Living with old wiring, or planning a remodel? Brian Electric LLC rewires older homes and adds new circuits for homes in Durham and nearby towns. We find out what is in your walls first, then tell you what needs to change and what can stay.
Know Your Wiring
The age of your home tells us a lot. As an electrician in Durham, NC, we know many houses here were built between the 1920s and the 1970s, and some still have wiring from the day they were built. Here is how to tell what you have.
How to spot it
Single wires held off the wood by white porcelain knobs, with porcelain tubes where they pass through joists. Look in the attic or the basement.
Why it matters
Has no ground. The old insulation turns brittle, and it can overheat when attic insulation is packed around it.
How to spot it
Cable with a woven cloth jacket, often black or gray. You may see it at an old light fixture or behind an outlet cover.
Why it matters
The rubber under the cloth dries out and cracks, most of all near the heat of light fixtures. Many runs have no ground.
How to spot it
Silver colored wire at outlets and switches. The cable jacket may be printed with "AL" or "ALUMINUM."
Why it matters
Connections loosen and overheat at outlets, switches and splices. Warm cover plates or a burning smell are warning signs.
How to spot it
Outlets with only two slots. Or three-slot outlets that were swapped in without a ground wire behind them.
Why it matters
No path to ground for a fault. Surge protectors and some appliances cannot protect you the way they should.
How to spot it
White, yellow or orange plastic jacket with a bare copper ground wire inside. Printed with the wire size.
Why it matters
Safe when it was installed right. Problems come from overloaded circuits or DIY splices without a box.
Warning Signs
Some signs mean you should call today. Others mean the wiring is old and it is time to plan. Here is how to tell the two apart in a Durham home.
These can start a fire.
Turn off that circuit at the breaker. Our emergency electrician line is open 24/7.
Call (984) 271-2113Not an emergency, but worth a wiring check.
Still on screw-in fuses? See our fuse box repair page too.
One sign is not always a rewire. A single bad outlet or one loose splice is a repair. We check the whole picture before we suggest new wiring.
Choosing the Scope
Not every older house in Durham needs every wire replaced, and some need a panel upgrade first. The right answer comes from three questions:
All the old wiring in the house is replaced with new grounded cable. Outlets, switches and boxes are replaced along the way.
A good fit when
Trade-off: More openings in walls and ceilings, and more days of work.
Only the circuits that need it get new wire. The rest of the house stays as it is. It can also be done in stages over time.
A good fit when
Trade-off: Any old wiring left in place still needs to be watched.
Remodels and New Circuits
Not all wiring work starts with a problem. Planning a remodel or adding space to a Durham home? Bring us in early, before the walls close, and the wiring goes in where you want it.
Today’s code asks for more than an old kitchen has. Countertops need GFCI outlets on at least two 20 amp circuits. A bathroom needs its own 20 amp circuit with GFCI protection.
New lights too? See light fixture installation
New living space needs its own circuits, not a tap off an old one. We plan the outlets, lights and switches with you, and the permit covers it all.
Want a fan in the new room? See ceiling fan installation
An electric range, dryer, water heater, heat pump or hot tub needs a circuit of its own. Many run on 240 volts.
Panel full? See panel upgrades
Home offices, TV walls, patios and garages. A new outlet is safer than an extension cord across the floor.
The Process
The biggest worry we hear is "Will you tear out my walls?" Most of the time, no. New wire goes in through the attic and the crawl space, with a few small openings where it has to turn a corner.
Most families stay home during a rewire. The work goes circuit by circuit, so only part of the house is off at a time. Plan for some noise and dust, and clear the space along the walls in the rooms on that day's list.
Paperwork
Rewiring in Durham is permitted work. The permit protects you: an inspector checks the wiring, and you get a record that it was done to code.
An inspector looks at the wire, the boxes and the breakers. When you sell, buyers and their home inspectors often ask for proof that wiring work was permitted.
Keep your paperwork. After a rewire, save the permit number and the final inspection. Send a copy to your insurance agent and keep one for when you sell.
Service Area
We are based in Durham and rewire homes all over the Triangle. Not sure if we come to your town? Call and ask.
FAQ
Not sure what is in your walls? Call and tell us the age of your home, and we will tell you what to check first.
Call (984) 271-2113No. It depends on what kind of wiring is in the walls and how much of the house it reaches. Sometimes only the original rooms or one problem circuit need new wire. We check first and tell you what can stay.
Most of the time, yes. New wire is fished through the walls from the attic and the crawl space. Small openings are made where the wire has to turn a corner or pass a beam.
It depends on the size of the house and how many circuits change. A few circuits can be a short job. A whole house takes longer, plus time for the inspections. You get a time estimate with the price.
Most families do. The work goes circuit by circuit, so only part of the house is without power at a time. Expect some noise and dust in the rooms being worked on.
Not always. If your panel has room and is in good shape, the new circuits can go into it. A fuse box, a full panel or a panel too small for your home usually gets replaced at the same time.
No law makes you tear out knob and tube that is already in a house. But it should not be extended or buried in attic insulation, and many insurance companies will not cover a home that still has it.
Often, yes. Old wiring is one of the things insurers ask about. After a rewire, send your agent the permit and the final inspection, and ask if your rate or coverage can change.
