Pro tip: Using double-sided tape on junction box lids saved me an hour on a big install

I was wiring up a 16-zone panel in a commercial building last Tuesday and kept dropping covers while balancing on a ladder. A buddy suggested putting heavy-duty double-sided tape on the lid corners before screwing them in, and it held everything steady while I worked. Has anyone else used a temporary adhesive trick like this, or do you have a better method for keeping lids out of the way during installs?

3 comments

3 Comments

smith.ray1mo ago

Jeez, that's actually a smart little trick I hadn't thought of. I remember a sparky on another forum saying he uses blue painter's tape folded over itself to hang covers on the ladder rails. Seems like anything that keeps your hands free while up there is a win.

fisher.charlie1mo ago

Smart move, but watch that tape doesn't leave sticky residue when you're working in summer heat.

claire_butler17d ago

Yeah, but have you ever tried using those magnetic parts trays they sell for mechanics? I stuck one on the side of a ladder once and it held screws and small covers pretty good till I bumped it. @fisher.charlie brings up a good point about the heat though, I had a roll of blue tape left in a truck last July and it turned into a sticky mess that wouldn't peel off right. Still beats dropping a cover from ten feet up and having it crack on the concrete floor.