Let's be honest. Your floor is a disaster. If you look under your desk right now, you’re probably staring at a "cable snake"—that tangled, dusty nest of black and white cords that seems to grow every time you buy a new gadget. It’s a fire hazard, a trip hazard, and frankly, it looks terrible. Learning how to mount power strip to wall surfaces isn't just about aesthetics, though. It’s about reclaiming your floor space and making sure your expensive electronics aren't dangling by their literal lifelines.
Most people think you just grab two screws and hope for the best. You don't.
Actually, if you mess this up, you end up with Swiss-cheese drywall or a power strip that sags every time you try to plug in a heavy MacBook brick. There are a few ways to handle this, ranging from the "no-drill" adhesive method to the "industrial-strength" screw mount. Each has its own set of headaches.
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Why Your Power Strip Won't Stay Put
The biggest mistake is ignoring the "keyhole" slots on the back. You know the ones. Those little T-shaped cutouts that look like they were designed by someone who hates DIYers. If your screws are even a millimeter too wide or too narrow, the strip will wiggle. It’s incredibly annoying.
Wait, check the back of your strip first. Some cheaper models from brands like AmazonBasics or older Belkin units might only have vertical slots. If you want to mount those horizontally, you're going to have a bad time. They’ll just slide right off. High-end units from companies like Tripp Lite or APC usually have multi-directional slots, which makes your life a lot easier.
The Template Trick (Don't Skip This)
Stop trying to measure the distance between the holes with a ruler. You'll get it wrong. Every single time. Instead, take a piece of masking tape or painter's tape. Lay it flat across the back of the power strip. Take a pencil and poke a hole through the tape exactly where the "head" of the keyhole slot sits.
Now, peel that tape off. Stick it on the wall. Level it with a bubble level—or just eyeball it if you’re living dangerously. Drill your holes right through the marks on the tape. Remove the tape. Boom. Perfect alignment.
It's one of those "why didn't I think of that" moments that saves you about forty-five minutes of frustration and three extra holes in your baseboards.
The Adhesive Route: When Drilling Isn't an Option
Renters, I see you. You want to mount power strip to wall setups but your landlord is the type of person who considers a thumbtack a "structural alteration." You have options, but they aren't all created equal.
Command Strips are the gold standard here, but don't just use the skinny ones. You need the 3M Command Large Picture Hanging Strips. These are the "Velcro-style" ones. They are rated for about 16 pounds, which sounds like overkill until you realize that a power strip filled with heavy adapters actually exerts a lot of downward leverage.
- Clean the wall with isopropyl alcohol. If you don't, the adhesive is just sticking to dust.
- Stick the strips to the power strip first.
- Press it against the wall for at least 30 seconds.
- Crucial step: Pull the power strip off the wall, leaving the wall-side strips behind. Let the adhesive cure for an hour.
- Snap the strip back on.
If you skip the curing time, the weight of the cords will pull the whole thing down by dinner time. Honestly, it’s the most common reason these fail. People are impatient.
Heavy Duty Mounting for Workshops
If you’re in a garage or a woodshop, adhesive is a joke. The sawdust will eat the glue in a week. For these environments, you’re likely looking at a metal-cased power strip. Brands like Yellow Jacket or Dewalt make strips designed for this.
Sometimes these don't have keyholes. They have "ears" or mounting tabs on the ends. Use #8 or #10 wood screws if you're going into studs. If you’re hitting drywall between studs, don't you dare use those cheap plastic conical anchors that come in the little kits. They’ll pull out the second you tug on a cord. Use EZ-Ancors or toggle bolts.
Dealing with the "Wall Wart" Problem
We need to talk about those massive, boxy power adapters. If you mount your power strip vertically, the weight of a heavy "wall wart" can actually pull it right out of the socket over time due to gravity.
If you have a lot of these, mount the power strip horizontally. Or, better yet, get those 6-inch "power strip liberator" extension cords. They let the heavy bricks sit on the floor or a shelf while the strip stays neatly tucked away on the wall.
The Stealth Approach: Under-Desk Mounting
Okay, technically this isn't "on the wall," but the physics are the same. Mounting a power strip to the underside of a desk is the ultimate cable management move. However, most desks are made of particle board (looking at you, IKEA).
If you screw directly into particle board, the screws will eventually strip the hole. Use a bit of wood glue in the pilot hole before you drive the screw in. It creates a much stronger bond once it dries.
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Real World Safety Check
Let's talk about the National Electrical Code (NEC). While there isn't a specific "thou shalt not mount a power strip" law for residential homes, OSHA has some very specific thoughts about it in a work environment.
In a professional office, "daisy-chaining" (plugging one strip into another) is a huge no-no. It can lead to fires. If you mount power strip to wall units in an office, make sure they are plugged directly into a wall outlet. Also, ensure the cord isn't pinched behind a desk or filing cabinet. A pinched cord is a hot cord.
Limitations of Mounting
Not every power strip should be mounted. If yours is one of those old, beige plastic ones from the 90s with a thin cord? Toss it. Seriously. Those things aren't built for modern power draws. If you're going to the trouble of mounting something, make sure it has at least 1000-2000 Joules of surge protection.
Also, keep in mind that mounting a strip makes it "permanent-ish." If you’re the type of person who moves their furniture every three months, stick with the adhesive method.
Step-by-Step Summary for a Solid Mount
- Check your backplates. Look for keyhole slots and verify their orientation.
- Make your template. Masking tape is your best friend here.
- Choose your hardware. Screws for studs, toggle bolts for drywall, 3M Command for rentals.
- Mind the plugs. Leave enough clearance above and below the strip so you can actually fit your hands and the plugs in there.
- Strain relief. Once mounted, use a cable clip or a "J-channel" to manage the main power cord leading to the wall. This prevents the weight of the cord from pulling the strip off its mounts.
Advanced Pro Tip: The Zip Tie Method
If your power strip has no mounting holes at all (some of the sleek, modern circular ones are like this), don't give up. You can actually buy "zip tie mounts" which are small plastic squares that stick or screw to the wall. You run a heavy-duty zip tie through the mount and around the power strip. It’s not the prettiest solution, but for a hidden spot behind a TV, it’s rock solid.
What to Do Next
Go to your junk drawer and find some blue painter's tape and a level. Walk over to your entertainment center or desk and count how many "wall warts" you have. If you have more than three heavy bricks, plan for a horizontal mount or buy some short pigtail extensions.
Check the joule rating on your current strip. If it's under 800, or if the "protected" light is flickering, it's time to buy a new one before you mount it. You don't want to do this work twice. Grab a pack of #6 or #8 pan-head screws (the flat underside of the head holds the keyhole slot much better than a countersunk screw) and clear a ten-minute window this weekend to finally get those cords off the floor.
Once the strip is up, use some Velcro cable ties—not plastic ones—to bundle the excess cord length. It makes the whole setup look like a pro did it.