What Do You Do With Electric Boxes When Finishing a Basement Ceiling?

Electrical Codes

• The National Electrical Code states that junction boxes and other wiring boxes must remain accessible and cannot be hidden. Electricians refer to this as "burying a box," which means to cover it in some way so it disappears from view. The building inspector for a basement remodel will require a rough wiring check, which takes place before the drywall or other wall coverings are put in place. During this inspection, the inspector notes the location of the existing wiring boxes.

Decorative Box Covers

• Decorative box covers are an easy and practical option. The round wiring-box cover screws directly to the wiring box. This serves two functions: It covers the box opening to meet electrical codes while keeping the box accessible, and it blends in with the ceiling without being overly obvious and hides the box from view. The box covers are inexpensive, made of metal or plastic, and easily accept paint to match your ceiling.

Access Panels

• When an electrical box is positioned above the finished ceiling and does not reach the drywall, an access panel may be required. An access panel is easily removed to allow an electrician to reach the electrical box inside the ceiling. Access panels are round or square and fasten the to the ceiling joists. They are more noticeable than decorative box covers, although you can paint them to match the ceiling. Sometimes moving boxes is practical to avoid using access covers, but not always.

Attach a Fixture

• If you can use a box to hang a fixture from and not have it appear out of place, this is one way to hide a box and still meet electrical code, provided you don't exceed the number of wires allowed in the box. When wiring the basement, if you plan the location of the boxes to coincide with the planned fixture locations, you minimize the number of box covers required and end up with a basement ceiling without extra covers or access panels.