How to mount a shallow electrical box

[Jeff White]

I have to mount some electrical boxes in an outside wall with not much depth (about 2″: wallboard w/ plaster skimcoat (50yr old house), 1″ furring strip it’s mounted on, then brick outsite). There are other outlets mounted in these walls so I know it can be done.

Most of the plastic boxes for old work construction have 2 ears that swing up and are tightened against the back of the wall via a screw on the front of the box. I’ve seen some shallow boxes, but they don’t have any mounting ears like this,

How are these supposed to be secured to a wall? Some of the shallow boxes have 2 screw holes at the top and bottom of the box, are you supposed to cut out a fairly precise opening for the box, and then use the screw holes to secure it to the wall?

Thanks.

[dp]

useing short screws like 3/4 inch screw thru back(perhaps have to drill holes in box) into back wood in hole

or use furing strip section to build up to screw into

use your head, it only needs a screw ot two to hold it

you could buy the old work box with the ears and transfer them over to the shallow box

or a trip to electric supply for shallow old work box, not home depot a real epectric supply house in your town

dp

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