Those extender rings have bailed me out more times than I can count, especially in older homes where the boxes are barely deep enough for standard switches, let alone smart ones. I’ve tried a cou...
Honestly, I feel like “slim” is just code for “slightly less chunky but still a pain.” I tried a Lutron Caseta and it was maybe a hair thinner than the Leviton, but still had me cramming wires like I was stuffing a suitcase before vacation.
- Extender rings help, but then the plate sticks out and looks weird.
- Cutting wires shorter? Did that once, instantly regretted it when I had to swap the switch again.
- At this point, I’m starting to think smart bulbs are less hassle for outdoor stuff, even if the switches look cooler.
Maybe it’s just me, but I haven’t found a truly “slim” one yet.
Yeah, the “slim” switches are honestly just the least-bad option, not a true fix. I’ve got a 70s house and those boxes are basically thimbles. I tried shaving down the drywall a bit to get an extra millimeter once—never again. For outdoors, I ended up with smart bulbs in the porch fixtures and just left the old switches alone. It’s not as slick, but at least my plates don’t look like they’re floating off the wall. Sometimes simpler really is better…
I totally get the struggle with those tiny 70s boxes. I once tried to swap out a switch in a mid-century ranch and ended up with a handful of plaster dust and a switch that still stuck out like a sore thumb. Sometimes you just have to pick your battles, right? For my own backyard, I went with smart bulbs too—mostly because I didn’t want to mess with the original hardware (and honestly, I was worried about breaking something old and irreplaceable). It’s not as seamless as having everything on one slick panel, but it works, and it keeps the vintage vibe intact.
Funny thing is, guests never notice the difference. They just like that the lights come on when they walk up. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough... especially if it saves you from patching drywall for hours.
Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough... especially if it saves you from patching drywall for hours.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve wasted too many weekends fighting with old boxes just to get a switch flush. Smart bulbs are a solid workaround, especially if you want to keep the original look. Not perfect, but way less hassle.
I get where you’re coming from, but I keep wondering about long-term reliability. I’ve had a couple smart bulbs lose connection after firmware updates, which is a pain if they’re in hard-to-reach fixtures. Has anyone had better luck with outdoor-rated smart switches? Or do those bring their own headaches?
