Historical Home Safety: How to Rewire Older Properties

Older homes were built during a much simpler time. Technology was not as advanced, and as a result, items like televisions, computers and refrigerators were not available for use. The wiring at these properties, then, is very outdated, so the electrical systems often need a serious upgrade. However, it is hard to do this without harming the home in question.

After speaking with some of the best electricians around, we have created a list of tasks that need to be done in order to rewire a historical home. Following this list will help ensure that the process is not as difficult or as costly as it could have been. We asked Mansls for some advice on rewiring and cable avoidance.

How to Rewire Your Home Without Incident

1. Write down all of the electronics that you plan to use and what rooms you plan to use them in. If you know where you need power, you can make your electrical system work for you.

2. Research local codes and figure out what permits you need. Codes will give you a lot of crucial information, like the number of outlets you need per room or what type of wire you must have. If you don’t have the right permits, you may have to start your work all over again, which means a waste of money.

3. Figure out if you are putting in electrical wires or if you are also adding in other things as well, like security, fire or data. There are a lot of options, and wireless systems are now much more affordable.

4. Once you have a “to do” list, you can create a plan for how you would like to proceed. After your initial research is over, take a few minutes to figure out what you are going to do and when you are going to do it. This will help you work with your electrician more effectively.

5. Pay attention to the infrastructure of the home. You do not want to mess up the wiring or the plumbing that is already in place. Go slowly and carefully so you do not make a mistake.

6. You must be flexible, even when it comes to your plan. You never know what can happen, particularly when it comes to an older home. You must be able to adapt.

7. Look for an electrician that has experience working with historical homes. These properties are complicated, and they need to be attended to by someone that knows what they are doing.

8. Keep in mind that you will have to do some demolition and reconstruction work. If you do not attend to the issues created by rewiring, there will be problems. Clearly, the wiring itself is important. But, you must also clean up and restore the property as well.

9. Whenever possible, make sure the wire goes straight from the circuit breaker into the outlet. That helps to keep the power system from getting overwhelmed.

10. Keep true to the historical appearance of the house when you put in plates and switches. It should not be too difficult to find hardware that will go with what you already have in your home. However, these newer pieces will add to the safety of the property.