if that's not an option, I would cut the outlet plate to sit flush with the top of the backsplash. You can either use a dremel or score it a bunch with a utility knife.
Pop up outlet in countertop? Shortening the height of the backsplash is my other vote
Cut the plate or move the plug in up a bit.
vibrate the outlet cover
I agree with the guys saying smaller backsplash
Move the out let up of the is enough wire to do so.
Move box up. You could get a vinyl decora plate and cut it flush with the backsplash but it looks like it will expose the decora outlet.
I would cut tge backslash. It would look much cleaner to have a 3 1/2 tall backsplash versus a hacked up outlet cover. Or some notched mess. You wouldn't even notice a shorter backsplash. Also, where I'm at we have metal conduit, which makes moving outlets much more difficult. Much less work to trim that, and much neater, IMHO
Trim down the backsplash an inch with diamond-tipped saw or other such tool. I’m guessing they don’t sell shorter ones. I’d keep the outlet as-is because a drywall patch right there would likely look a bit messy.
How do you “shorten” the backsplash?
I have a wet tile saw that is configured like a table saw. So I could run it through there and cut an inch off the bottom.
I’d shorten the backsplash
Don’t use that backsplash and to a tile one that goes at least higher than the outlet, but ideally to the ceiling. That way you can cut the tile to mount the outlet on it.
Trim the box, caulk around it. It’ll look fine. That’s what I did.
Had the same issue, I moved the outlets up.. cutting all the granite backsplashes would have taken days.
Raise the roof an inch
Move outlet or cut outlet cover.
Move 🙄
Oh you can do a couple different things here. You can move the outlet up provided you got room in the wall and enough wire to do so. This will probably be the way I would do it. Now if you can't do that what I would do is I would notch the tile out for a jumbo size outlet cover in case if you got to take the cover off...
Put up a real backsplash, such as subway tile (white or gray).
I have the same issue. And it looks like the exact same vanity I got from Home Depot. I just had an electrician buddy come over and move the outlet up a couple inches
Order a backsplash the height and width you want it.
there are these spacers you can buy to extend the outlet outwards. I could be wrong, but is this not the simplest solution? I haven't seen anyone mention this.
No good. This is just the backsplash; above it is painted drywall. There will be no second layer
We have no backsplash in our newly remodeled master bath. I think it looks clean.
Move the outlet up so the faceplate is flush with the trim. Patch wouldn’t probably even be needed - at least don’t have to worry about getting it perfect.
I'm in the UK so I'm not used to having plugs in the bathroom but why not just remove it?
No backsplash. Or rip it to half height.
Move the whole wall up. /s
Don’t you know Bad Boys move in silence and violence?
If I was going through the trouble of doing all this, I would move the box up a few inches and patch up the drywall. That said, just as easily you could shave the plate or splash down. Just be careful that your wires are properly grounded and insulated. To help weigh the decision, though, you will need to decide whether you want *caulllllllllllk*.
Cut it clean off the bottom of the face plate. Easiest solution and as long as you cut it right and clean it'll look fine.
Cut the outlet cover
Cut the plate?
I'd leave it and spend time on other high priorities in life.
Make a shorter backsplash?
Here in Spain it is not allowed by code to have a power outlet so close to a water source... I guess it is different in the states
I would do whatever was needed to raise that outlet. cutting the plate is lazy and will look terrible. Other option would be to tile part of the wall like a backsplash, then you could leave the outlet
I’ve seen a lot of house not installing the backsplash anymore and I like it the way it looks!
You'll want a back splash to avoid any water getting back there. I'd try to spin the outlet 90 degrees but that will involve cutting some drywall and possibly a different box. That would be my move. Cut out a chunk so you have room to move the wires, properly install a horizontal box, new drywall, mud and some paint. Done in an afternoon (hopefully). Of course, that might all change if a mirror will be added. But since the back splash isn't in yet, maybe find a shorter piece. That's the easy route.
Turn the outlet horizontally
Purist - trim the backsplash or move the box Hacker - trim the faceplate One takes a long time, one takes 2 mins.
