Glass Switch Plate – The Ultimate FAQ Guide

You wouldn’t be able to find a shortage of glass switch plates and similar products in the market. But if you want your business to prosper and to be the best, you need to find the right glass switch plate manufacturer.

For this guide, we’ll give you all the information you need about switch plate covers. Not only that, but we will also help and assist you in finding out what features and benefits you can get with them, where you can find the best manufacturers, and so on!

What is a Glass Switch Plate?

It’s a type of complementary component of fixtures, particularly lighting that protects and adds some type of style and design to switches.

An image of what a glass switch plate looks like (in 2 different colors)

Oftentimes, people know it as switch plates because the “glass” part has just been recently introduced in the market.

The main purpose of a switch light cover or plate is to protect and keep the electrical box secure from unwanted external dilemmas.

Where Do You Use Glass Switch Plates?

The primary use of glass outlet covers would be, of course, to cover conduit boxes and wall holes where electricity would be coming through.

Glass outlet switch plate with two (2) buttons

It’s not required to have a glass switch plate, though because most of the time, people choose regular plastic or PVC switch plate covers.

Apart from these uses, though, you can make use of these socket cover plates in other applications too, such as:

• Home Security Pads
• Furniture or Decorative Display
• Parts and Components for Electronic Consumer Devices
• Machinery and Equipment Cover Pads
• And Many More!

Because of the shape, the clarity, and the overall durability of glass outlet covers, you’ll never have any shortage of where you can use them!

You can find many uses for them as long as the part or the component that you’ll install it to needs a decorative glass finish!

What Are Clear Glass Switch Plates?

Some of you might think of clear glass switch plates as a clear, no-colored type of switch cover. You’re not wrong, though, because they really are clear.

A nearly perfect example of a clear glass switch plate

But, you wouldn’t actually know that they’re clear because it’ll project the image, color, style, and the design of where you’ll be placing it.

For instance, if your wall outlet or socket is placed or located where the background is tiled, the clear glass socket cover will adapt to that and take on the tiled design. It wouldn’t have a frosted finish to make it seem like it’s “clear.”

You can opt to go with a frosted glass switch plate product though to achieve something that looks like this:

An image of a frosted outlet cover switch plate that has beveled edges

Other than that, you have a ton of other options of styles and designs to go with! That brings us to our next topic or question, which is about…

What Designs and Styles of Glass Switch Plates Can You Purchase?

In choosing a socket cover plate, you need to be sure of the design and the style you want to see.

If you’re doing business, the aesthetics and the overall physicality of the outlet cover plate will be influential to customers and clients.

There are many different ways to categorize the themes, styles, and designs of these glass switch covers. In fact, even glass switch plate wholesalers aren’t sure of how to group and categorize them.

So, what we’ll do to make everything easier is to give you the most common finishes and designs available in the market.

 Acid-Etched Glass Switch Plate

These are the outlet cover plates where its design is etched by acid, adding a rough texture on the outer or the exterior surface of it.

An image of an acid-etched glass switch plate

You wouldn’t really see designs on acid-etched glass outlet covers because the main design would be the texture.

Frosted Glass Switch Plate

An example of what a frosted glass cover outlet plate looks like

Just like acid-etched glass switch plates, frosted glass outlet covers would not have any type of design because the main design of it would be the frosted texture.

Tinted Glass Switch Plate

As opposed to both the frosted glass and acid-etched switch plate covers, tinted glass switch plates will appear as if it’s tinted by a particular color, style, or design.

A blue-tinted glass switch plate

This particular tint will be physically noticeable.

These are just some of the common styles, designs, and creative coatings glass switch plate manufacturers and suppliers do to their products.

What Materials Are Used to Make Switch Plate Covers?

You’ll find a multitude of raw materials in the creation or the manufacturing of socket cover plates.

An image of a rustic wooden switch cover plate

If you initially thought that they’re just limited to glass, PVC, and thermoplastics, think again!

Wood

Wood comes next to glass after popularity (excluding plastic and PVC, though) because it’s cheap, and it’s not that complex and difficult to style.

More often than not, switch cover manufacturers use wood instead of the usual glass switch plate because of the simplicity and the affordability that it has.

No person would turn down a nice accent and a smooth texture of wood, right? Along with it, the most common types and kinds of finishes and colors for these include Ash, Maple, Oak, Stained Wood, and many more!

Ceramic

Ceramic material has always been known to be the one to have the most elegant, the most sophisticated, and royalty type of look.

We’ve actually taken it from our ancestors back in the Mediterranean era. While the most common finish and color for ceramic switch cover plates would be the royal blue or the deep blue color, it’s not limited to that!

