# Aluminum Foil Over Lightswitch



## TxBuilder (Oct 11, 2006)

My house is roughly half a century old and the two bathrooms share a common wall. Along this common wall in the bathroom I am remodeling is the shower stall.

After taking down the tile I realized the light swith electrical box to the other bathroom is behind the tile of my shower stall, def. a building violation now days.

I really don't want to mess with it. I have no fear of it getting wet at all but I don't like it touching sheetrock so I put a barrier of aluminum foil, then roofing paper then drywall.

Is wrapping the exteriror of an electrical box with alum. foil bad? I couldn't think of any issues. In my mind I saw it as a barrier between a spark lighting the roofing paper on fire.

Any thoughts?


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## Snoonyb (Oct 12, 2006)

TxBuilder said:
			
		

> After taking down the tile I realized the light swith electrical box to the other bathroom is behind the tile of my shower stall, def. a building violation now days.?



Absolutly not true.



			
				TxBuilder said:
			
		

> I really don't want to mess with it.?



Then do not.



			
				TxBuilder said:
			
		

> I have no fear of it getting wet at all but I don't like it touching sheetrock so I put a barrier of aluminum foil, then roofing paper then drywall.?



It is not only common, but recommended building practice to have wiring boxes surrounded with both plaster and drywall and where they occur on exterior as well as perty wall, to be caulked.
It is also general practice to adjust the depth so that they are even with the finished wall surface, so that the box is the screw stop, not the wall material, for the devices placed in these boxes.

The box, regardless of the material, acts as an insulator, an isolater and as a conduit for heat disipation to the open air space within the stud bay.

This, although as unecessary and impractical as your process, is a "KISS PRINCIPAL". Just use masking tape.


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## petey_racer (Oct 12, 2006)

I completely agree with Snoony. Everything you are doing is completely unnecessary.

The box itself does the job you intend for the foil. And the roof paper serves no purpose.


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## K2eoj (Oct 18, 2006)

Hey thanks for the gret info on this site. My dish was down for a storm last night and I got to read a bunch of info here. Maybe I should just take down the dish.


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