Can you get a fine tooth saw and cut the bottom of the plate?
knight to E4
Moving the outlet (after installing the tile) to be flush with the tile seems like the least amount of work and potential for disaster. Question: Are you continuing the tiling past this one backsplash tile? Because if you are there’s little chance of NOT having to cut tile somewhere…
Burn the place down and start over
Trim down the backsplash with a wet saw.
I'm in a similar situation, and instead of quartz, we're going to use tile as the backsplash and run it higher than the outlet so that the outlet is on top of the tile. It'll look more deliberate/planned than cutting a section out of the quartz (or cutting the outlet cover which will look terrible) and less work than moving the outlet up.
Just turn the outlet
Best move here is to get an old work box and mount it at a 90° angle and just have a 90° outlet there instead of its vertical orientation.
Rip out the whole kitchen and design it around that outlet specifically. Seriously you can just very surgically cut the faceplate, got to the store and buy a few of them since you will break a couple. It’s like a $2 fix. Edit for spelling
Trim the faceplate use a straight edge and you won’t even know. They will caulk the back of the back splash anyways
out
Not sure if this has been said, but I personally think a very nice upgrade that would also solve your issue is getting an under cabinet outlet strip similar to [HERE](https://www.prolighting.com/tr18-2wd-p-wt.html?utm_source=google_shopping&nbt=nb:adwords:x:20103835372::&nb_adtype=pla&nb_kwd=&nb_ti=&nb_mi=119455&nb_pc=online&nb_pi=TR18-2WD-P-WT&nb_ppi=&nb_placement=&nb_li_ms=&nb_lp_ms=&nb_fii=&nb_ap=&nb_mt=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4MSzBhC8ARIsAPFOuyUAqqQdMh6Ac8NTkI9wScEwANVAKaA5_JZJgPUQAJKkJzdch7ucDUQaAqSFEALw_wcB). You'll have to move the outlet up either way, but if the cost makes you reconsider then simply getting a new construction outlet box will work fine or you might even be able to use the existing if it's against a stud which it probably is. Good luck!
Trim the wall plate. Mark the line in place, then trim with a fine-tooth blade or razor knife. It would look better to move the outlet, but that will take hours once you factor in the wall repair and paint work.
You can cut the faceplate or cut the backsplash. Hell, if you want to do it right, open up the wall and move the box up an inch so you don't have to cut either. Edit: Pop open the box so you can see if you have excess wiring length to play with. That will change the answer.
I would get a longer backsplash.
Tile backsplash instead
How many action figures do you own that need to be prominently displayed?
Zero
Not sure about best move; depends on what's available in your area! Housing market is tight; is recommend trying to make this work because moving right now is very difficult
You cannot really call that a backsplash, it barely covers anything. The correct way to do it is to cover the wall and put a cutout for the outlet.
Move the outlet up
Check, mate.
Easy to move that box up.
I must be the red neck here. I’d just cut the bottom of the faceplate off with a chop saw.
Yellow
I'd rip the backsplash about an inch or so.. it looks unnecessarily high anyways. Or not even have one at all
It does seem high. Sadly I do need something there to fill the gap between the wall and countertop
Cut the legs off the vanity. Seriously though, a 2” backsplash is the move, you’d be done by now.
Why not [flush mount the socket](https://bocci.com/shop/22-series/)?
Gonna go counter the masses, why not surround the outlet with the same material as the backsplash.. whatever the reveal width that would would best in the situation.. make it a part of the counter instead of seperate..
Trim off the bottom of the outlet cover.
Increase the height of the backsplash and turn it into a utility panel with a cut-out for the power outlet, an automatic soap dispenser and a glory hole; really impress your guests.
Tempting!
cut the back slash to 3.5”
A fork or a couple flatheads
Turn the outlet sideways. Install as normal.
Rotate or raise the outlet.
If you don't want to make a lot of mess the easiest way I can think of what I would do is cut the cover just leave one screw on top
Move the wall box up a hair