Remove knob and tube wiring.
by
Dave
+4
In a basement of a 100 x 50 home there is knob and tube wiring. I want to replace it with romex. I am not replacing any outlet in the basement. What is an estimated cost to remove the wiring and replace with romex?
7 answers
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Dave.....the first question that will be asked is " do you want to replace all knob & tube wiring to the outlets and switches" or just what is exposed? Only an on site inspection will offer you a reasonably firm quote for labor and materials. Gary PS: if I were doing the work, it would be a complete replacement only
LandlightS
on Aug 21, 2012
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I assume you want an estimate for having a professional do this job? If so, I would think electricians in your area could come out and give you a free estimate for this. It's hard to even hazard a guess without seeing the situation.
3po3
on Aug 21, 2012
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I had K&T removed from my 2 story 2000 sq foot victorian. Quotes ranged from $8000-$15,000 You SHOULD NOT just removed the exposed, since if the insurance company finds out you didn't really remove all of it you can possibly lose your coverage (and you won't be insured in the case of a fire) Our home was in Massachusetts and home with K&T were considered "uninsurable" and could not legally be sold if the K&Y wasn't removed. (most people with exsisting K&T lie and say they didn't know if they have K&T so they can get insurance, but a decent home inspector could figure it out) Good luck. It sucks.
TheKimSixFix
on Aug 22, 2012
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I've been doing some work on an older home with K &T, It is a pain in the butt...but we are making progress. Do you know if the K & T has been replaced in the "upstairs part" of the home. If the basement has open joists etc then the job will actually not be that hard...and the electrician will tell you that...where is sucks is when it is buried in lathe and plaster walls and in micro sized attics, and crawl spaces.
KMS Woodworks
on Aug 22, 2012
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Thanks for your answers. I plan to replace what is exposed. The City does not like k&t exposed. They are fine with keeping the k&t in the walls. If I would rehab the building I would replace he k&t with up to date wiring. Other suggestions are welcomed. Thanks, Dave
Dave
on Aug 22, 2012
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Dave. As the knob and tube system have no ground wires, you may want to add some GFCI receptacles at the lead of each series of outlets to offer some ground protectin.
LandlightS
on Aug 22, 2012
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In our local area, once you touch K&T wires, you must remove completely. What your local city is saying, remove the wires. As all K&T wiring splices are outside of the wall. And once you remove them, the wires in the wall become no longer active. Its their way of saying get it out. In addition, the methods used to wire older homes in this fashion make it pretty much impossible not to rewire the entire house anyway. As the main feeds that they ran through the basement not only supplied those lights and outlets, but they also connected to some within the upper levels of the house. So once you cut out something in the basement, something elsewhere will go dead, requiring you to rewire pretty much everything. So be prepared for that. I know of no electrical contractor who would just partly re-wire any house with K&T wiring due to the risk involved. Also your insurance company once they find out, they will either drop you or require you to upgrade the house. This is a really big issue in some areas where I reside. Many of the homes are over 100 years old, and every time they sell, the seller has to upgrade in order allow the buyer to get a mortgage on the purchase. As far as cost, there are simply way to many variables to provide a quote. But its not going to be cheap. Eight to ten thousand is not unheard of in my area, but again it all has to do with size of house, construction type and any insulation improvements that may have been performed on the house prior.
Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com
on Aug 22, 2012
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