Baseboard Outlets for All: Introducing the Flushtek Blog
For our inaugural blog post, the FLUSHTEK Team has put together an informal history of the baseboard outlet. See why it's relevant today and how the FLUSHTEK system is making Baseboard Outlets accessible to everyone!
Why Baseboard Outlets?
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Power On Demand: Our world is increasingly connected and electrified. We deal with this every day while working on our computers and every night when we plug in our phones. Despite the advances in battery power, sooner or later, you're going to need to plug your device into the wall. And so often it seems that our existing "convenience" plugs are few and far between. We always have to unplug the coffee maker to charge our speaker, or choose between keeping a lamp on and powering our laptop.
"Convenience Outlets": Although today's homes include a much higher quantity of outlets than homes of the past, that alone isn't enough. Walls dotted with convenience outlets every six feet are ugly and unpleasant to look at (don't even get us started on extension cords). What's required is a different way to approach the outlet, and the key is a detail the wealthy have utilized for decades.
Luxurious Interior Environments: Outlets are too valuable to do away with, but usually too ugly to accept. What can a builder do? It's not just about finding a better looking outlet, it's also finding a better place for our outlets. This is the beauty of the baseboard outlet! Baseboards are necessary to protect our walls, why not double their utility! There is a reason the baseboard outlet was standard for the handcrafted homes of the early-mid 20th Century. Baseboard outlets are out-of-sight and convenient at the same time: they free up our walls for art, furniture, or just the gentle play of daylight.
Above: Baseboard Outlets in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Galleries keep the focus on the exhibit and not the outlets.
Wealth & Power: The increasing cost of labor made the baseboard outlet less and less prevalent, with its use being reserved solely for the wealthy. This has been exacerbated further with the introduction of outlet systems like Trufig and Bocci. Not only are these systems incredibly complex to install, requiring specialized training and labor, the hardware itself is incredibly expensive! Bocci receptacles cost about $200 per outlet, and require a $75 tool to service (see our review here). Trufig receptacles are no better, with each outlet costing about $300, plus a $140 template. And this is all before labor and markup! You can't buy Trufig receptacles directly; you'll need to pay an additional supplier markup and certified dealer to have them installed. Trufig and Bocci are nice outlets for the fortunate few.
Baseboard Outlets for All: Home-improvement is deeply rooted in each of us, and baseboard outlets are a huge home-improvement. FLUSHTEK gives Do-it-Yourselfers, Contractors, Carpenters, and Hobbyists the opportunity to improve their homes in previously inaccessible ways. This is our mission at FLUSHTEK: Better things for more people. Follow the Links below to see how it works and why it's better!
August 2022 Update: Due to the popularity of this post, we've written an expanded profile of Baseboard Outlets. If you liked this post, definitely check it out!