When I made over the
baby’s nursery I painted the area on the wall below the chair rail white. Therefore the ratty old off white outlets looked horrible.
Back when I was actually finishing the room what I decided to do was just replace out the switch plate covers and then hide the outlets behind the furniture. (#KeepingItRealwithKimSix) but today I finally got off my horse and decided to suck it up and replace the outlets themselves.
I have to admit they were REALLY bad.. I am pretty sure drunken monkies painted the room or something since they had about 4 layers of paint on them.
Now there are 10,000 tutorials out there on how to replace your electrical outlets. My
personal favorite is from my favorite DIY-guru Brittany.
(In fact, I suggest you read HER post and THIS post because knowing more is always better.) Now, the thing about almost all those tutorials (including Pretty Handy Girl’s) is that they tell you how to use the traditional side screws for hooking up your new outlets. And that is a perfectly reasonable way of doing it, but I am too lazy for that.
So today I’m showing you the shortcut using the push-in holes (also known as “QuickWire” connectors.)
**Before undertaking this tutorial I am giving you a HUGE warning. If you are not comfortable working with electricity, or if you are AT ALL unsure of what you are going, please call a professional. Seriously.. I don’t want you to zap yourself to save $50. If the wiring looks strange or if you aren’t sure if something is right, don’t assume it will be okay if you just guess. I’m not responsible if you burn your house down! Also, be sure to check your local building code. In some jurisdictions, this type of electrical work may require a permit.**