Seven Rewiring Tips

Rewiring your home is demanding, but often very important and necessary work; if your home hasn’t been rewired within the last 35 years there’s a high chance your homes wiring infrastructure won’t be suitable for modern electrical needs. However, when rewiring a property, it’s vital to keep some important things in mind.

These are the top seven things to keep in mind when approaching the rewiring of a property.

1. Understand when you need to rewire

In general, a home which has not been rewired in the last 20 to 30 years should be given attention. This is for two reasons,

• Older wiring systems aren’t up to modern safety standards, and have flaws and issues which can result in power failures and even fires
• Older wiring systems are unlikely to be able to meet the needs of modern living – new appliances and infrastructure is much more demanding than older equipment

The old round switches and the rubber/fabric cabling of the 1960s – as well as skirting board fixed sockets – are good signs a house needs re-wiring, as are older style fuse boxes with their replaceable wires.

This kind of older infrastructure is unreliable and should be replaced as soon as possible.

2. Ensure all work is carefully planned

Electrical work is demanding, and rewiring a property is particularly disruptive and messy. This must be considered.

Rewiring work is spread across two stages. The first stage involves the cables and wiring being installed, with the second is when the infrastructure is properly connected and all sockets, lighting, and switches are installed and fitted. At this point the wiring becomes ‘live’.

Wires fill up the modern house. These must go beneath floors, through walls, within ceilings, and so this is best done in a home cleared of any furniture or obstructions to make the work as easy as possible. Of course, this is extremely disruptive. Carpets will often have to be removed so floorboards can be removed, and ceilings and walls cut and carved into to allow for new switches and sockets to be installed.

Because of this, it’s vital you plan out the work in advanced – knowing what kind of work will be done in each room is key.

3. Treat the work with care and caution

Electrical work is not for amateurs and is not simple or easy. Making errors or mistakes or being hasty can be dangerous – but furthermore, there’s also important legislation and regulation to keep in mind. Remember to look over Part P of the Building Regulations. This covers important standards regarding electrical safety in domestic properties – and regulations regarding major alterations in these kinds of property – like the addition of extensions or new kitchens.

4. Keep in mind how electricians work

Most electricians work on a fixed-price base for domestic work and will charge more for any alterations. They will go over with you the intended fixes.

It is possible to reduce costs by performing work beforehand, including lifting floorboards, chasing plaster, and making it easier to access wires and cables. At the same time this can be demanding – and errors or mistakes can prove costly – often making it a lot better to simply leave this work to the experienced CFS Electrician Glasgow, who will know how to properly approach this.

5. Move out if possible

The demanding, chaotic work that comes with re-wiring a property can be incredible demanding and anxiety inducing. The work is demanding, and it’ll often be necessary to cover up furniture with dust covers, rooms can be made inaccessible for a time – so it can be best to move elsewhere while the work is done.

6. Futureproofing is Key

Technology is developing all the time and people are constantly loading up on more and more gadgets, so preparing the infrastructure and wiring of your home for the additional tech you’ll pick up in the next few years is never a bad idea.

If you’re eager to have wi-fi in additional rooms or want a proper internet connection via Ethernet cables, or wiring to support a security system, then it’s important to properly think about your setup before you begin the project.

7. Avoid mid-way or last-minute additions

Not only are these demanding and expensive, but mid-way alterations or additions, as well as last minute changes are likely to draw out the work significantly and make the entire job far harder. Therefore, it is very important to create a thorough plan from the outset – ensuring you know exactly how your property will be adjusted over the course of the programme. Make sure to consider everything – and mark out the positions of any furniture.