House Wiring
When making big changes to your home electrical, the wiring behind the walls is often overlooked or neglected. If your home has undergone changes since it was built, or is getting older, a look at the wiring may be in order.
Knob & Tube
Knob & Tube wiring is becoming less common as property owners upgrade to modern wiring methods, but it is still being used. While it can be very effective, it does have a lot of concerns:
- Reduces home resale value, as buyer will need to replace
- Higher insurance premiums
- The components are over 80 years old and have started to deteriorate
- DIYers may have improperly spliced newer wiring into the old knob and tube or improper modifications have been made to the system
- It is ungrounded, so incompatible with 3-prong plugs of modern appliances and should not be used in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms or outside
If your home still has knob and tube, be proactive by having our team inspect and help you budget re-wiring.
Wiring Upgrades
Even if your home doesn’t have Knob & Tube wiring, it may need repairs or upgrades due to a multitude of reasons, including:
- Age of wiring
- Planned addition or renovation
- Repair damaged wires
- Correct improper modifications
- Unplanned changes due to lifestyle changes
Accessibility requirements
To ensure our team understands the scope of work, this typically starts with an initial visit to discuss and inspect areas of concern, review plans, or develop a plan with the owner.
The scope of work may include:
- Replacement wiring
- Replacing or adding switches and outlets
- Upgrading to GFI outlets
- Replacing or adding light fixtures or pot lights
- Adding smart home controls
- Adding or changing electrical circuits
- Panel changes or upgrades
- Once the scope of work is defined, any deviations from standard installation practices will be noted and confirmed. For example, if changes are made due to planning for accessibility as the resident ages, it may be discussed to have lowered light switches should a wheelchair become necessary.
Contact our office today to discuss your electrical changes.
