When part of a home is opened up unexpectedly, it can reveal problems that have been hidden for decades. That was the case with a recent project we completed after a customer’s kitchen ceiling collapsed. Once the damaged area was exposed, it became clear that the home still contained old knob-and-tube wiring that needed to be addressed.
Our team at Paliulis Electric LLC was brought in to remove the outdated wiring and complete a partial rewire of the home. The project ultimately included rewiring all of the lighting on the first floor, install new ceiling fans and smoke detectors, and upgrading the bathroom with a new fan and dedicated bathroom circuit.
Before
After
Removing Old Knob-and-Tube Wiring
Knob-and-tube wiring was commonly installed in homes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. While it was an accepted electrical system in its day, it does not provide the same features or capabilities as modern wiring systems. Homes with older wiring may also have been modified many times over the years, making it especially important to understand what is actually behind the walls and ceilings before making changes.
With the kitchen ceiling already opened, we had access to portions of the home’s older electrical system. We removed the knob-and-tube wiring associated with the areas being updated and replaced it with modern wiring.
Rather than limiting the project to the immediate area of the ceiling damage, the homeowner also had us rewire the lighting throughout the entire first floor. This gave the home an important electrical update while the renovation work was already underway.
Rewiring the First-Floor Lighting
Rewiring an older home requires more than simply replacing one visible section of wire. Our electricians had to work through the existing lighting system and update the wiring serving the first-floor fixtures.
Projects like this can be particularly challenging because older homes were not necessarily wired with today’s electrical demands, fixtures, and layouts in mind. Careful planning is important when replacing portions of an existing system and integrating new electrical work into the home.
Once completed, the updated first-floor lighting was no longer relying on the old knob-and-tube wiring we had removed.
Installing a New Kitchen Ceiling Fan
As part of the kitchen work, we also installed a new ceiling fan. Since the ceiling was already undergoing substantial repair, this was a good opportunity to incorporate a new fixture into the updated electrical system.
The new fan adds both lighting and air movement to the kitchen while becoming part of the home’s newly rewired first-floor electrical system.
Upgrading the Bathroom Electrical System
The work extended into the bathroom as well. We installed a new bathroom fan and provided it with the electrical upgrades needed as part of the project.
We also installed a dedicated bathroom circuit. Bathrooms place their own demands on a home’s electrical system, and today’s homeowners often use multiple electrical devices that simply did not exist when many older homes were originally wired. Adding the dedicated circuit gave this part of the home an electrical setup better suited to modern use.
Need Electrical Work in the Winchendon Area?
Paliulis Electric LLC provides residential and commercial electrical services from our home base in Winchendon, MA, serving customers throughout Ashburnham, Baldwinville, Fitchburg, Gardner, Leominster, Princeton, Templeton, Westminster, and surrounding communities.
We hold master electrician’s licenses in both Massachusetts (License #22979) and New Hampshire (License #15608). Our staff is thoroughly background-checked, our work is backed by a minimum three-year warranty, and financing is available. We are also affiliated with the Massachusetts Electrical Contractors Association and provide 24/7 emergency electrical service.
If you have old wiring, you’re planning electrical upgrades, or you’ve opened a wall or ceiling and discovered something you weren’t expecting, give Paliulis Electric LLC a call. We’ll help you determine what needs to be addressed and develop a solution for your home.
Paliulis Electric LLC — A Class Apart in Electrical Solutions.