In fact, you will find a ton of other finishes and colors such as sunflower designs, green olives, turquoise, magenta, and many more!

Metal

You’ll think “hey, I never thought that metal is rare and unique after all,” until you realize how hard and difficult it is to find a household or even a commercial establishment that uses metal switch plate covers.

As a matter of fact, metal is known and considered to be the most unorthodox in this list. The finishes you can expect with metal switch covers would include antique designs as well as ancestral motifs – they’re perfect for the texture and the feel of the material.

Stone and Slate

Yes, you read it right – stone. Some manufacturers of lighting and fixtures offer a unique and rare quality of socket covers by including stone in the picture.

If you search about it on the internet, you’ll actually see a ton of great styles and designs when it came to stone and slate socket plates.

Some of the most common finishes and colors that you can have with these slate and stone plates include:

• Cream
• Ivory
• Almond
• Beige
• Cream

These are just some of the materials that lighting and fixture manufacturers use in the creation or the production of their switch cover plates.

Now you know that it’s not just glass switch plates surviving in the market.

Can You Cover a Light Switch Plate?

Due to their fragileness, some homeowners choose to cover the glass outlet covers that they have in their homes.

A sample image of a covered light outlet switch plate

And while it defeats the purpose of displaying the elegance and sophistication of the glass switch plate, they’re covering it up in order to avoid premature breakage or damage to the glass outlet cover.

There are many video tutorials posted online that relay the procedures, as well as the types of materials you can use to cover and protect your glass switch plates.

But, to give you too little information about it, here are some of them.

Some people choose to use knitted fabric because of the texture and the design it’s capable to provide. Others, though, stick to another layer of glass or oftentimes, thermoplastic to prevent cracking and damaging to the main glass cover plate.

Other covers that you can consider would include:

• Plastic Switch Outlet Plates
• PVC Cover Switch Plates
• Cut and Shaped Cardboard
• And Many More

https://youtu.be/zRcVTsG0mRc

Are the Sizes of Glass Light Switch Plates Universal?

No, the sizes and the dimensions of these glass outlet cover plates are not universal.

The reason for this is simply because not all lighting fixtures are created equally. It may seem like most outlets are the same size when you look at them at first glance, but in reality, they’re not.

However, here’s the value of the standard, preferred, and oversized socket cover plates:

• Standard Size Plate – 2.75 x 4.5 inches
• Preferred Size Plate – 3.13 x 4.88 inches
• Oversized Plate – 3.5 x 5.25 inches

NOTE: You don’t have to follow these, you can have your own sizes, especially if you’re in contact with your own glass switch plate manufacturer.

These figures are just rough guides and estimates of the dimensions when it comes to glass outlet covers.

What’s the Difference Between a Standard Light Switch Cover and a Preferred Glass Switch Plate?

An image of what a preferred glass switch plate size looks like

Going through the figures we gave above, you’ll notice that the standard size plate is different from the preferred size plate. How do they differ?

Some people might find this to be a bit self-explanatory, given the experience they have in the fixture industry. But, the vast majority of people wouldn’t have an inch of an idea of what this particularly matter is.

For the benefit of the majority – especially beginners, let us briefly discuss the differences between the two.

The standard switch plate cover size is like the “universal” or the most common size available. You’ll notice that the measurements are extremely accurate on a global level. It could also mean “standard” because it’s the size or the dimension that’s mostly bought by clients and customers.

On the other hand, the preferred glass switch plate size is the recommended version because it’s neither too tight nor too spacious. The size of it is just enough to entirely cover the conduit box or the wall in the hole for the electrical wires.

There were a couple of reports that said the standard switch plate cover was too tight for the allowance. That’s the reason why glass switch plate manufacturers created a preferred size.

How Do You Install Glass Switch Plates?

Installing a glass outlet cover

Whether you’re doing it for a newly constructed building or if you are trying to replace an old switch cover, this step-by-step procedure on how it’s done will be everything you need to fully understand how you can properly install and put in place a glass outlet cover.

1. Turn of all the electric or the electricity that runs through the socket or outlet you’re trying to change the cover to.
2. Start by removing the existing outlet cover plate from the wall by unscrewing it.
3. After that, observe and see if the facing part of the conduit box is flushed within the wall. If the wall is recessed, you need to place a screw spacer, and not doing this can cause the switch cover plate to crack.
   1. In installing a screw spacer, cut it depending on the measured length and install it to both the bottom and top mounting screws.
   2. After the spacers have been installed, return the electrical fixture back to the conduit box.
   3. Hold the glass outlet cover up to the electrical fixture. Make sure that the fixture is fitting against the back of the glass switch plate.
   4. Unlike a regular switch outlet cover plate, glass switch plates are flat on the backside, take note of this as some people are confused about it.
4. If the glass outlet cover plate is not bumping against the wall, you’d need an acrylic spacer to help fill in the spaces that the glass switch plate needs to.

