Important Considerations when Buying Wall Plates

If you're replacing a broken or faded wall plate with an identical new one, buying your replacement wall plate doesn't take much thought. However, suppose you're looking to upgrade your home's look, and you're buying wall plates as décor online. In that case, you need to give things a bit more consideration to ensure that you're purchasing the suitable wall plates—namely, one that suits the style you're looking for while also fitting properly over your switches. So, before you click that "buy" button on those new switch plates, keep reading to learn a few additional considerations you should keep in mind.

When changing your wall plates' colors, it's essential to keep in mind the color of your switches. Will that new color, material, or pattern still look the way you pictured it if it has the standard white switch in the middle of it? If you're concerned about how the current switch color will look with the new wall plate around it, you may want to consider switching out your switches too. This is a bit more complicated than replacing the wall plates, but it will create a more coordinated look to have the switches matching the plates around them.

Wallplates need to be screwed on, and for most styles, the heads of those screws will remain visible. Double-check that your new wall plate comes with matching screws for installation; a chic black wall plate doesn't look the same if you have to use your white screws to install it. While you could paint the heads of the screws, this typically doesn't achieve the same look like those made to match.

Another option is to look for screwless wall plates. This eliminates matching the screws since the screw heads won't be visible after installation. This creates a much smoother look too.

Finally—and most importantly—double-check that you're buying wall plates with the right size and configuration of openings for your switches. Single toggle switches are the most common setup, but if you have rocker switches instead, you'll need plates with a larger opening. Similarly, if you're buying wall plates for a combination of switches, make sure you purchase ones with the right size and configuration to fit correctly. A wall plate that doesn't fit won't do you any good, no matter how pretty it looks.

Once you've double-checked all of these things, you can click that "buy" button and purchase your wall plates for décor online with total confidence.