It sounds like the outlet box need to be 1.25" from the concrete. Wallmate has it 1/2" away the way I read it. Wallmate is correct. What has to be 1.25" away from the drywall is the wiring, unless it's protected. Your electrician will know what form of protection is acceptable in your jurisdiction. (I'm assuming this is done to Code.) I guess my real question is am I better off just framing in front of the Wallmate in the areas I want outlets. As I've posted before, the drawback to Wallmate is the special attention that has to be paid to electrical services on the wall. You have to be sure the boxes will not protrude past the surface of the finished wall and you have to protect the wiring by using armoured cable (AC) conduit or other protection. (Though you can router out a channel in the Wallmate for wiring, that would seem to be self-defeating.) All that strapping is more like firewood than lumber! Try to get pieces that are just out of the shipping wraps, stack them in your basement and get them on the wall before they turn into skis! Don't hesitate to cut off curved portions. It doesn't have to look pretty, just has to hold the insulation and provide a base for attaching the drywall.

I'm in the planning stages but have put tons of thought into this. Hopefully I won't have to tweak it too much when I do the framing walkthrough. (You really should walk though the framed house before finalizing the locations.) No Christmas package (don't decorate for holidays) or intercom. Outlets at a few locations specifically for nighlights (in bathrooms and in hallways) so we don't have to flip on the overhead lights in order to use the facilities in the middle of the night. Switch for the bathroom fan between the toilet and the vanity (instead of with the other switches near the door) so that it is accessible from the toilet and standing in front of the vanity. Duplex outlets near the TV area. Duplex outlet mounted higher on the wall than normal for the main phone area which will be a nich in the wall. Duplex outlets to either side of all potential bed headboards. Oulets dedicated for cell phone charging in an elevated nich. Duplex outlet, tv cable (for internet) and phone (for fax) anywhere that I plan to (or even might) have a computer. Outlet immediately beside the loft railing in case we ever want to put lights across the railing we can plug them in without a tripping hazzard. Although we probably won't need them, I am putting one oulet just inside each WIC. In my workshop, I'll put an outlet 5' high so that I can put a shelf under it to hold a small radio and clock but still be able to put tables or work space under it. Outlets closer together than Code requires so that it's more convenient. Switches for a room at EVERY entrance into that room. (Our current house doesn't have switches at every entrance and it's a pain.) We will have a small vestibule (for guest entry) and small mudroom for our entry from the garden that are beside each other. Their lights will be on the same switch so that when we walk from outside, into the mudroom, into the entry (from interior access) and then finially into the main house we don't have to flip lights on and off every few steps. Just once when we enter the mudroom and again when we enter the main house. Don't forget electrical service for any undercabinet lights. There are past threads about outlets that are mounted so that they are accessible from inside cabinet drawers so that clothing irons or hairdryers can be left plugged in all of the time and stored in the drawers. I'm considering that, too. In a similar manner, outlet inside of mixer lifter kitchen cabinet for mixer. Outlets and switch for pendant lights on the kitchen island. Outlet for microwave that will be raised above countertop height. Exterior grade outlets at multiple places outside that are easily accessible from the porch and patio areas (not for Christmas lights). Outlet at attic access incase I need to plug in a light there since we will have minimal lighting there.

The problem with my bathroom's layout are the walls/ceiling. Two walls have a low, very sloped wall/ceiling - we have a steep Mansard roof that begins about 3 feet up from the floor. On the third wall is an arched window dormer. The fourth and only flat wall in the room is tiled in marble. An outlet would either have to be installed smack in the middle of the tile (no thanks), on the sloped ceiling, or near the floor across the room from the sink and mirror, which would make using appliances a real pain. There is no light switch (lights turn on at the source), so nothing to tap into there. I am guessing this is why no one has replaced the 1940s sconce/outlet combo that's in there now! However, I really like the sound of putting an outlet inside the medicine cabinet. Pretty clever idea, I may have to try that!

I have had gas and electric ranges over the years, but for the last 30+ I have cooked on electric until I moved and our new condo had a gas range. Everyone was all agog over it and told me I would LOVE the gas range that it was so much better than electric. For the last 20 years before our move, I cooked on smooth top electric ranges and loved them! But everyone kept telling me gas was better. Turns out, I DO NOT love the gas range. It doesn't boil water as fast as my electric one did and seems to take forever to preheat the oven. And I've had a hard time adjusting to the fact that if I don't use hot pads to remove my pans off the stove top, I'll burn my hands. And don't leave your stirring spoon in the pot for more than a second if you don't want to burn off a finger or two. My cookies don't rise -and they're either not done enough or too done, can't get it just right like before. AND the worst part is cleaning it! That's the main reason I switched to a smooth top all those years ago - they take a little getting used to the different cleaning method, but when you learn the tricks, they're a breeze compared to the old coil or this gas behemoth! It takes me a good hour to clean around all the burners and try to be careful not to get cleaner or food down those little slots around the sides. And even using a degreaser detergent, it still looks greasy after going over it several times. Give me my smooth top back! . . . where I can just scrap off the burnt on food with a razor blade - or if there isn't anything burnt on, I can just wipe on a little cleaner and polish it off with a paper towel. When wiping down the countertops with a little dish soap, I can include the stovetop and keep it sparkling clean on a daily basis. I have severe arthritis in my hands and moving those heavy grates off the top and then the cleaning around all the little places is just a little too much for me (not to mention getting gunk off the grates). That is why, after 2 1/2 years of trying to get used to it, I have decided to replace my gas range with a brand new smooth top electric range. People tell me I must be CRAZY because I'm the only person they know who prefers electric over gas. The only thing I will miss is turning off the heat immediately when something boils over. So I will have to get used to moving the pan off again. But it's worth it to me to clean up a boil over on the smooth top vs. the gas burner-cover-slots thing. AND I'll have my wonderful convection oven back and maybe my cookies too!