If you are renovating your home, this is the best time to think about rewiring. It may be that the original wiring is not enough to support your needs. In fact, unless you have already re-wired your house, your electrical system is likely to be operating beyond capacity, presenting a fire or electric shock hazard.

Be aware that a whole house rewiring is a major project that can take up to three weeks to complete, depending on the size and layout of your home. However, by rewiring your home, you are investing in the value of your home, as wiring in the present day is stringently regulated and is a potential selling point for your home should you decide to move. It is also a highly recommended safety upgrade if your home is older than 20 years, and especially if your home has knob and tube style wiring, mostly in houses built before 1950’s.

As well, while rewiring may take weeks and cost thousands of dollars, unsafe wiring can destroy your home through fire in moments.

• Inspection and assessment of current wiring condition
• Knob and Tube replacement
• Aluminium wiring rejuvenation
• Addition of new circuits
• Whole house rewiring

Knob and tube wiring was the standard from the late 1890s to just after the Second World War. It consists of porcelain knobs, used to hold the wire in place, and tubes, used to bring the wiring through wooden joists. It has two wires: a hot and a neutral and no ground wire. Knob and tube wiring is now considered obsolete and is mostly found in homes of 50 plus years.

• No ground returns wire, leading to a higher possibility of electrical shock.
• Any deterioration of wiring insulation poses a fire hazard.
• Insurance companies may not insure your home, or may charge a higher premium for homes with knob and tube wiring.
• Knob and tube was designed to have any excess heat dissipated by air, not be packed into modern wall insulation.
• Knob and tube is highly susceptible to mechanical/physical damage.

Here’s what we suggest you do if your house has knob and tube wiring:

• Have your wiring evaluated by one of our licensed electricians to determine if the system was installed or modified within Quebec’s building codes.
• Keep your appliance load as low as possible on each circuit.
• Any brittle or damaged wiring needs to be replaced as soon as possible due to fire and shock hazard.
• Have any existing knob and tube wiring leading to your kitchen, washroom, laundry room, or any exterior plug replaced. This is due to these areas needing a ground return socket (three prongs) for safety.

Do not hesitate to contact us at any time. We are at your service to answer your questions and to give you a hand in case of emergency.