We’ve gone the extra mile and found a video that can help you with this procedure even further.

https://youtu.be/oRD2H7c5ySc

Does Walmart Sell Light Switch Covers?

Try to think of something that Walmart doesn’t sell. The fact that they’re the top-selling retail outlet store in the world, basically means that they’re capable of marketing and selling everything they can get their hands on – and that includes a glass switch plate.

In the U.S., a lot of people go to Walmart for most of their needs, and if they’re in need of materials and tools in the electrical field, they can find it too.

If you’re wondering whether or not Walmart is selling light switch covers, don’t think about it too much because they do. As a matter of fact, they have unlimited offers for these types of items, especially if you’ll purchase them in bulk or in wholesale.

So, do you need a quick solution to the unfinished wall outlet that you have? Run to Walmart and get a glass switch outlet cover there.

The only drawback this has is that you wouldn’t be able to choose the exact type of glass switch plate you want. For instance, if you want a frosted glass switch plate, they might not have it on stock or they might not have it at all.

If you have specific requests on how you want your switch cover plates to look like, contact and work with a manufacturer – tell them about it.

How Do I Choose the Right Switch Plate?

If you ever find yourself unsure of the glass outlet cover plate you want for your business, fret not – we’ll list down some of the most important things you want to look at.

Different types, sizes, and colors of glass switch outlet covers

To make purchasing glass outlet cover plates easier and more convenient, try to follow and abide by these rules:

Step 1: Create a List of What You Want

The first thing you want to do is to make sure that you have a list of the complete things you want to see on your glass switch plate. It could be a design, a style, or just a plain-old description of how you want it to look.

Make sure that it’s complete and leave nothing unnoted.

Step 2: Clarify Descriptions and Specifications

When you have that, go to the functionality part and specify the description or the configurations you want to see.

Are you looking for something that comes in three (3) separate and different outlets? Do you want each of the holes to have a spacer in between?

These are some of the best examples of the descriptions and specifications you want to look at.

Step 3: Finalize the Orientation of the Plate You Want

Then, what you want to do next is to finalize the orientation of the glass switch plate. There are many different variations for this, not just vertical and horizontal – so do your research and finalize how you want it to be oriented.

Step 4: Decide on the Color and the Type of Finish

Last, but most definitely not least would be the color and the type of finish you want for your glass switch plate.

Not all stores have all the things you want, but that’s one of the many reasons why working with a glass outlet cover plate supplier is beneficial.

Apart from the fact that you can specify all of the features and functionalities you want to see, you’ll also have no problems in terms of the design and the style!

Nevertheless, this procedure can ultimately help you reach the goal of getting an accurate and exact glass switch plate for your needs!

Why Should You Choose a Glass Switch Plate Instead of a Standard Light Switch Cover?

Are there really beneficial and advantageous factors in choosing it?

Tons of people are not actually convinced why they should choose to use glass outlet covers than the regular and the conventional plastic switch light covers we use.

Marvelous beauty of a glass outlet cover switch plate

They say that it’s just added cost and it doesn’t actually do anything, in particular, to help the household overall.

But, in truth, there are actually a couple of benefits and advantages in choosing glass switch plates over the regular plastic ones we’re used to seeing.

Value

Glass has value like no other – in many cases, it’s even more valuable than steel and metal. If you’ve done a good job of taking care of it, you can actually sell it for a better price compared to plastic switch outlet covers.

Safety and Security

Did you know that if you tighten the screw of a plastic outlet switch, there’s a big chance that it can crack and be thoroughly damaged?

That doesn’t happen every so often with glass outlet covers. Although it can crack if it’s not installed correctly, it’s not as brittle and as weak as regular plastic switch outlet covers.

Better Aesthetics

Who would dare challenge glass products to a game of physicality and aesthetics? When you put them side-by-side, you would already know who the winner will be.

Add the fact that glass switch plate manufacturers usually offer better styles and designs, the color range of glass outlet colors are vaster and wider.

Durability and Resistance

Unlike plastic and wood light switch covers, glass switch plates would not succumb to cracking, peeling, and even discoloration – even if you leave them for years!

The major benefits of using a glass switch plate comes from its properties of being highly durable, flexible, and overall – versatile!

These are part of the most important things many people tend to overlook when looking at glass outlet covers. And if you’re doubting it at first, too – here’s your answer!

