Switch plates for uneven wall

Question

We put in a new backsplash and it extends to the center of a wall switch with two rockers. One of the rockers is at the level of the tile and the other rocker is at the level of the drywall. Is the best way to cover these with two narrow wall plates?

Answer 1

Get a 2-gang box extender to bring the front surface of the box out to the level of the tiles.

Then add some trim around the right-hand half to bring the level up to the same as the tiles:
This trim can be wood or whatever you like, since it's not exposed to the internals of the electrical box (thanks to the box extender).

Finish with a standard decora 2-gang cover-plate.

Answer 2

You have a dual gang wall box with two switches in it. You need a dual gang wall plate to cover the whole box. While a web-search shows that split wall plates do exist, they appear to be still for mounting in the same plane, not stepped like your backsplash is forcing.

Possible ways to get around this problem:

• Continue the backsplash into the corner so both switches come away from the wall the same amount, then cover with a standard dual gang switch plate.
• Move the edge of the backsplash away so the switches can mount against the wall as before and cover with a standard dual gang switch plate.
• Replace the dual gang box with a single gang box, move it over a little so the whole single gang switch plate will fit in the wall space available, and replace the two separate switches with a single gang dual-toggle switch and single gang switch plate.
• Replace the dual gang box with two single gang boxes, move both over a little so the whole single gang switch plates will fit in the wall space available, and mount one box above another so they are vertically stacked, with enough space between so both switch plates will fit correctly.
• Move the switches completely to another code-compliant part of the room.

Answer 3

Cut the tiles back still further so you can get both flush to the original wall, or finish the tiling to the architrave.

Or, at a push, see if both switches will fit the gap between the two - it looks like it just might, with a bit of very rough Photoshopping.
…and buy two switches that match.

Otherwise, you're going to want to kick yourself every time you see that, for the next decade at least.