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I've had to install a few of these in "old work" contexts (i.e. drywall is already up) in garages. I typically cut out enough drywall to snugly fit the box (4"x4") next to the stud, fit the new box in, and screw it into the stud.

However, I can never align the screws holding the box to the stud in a way that the box is flush with the drywall. If I try to use the existing screwholes (see picture below), the box ends up way too deep / not flush with the rest of the drywall and it looks weird (and makes it harder to properly put an extension ring on top of it). So I usually drill my own holes deeper in the box (and often buy the deeper 2-1/8" boxes) to attempt to make it flush with the drywall. This takes a lot of time, is not very precise, and requires me to drive the screws in at weird angles. Surely there's a better way to do this.

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I can't use boxes with brackets since this is "old work" and I don't have the space to screw it into the stud. I also couldn't find any "old work" 4" metal boxes (at least not at big box stores).

So, how do people usually install 4" metal boxes in old work settings without a lot of pain and frustration?

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  • I found some old-work 4" metal boxes (e.g. 52171-OW) and retrofit brackets (e.g. Raco 206RAC) that seem like they should work, but both seem very expensive and not widely available. Surely there's something cheaper and available in more places?
    – peter
    Commented Aug 9 at 22:15
  • What's really wrong with deeper boxes and your own holes? If you're doing this a lot can't you get good at it? If not, use the expensive ones, or, I don't generally like it but if it's just a rare repair, don't tell anyone I said this, but, use plastic? So easy.
    – jay613
    Commented Aug 9 at 22:28
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    Have you seen Raco 187 ext rings? You position the rectangle vertical for single gang, horizontal for two-gang. platt.com/p/0052108/hubbell-raco/…
    – NoSparksPlease
    Commented Aug 9 at 23:42
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    ah interesting, so I could use a 1-gang old work metal box (like this one) with that extension ring? That could work
    – peter
    Commented Aug 9 at 23:48
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    To be fair, if I find the retrofit box for that price I'll probably buy it. It was hard to find availability online (and many places sold it in large packs), but perhaps a quick trip to my nearest electric supply shop will do the trick.
    – peter
    Commented Aug 10 at 0:48

1 Answer 1

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Summarizing a few approaches from the comments, in order of "clean and easy" -> "cheap and hard":

  1. 4" old-work metal box

    (Thanks to @jay613 for pointing out the cheaper prices)

    Turns out these do exist, but just aren't sold at big box stores. Here's an example: Southwire 52171-OW.

    Pro: I can install those anywhere in the stud bay, and don't have to make the cutout right next to the stud. It'll also be perfectly flush with the drywall due to its installation method.

    Con: It won't be as securely mounted as when attached to a stud. This may make a difference if I have a box extension ring on top of it and some EMT connected to that, though I can probably just fasten the EMT close-by to make it stable.

  2. 1-gang old-work metal box + RACO 187 extension ring

    (Thanks to @NoSparksPlease for the reference to RACO 187)

    Since my ultimate goal is to attach a box extension ring anyway, this solves my overall problem without requiring a 4" old-work box. Both of these items are sold at Home Depot. Examples: 1-gang old-work metal box, extension ring.

    Pro: Similar to the 4" old-work box but also available at big box stores.

    Con: Same as 4" old-work box, but the combination of these two items may be more expensive.

  3. Attach to stud via side knockout + washer

    (Thanks to @Heusmann for the idea)

    Remove some knockouts (e.g. 1/2"), buy washers and screws and use them to attach to the stud. Might be slightly cleaner / easier than drilling new holes.

    Pro: Cheap / easy to find material.

    Con: Aligning the screws to make the box flush with drywall will still be tricky. Still need to screw in at an angle.

  4. Use a deeper box and drill my own screw-holes

    This is effectively what I was already doing. It's the cheapest option but just requires some extra time while installing, and requires some skill to make it flush with the drywall.

    Pro: Almost no extra parts needed.

    Con: Takes more time and looks less accurate.

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