Can You Purchase Frosted Glass Outlet Covers?

Yes! In fact, several glass outlet cover suppliers and manufacturers offer this proactively to their clients.

A sample image of a frosted glass switch outlet cover

Although it’s not the most popular option for glass switch plates, your manufacturer should not fail to offer at least a type of coating or treatment for your light cover outlet plates.

As we mentioned above, other options for glass outlet covers include tinted glass finish, stepped glass finish, acid-etched finish, color-printed finish, and so on.

How Do You Test the Quality and Strength of a Glass Switch Plate?

There are multiple ways and methods on how you can test out the durability and strength of your glass outlet covers.

Testing the bendability and the strength of glass before shaping into an outlet switch cover

NOTE: Most, if not all manufacturers of glass switch plates perform comprehensive testing and calibration before it gets delivered.

You’ll want to test it out to have a second opinion of the quality of the glass. Several processes and methods you can partake and consider include:  

Temperature Testing

This is the test or the examination of whether or not the glass will be capable of resisting high and low temperatures.

As result, you’ll want to see if:

• There’s damage on the glass’s surface
• It got more brittle and weaker
• There are changes in the performance of the glass outlet cover

Penetrability Fragmentation Test

This test or calibration procedure is used to check and assess if the force required for a needle to penetrate is done easily.

If it does, then there’s a big chance that the glass switch plate will collect dust and dirt, which will alter the overall physicality of the material.

Breakage and Damage Test

Of course, this would include putting impact, force, and pressure to test out the limit or the capacity of the glass to withstand everything that’s put on it.

This, so far, is the most important because the primary functionality of your glass switch plate is to protect and cover an electrical outlet, right? If it breaks, then the risk of dangers and hazardous instances are increased.

These are some of the most common and most important tests and examinations you can do to test out the quality of your glass outlet cover.

Can You Get a Colored Glass Switch Plate?

Yes, and in fact, it’s one of the most common variations of glass outlet switch covers!

A sample image of a colored glass switch plate

Colored glass outlet covers have been one of the most popular products in the industry of lighting and fixture, simply because of the fact that they’re more elegant-looking, and they’re better blending compared to other types and kinds of materials.

You can choose from the wide array of all colors available and never have any shortage of the options you have.

In addition to that, you can even combine various colors into one glass outlet cover, like black and yellow, red and black, white and gold, and many more!

You’ll find an unlimited number of options for the colors of your glass switch plates and you’ll be overwhelmed by it!

Acrylic Light Switch Plate Cover vs. Glass Switch Plate

Acrylic, also known as a PMMA or polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent thermoplastic homopolymer material.

A perfect example of what an acrylic light switch cover plate looks like

It is one of the widely used types of thermoplastics in the glass industry.

Their overall composition is far from what glass has to offer, but it’s close to the overall physique of glass.

While they offer a more durable feat than that of glass outlet covers, it’s no match to the elegance, sophistication, as well as daring effect of the latter.

Acrylic outlet switch covers have its own advantages, they include:

• Lighter material, easier to store, carry, and transport
• More durable and more resistant to damages and cracks
• Cheaper and much more affordable than glass
• Heavily resistant to a wide array of chemicals
• And many more!

Value-wise, though, acrylic light switch plate covers wouldn’t even be half of what glass switch plates can offer.

So, in conclusion, you can choose acrylic outlet cover plates to cover up conduit boxes and electrical wall outlets. They’re durable, strong, and they’re less likely to be corroded or to be oxidized.

However, if you decide to choose them, the factor of style, elegance, and sophistication would automatically be thrown out the window.

What Color Should My Light Switch Cover Be?

By now, you should be at the understanding that you hold the decision on what color or design you want your switch light outlet covers to be in.

But what would be the best color or design be? The answer to that will actually depend on the overall theme you have or the background of where you’ll put it.

If your house has different colors and themes, you can order multiple-colored glass outlet and switch plates. You have the choice on whether you’ll be confined to just one color or if you’ll diversify it.

Are Chinese Glass Switch Plate Manufacturers Trustworthy?

If you’ve heard rumors about Chinese products always being below the average or the median range of quality, those aren’t 100% true.

As a matter of fact, many American and European retail stores and outlets consider Chinese switch cover plate manufacturers as their go-to solution for their business needs.

To give you a more concrete example, let’s say that Furniture Retail Store A needs a couple thousand glass outlet covers from their store on a weekly basis. If they want a higher-quality glass switch plate, they need to consider working with a Chinese glass switch plate manufacturer.

