5 Reasons It's Time to Upgrade Your Electrical Cover Plates

Posted by wallplate on January 2nd, 2020

If you're like most homeowners, you probably don't give a lot of thought about your home's wall plates. Perhaps it's time you should. Look around your house, and you'll find that you have switch plates and electrical cover plates in every room. Individually, they may be quite small, but taken together and they have a significant impact on your home's aesthetics. Here are a few reasons it might be time to install new electrical cover plates.

1. Safety

Your wall plates are the last line of defense between you and your home's electrical system. If you have an electrical cover plate that's cracked or has come off completely, that's an unsafe situation. In particular, if you have pets or small children around, you'll want a new cover plate installed as quickly as you can.

2. Plastic Wall Plates Fade

If you haven't replaced your wall plates lately, you're probably still living with the ones that came with your house. While white plastic cover plates may have been "white" when they were brand new, their color will fade over time — especially if they're in bright sunlight. This can give a wall a dingy, dirty appearance which can only be resolved with new plates.

3. Plastic Cracks

Even worse than fading, perhaps, is that plastic wall plates tend to crack. They crack so easily, in fact, they can do so during installation. All it takes is one twist two many from a screwdriver, and the front of a cover plate can be irrevocable damage. The result is an eyesore (and safety hazard) that remains until it's replaced.

4. Attractive New Materials

Replacing your current cover plates with new ones gives you the opportunity to upgrade the look of your home with materials like ceramic or metal. You can install electrical cover plates made of brushed copper or nickel. You can choose filigree designs. You can even mix it up and install one style of the cover plate in the living room, and a different style in the kitchen. The choice is yours.

5. Durable Designs

When you install new ceramic or metal wall plates, you're upgrading to materials that will last. They won't crack or fade like plastic, and they can withstand the kinds of bumps and chaos that comes with a household, so you won't have to worry about dents or scratches.

If you're ready to give your home a fresh new look, you'll find all sorts of sharp new electrical cover plates just by shopping online.