Airmont Products AP-12093, 4" Square Decorator Switch Electrical Box Cover, 1/2" Raised, 2-Gang Single Rocker, Exposed Work, Galvanized Steel, Crushed Corners, 2-Gang Cover

What I liked right away

I installed the Airmont two-gang Decora exposed-work cover on a 1900 (4-inch square) steel box feeding a surface‑mounted EMT run in a small workshop. From the first dry fit, the cover felt solid and properly made. It’s stamped from roughly 1/16-inch pre-galvanized steel—stiffer than a lot of commodity raised covers—and the 1/2-inch raise gave me the clearance I needed over connectors and conductor loops without fighting for space or pinching insulation. The “crushed corners” are executed cleanly, so the cover seats snugly to the box, maintains bonding continuity without jumpers, and doesn’t rock when you tighten it down.

The finish is what you expect from pre-galv: uniform, utilitarian, and not overly scuffed. It looks at home in garages, utility rooms, and shops where exposed work is standard practice. More importantly, the mounting holes lined up precisely with the box threads, and the plate came with the right hardware: two 8-32 cover screws, plus machine screws and keps nuts for securing the Decora device to the cover. That hardware inclusion saves a last-minute trip to the store.

Design and build quality

• Material and rigidity: The plate’s thickness keeps it flat during install. Cheaper covers can twist while you’re tightening; this one stayed true, so the device opening remained square and the switch sat centered.
• Raised profile: The 1/2-inch raise is a practical sweet spot for exposed work. It clears common couplings and bushings without creating a bulky projection, and it gives you room to fold conductors neatly.
• Crushed corners: This is more than a visual cue. Properly crushed corners help the cover bite into the box for ground continuity and reduce the need for bonding jumpers in listed applications. The corners on mine were even and free of burrs.
• Fire-rated wall acceptance: If you’re working in a rated assembly, having a cover acceptable for use in 2-hour fire-rated walls matters. It’s one less line item you need to chase for compliance.

Overall, it’s sturdier and cleaner than the bargain-bin raised covers I’ve used. It’s still a no-frills, industrial-look piece of hardware, but it’s executed well.

Installation notes and tips

This is a 4-inch square, “2‑gang” footprint cover with a single Decora opening—meaning it mounts one Decora-style device in a standard 1900 metal box. If you haven’t installed this style of exposed-work cover before, the workflow is slightly different from a flush-mounted wall plate:

1. Prep the device. Many Decora switches and receptacles have top and bottom “ears” designed to sit on drywall or a plaster ring. On raised covers like this, those ears can interfere with the opening. I snapped the ears off the device (they’re meant to be removable) and used the device’s center strap holes instead.
2. Attach device to cover. Install the device to the plate first using the included machine screws and keps nuts. This sandwiches the device firmly against the cover and keeps everything aligned.
3. Make up the conductors. With the device secured to the cover, pull your conductors, make up terminations, and fold the wires into the back of the box. The 1/2-inch raise gives you a little breathing room for those folds.
4. Mount the cover to the box. Use the provided 8-32 screws to secure the cover to the box. Snug both evenly so the crushed corners seat uniformly.
5. Final alignment. If your switch or receptacle looks even slightly off-center, back off the device screws, nudge it square within the opening, and re-tighten. The cover’s rigidity helps hold alignment once set.

One small tweak I encountered: the device’s center strap holes lined up with the cover, but I had to give the device a light “persuasion” to sit perfectly flat against the plate before tightening. This is typical when pairing devices from different manufacturers with heavy-gauge covers. A pair of pliers and a gentle touch is all it takes.

Compatibility and use cases

This cover is purpose-built for 4-inch square metal boxes—what most electricians call a 1900 box. That’s where it fits best and what it’s drilled for. It is not meant for weatherproof cast boxes or the grey PVC “Bell” style enclosures; the hole pattern won’t match, and the cover isn’t gasketed or rated for wet locations.

Where it shines:
- Surface‑mounted EMT or MC in workshops, garages, utility rooms, and mechanical spaces
- Retrofit scenarios where you need a decora switch or receptacle on exposed work without adding a mud ring
- Tight boxes where the 1/2-inch raise helps manage wire volume and connector clearance
- Installations where fire-rated wall acceptance is required and documented

Where I’d choose something else:
- Exterior or damp locations—use a proper weatherproof cover and box
- Plastic or specialty boxes with non-standard hole patterns
- Aesthetic interior spaces where you want a finished, decorator plate rather than an industrial look

Day-to-day practicality

In practice, the Airmont cover does three things well: it mounts a Decora device securely, it provides interior clearance, and it maintains a straightforward bond path to the box. The pre-galv finish holds up to incidental scuffs without looking shabby, and the edges are reasonably smooth. I still won’t drag cables across any metal edge, but for a code-compliant device installation where conductors are contained inside the box and cover, it’s exactly what you want.

For low-voltage pass-throughs or atypical uses, pair the cover with a proper Decora-style insert rather than trying to let cables exit directly through the opening. If you do route anything through the opening (for example, a Decora brush insert for AV), use the correct insert so you’re not exposing conductors to raw metal.

Value

You can find cheaper raised covers, but most of the bargain versions cut corners on steel thickness, surface finish, and hardware. The included screws and keps nuts are a small thing that make a big difference; not having to scrounge around for the right fasteners speeds up the job. Given the material quality and fit, I’m comfortable with the price for professional or DIY work that needs to be durable and tidy.

Small gripes

• Device prep adds a minute. Snapping the ears off a Decora device and aligning the strap with the plate is part of the exposed-work routine, but it’s still a step you don’t do on flush installs.
• Industrial look only. It’s handsome in a shop or garage, less so in finished living spaces. That’s inherent to the category, not a flaw in this specific cover.
• Narrow use case. This is the right tool for 1900 steel boxes. For PVC or cast weatherproof boxes, it’s the wrong choice.

Safety and code considerations

• Bonding: With a listed metal box and proper installation, the crushed corners maintain bonding continuity. Still, always verify your path to ground and use a pigtail when required by local practice or inspector preference.
• Fire-rated walls: The cover is acceptable for use in 2-hour fire-rated walls, which simplifies compliance in commercial retrofits. Document your components and keep the spec sheet handy for inspections.
• Location: This is for dry, indoor locations unless paired with a rated enclosure and cover solution designed for weather exposure.

The bottom line

The Airmont 4-inch square Decora exposed-work cover is a well-made, properly thought-out piece of hardware for mounting a single Decora device on a 1900 box. It’s stiff, cleanly finished, includes the right hardware, and its 1/2-inch raise gives you the working room exposed installs often need. Installation is straightforward if you’ve done raised covers before, and even if you haven’t, a few simple prep steps get you to a solid, square result.

Recommendation: I recommend this cover for anyone outfitting a shop, garage, or utility space with exposed EMT or MC using standard 4-inch steel boxes. It’s durable, aligns accurately, and saves time by including the mounting hardware. Just make sure you’re using it on the intended 1900 metal boxes and not on weatherproof or PVC boxes, and you’ll have a tidy, code-compliant install that should hold up for years.