Other than the fact that they’ll be able to yield higher levels of profitability, they can be given the assurance that their products will absolutely be well within the range or the style of their lighting.

It seems easy, right? But what most people overlook would be the fact that there’s not just one (1) glass switch plate manufacturing company.

Instead, there are hundreds, if not thousands of Chinese glass fabrication manufacturers and suppliers.

How Do You Choose a Glass Switch Plate Manufacturer?

There are many different ways to lighten and to ease your job of finding a glass outlet cover manufacturer, especially now that the market has become oversaturated.

But, here are some of the most efficient and the most effective ways to find the best glass switch plate supplier for your business.

NOTE: These aren’t foolproof and they’re not backed with scientific research. But, most clients found them as an effective basis in choosing the supplier to work with.

Have a Look at Their Website

One of the most effective ways of determining the legitimacy and the capability of a switch plate cover manufacturer would be by checking their website.

Websites are like the virtual form of their factories and their manufacturing plants. It’s the perfect location to see if they’re up to the expectations of their previous clients; you’ll also be able to use it as a catalog of all the products they’re capable of producing.

Try to Contact Previous Clients

Other than the website method, you can also try to speak with some of the previous clients of the switch cover manufacturer you’re eyeing on.

More often than not, these would be companies that’ll be involved in the production or the manufacturing of lighting, fixtures, as well as those in the home security and the repair industry.

Try to ask and inquire about how they worked at par with how they expected them to, how well they were able to deliver client experience, and so forth.

No manufacturer of switch plates is safe from this type of checking.

Test Their Products

After checking the website and talking to previous clients, you should be able to find out whether or not they’re offering free samples of their products.

If they are, go and request for a sample. If you have a CAD file copy of the specific switch cover you want, you can send it to them and check if they’re able to follow what you want it to look like.

Do They Have a Warranty?

Another thing to question or to ask the glass outlet cover supplier of your choice is to see if they’re offering warranty for their products.

Try to ask them about what will happen if the glass switch plate they delivered is easily damaged? Moreover, try to double-check all the information about the warranty, if it’s available.

Warranties are one good way to ensure the legitimacy of the business and products, especially in the area and field of ODM and OEM. So, duly check if a manufacturer is offering warranty for their products.

How Long Have They Been in Business?

While not all old companies are considered good, finding out if a particular glass switch plate manufacturer is experienced is a big factor to consider.

I mean, who wants to work with an inexperienced company? Don’t confuse it with new companies because some new companies have superior performances compared to those who have been in the industry for decades.

Try to determine the overall experience they have by looking at how long they’ve been in business.

These are some of the things you need to consider before choosing a socket cover plate manufacturing company.

While these aren’t foolproof, you can find getting or purchasing glass switch plates in bulk or wholesale convenient when you follow them!

If you’re tired of looking for the best glass switch plate manufacturer, work with us here at SXET! We’re the country’s number one choice for glass switch plates, as well as other light switch covers!

When you experience working with us, we can give you the full and complete assurance that you wouldn’t look for a new glass switch plate manufacturer ever again!

Why is SXET Your Best Choice For Glass Switch Plates?

Other than the fact that we employ the best, the most creative, and the most experienced engineers and researchers, here are some other business capabilities and advantages that you can get when you choose us:

• We have a wide array of products you can choose from
• Our machines are all advanced, updated, and computer numerically controlled (CNC)
• We’ve been in partnership with some of the world’s most famous and most popular companies
• All the glass switch products we offer are tested and calibrated more than 3 times
• Wherever you are in the world, you can bank and count on our products!

Your business is safe with us – we value your business like it’s ours! That’s why we do everything in our power to ensure that the quality of all the products we deliver is topnotch!

What is SXET’s Lead Time For Glass Switch Plates?

The regular lead time that we have for our glass switch plates are between 7 and 12 days after the confirmation of the payment has been made.

Although we never like to compare, but the average lead time of other manufacturers are around 15 days at the minimum.

So, if you choose and decide to get our glass outlet switch cover plates, you can expect to receive all of your orders in the fastest and the most urgent times possible.

NOTE: This lead time for glass switch plates apply to all countries in different regions. So, don’t worry about latency or delays because we don’t have that in our vocabulary!

Are Glass Outlet Covers Our Only Product?

Absolutely not! We wouldn’t be deemed as the best and the most reliable glass switch plate manufacturer if we only had one product, right?

You can order and choose from the vast array of products that we have! We can offer a ton of other options such as optical glass, AR or anti-reflective glass, non-glare glass, Gorilla Glass, and many more!

Talk to us today to find out how much budget you’ll need for your orders! We will be more than happy to send you a free quotation!