The Simplest, Fastest Way to Rewire Your House Without Demolition

Does your electrical system need an upgrade, but do you want to avoid demolition and removing drywall, or worse, plaster? Rewiring your home can be an expensive and complicated project. Still, it's worth it to do the job right. Improper wiring can lead to electrical shorts, fires, and other costly disasters if you're not careful. It's not just about changing outlets or adding new plugs; it's also about getting your wiring up to code. Some homeowners are uncomfortable with hiring and paying a professional for redoing their house, but how much would you pay later if you were on fire? Since most homeowners are concerned with the disruptiveness of the process, we get a lot of questions about whether or not DIY homeowners or professional electricians can rewire a house without removing drywall. The answer is yes: you can now rewire your house without removing any drywall!

The Disadvantages of Rewiring Your House

It's always tempting to get rid of walls, but doing so takes a lot of time and money. Removing drywall isn't just about taking out the wallpapered walls. It's also about taking out the drywall under the wallpaper, walls around walls, the ceiling, and the floor. If you're going to change outlets or put in new light switches, you will have to remove the walls around those switches.

In addition to disassembling your walls, you also have to be careful not to move any of the electrical wirings. You can't simply jump from one fixture to another by opening up a wall to fix a wiring problem or the light switch. You may not notice a problem with the electrical wiring until you move the light switch, thereby disrupting the wiring.

What Does Rewiring Your House Involve?

First of all, your home must be safe, and it isn't the time to be careless with fire or water emergencies. Check your home's electrical panel regularly. It will often have the name of your local electrician on it. When the wiring is outdated or is entirely in need of replacement, you'll want a professional to come in and inspect it for workable connections. Then, when you're ready to rewire, you'll have an electrician come in and look at your connections and code requirements. If you want your electrical system to be installed cost-effectively or even more environmentally friendly change, be sure to go with a qualified, certified, insured, and trusted electrician for your project.

Electrical Planning

The planning and preparing before the rewiring process will help to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible. Good planning will help you identify and project the circuits in a way that doesn't interfere with your drywall. It's always best to make sure your plan is feasible and the best course of action. To start, you'll need:

A plan of the old circuitry – detailing the old wiring, which needs replacing, including a drawing of where everything is located to help minimize disruption.

A plan of the new circuitry – detailing the new wiring, which needs replacing, any new fixtures , outlets, or switches to be added and a layout drawing of where everything is to be installed.

New wiring calculations to calculate the number of wires and cables needed and the most practical routes for the new circuit.

Electrical Prep Work

The drywall stays in place, which means the new wiring will have to go through a small space - like a crawl space or attic. The prep stage includes marking down the crawl space location where the electrician will do most of their work. Advance electrical preparation, such as drilling the holes to make room for the new wiring, helps you see what wires need removal and where the wires need to be fed through. Make sure to remove any clutter from near your electrical outlets. It's wise to make sure there is access to install your electrical wiring. At the same time, they might be able to help with heavier furniture and items.

Electrical Removal

The removal stage might sound easy, but it requires a little bit of work. The first reason is that the wires are held to the wall using staples, so you need to take care of that. The second reason is that you can't just throw old wiring in the trash. It needs to be recycled! To remove old wiring, make sure the power is off before trying to do anything. You can pull these puppies out from the room and patch up the drywall. But since we want to avoid demolition, professionals can cut the cable, remove the exposed part, and remove the electrical wiring from the crawlspace. Cables are more accessible installed in locations like the ceiling! Homeowners can now easily pull out wires; professional electricians can tape the new cable to the old one, then pull out the old wiring and allow the new cable to fall into its space.

New Wiring Installation

Installing the new electrical wiring is critical and can affect your home value and house insurance. Rewiring a house can seem daunting at first, but don't worry! All you have to do is pre-cut an opening for each electrical box before taping two cables together and letting one take the place of the other. Next, a 3/4-inch hole will be drilled through the wall's top plate, directly over each opening, or through the bottom plate under the openings. New electrical wiring installation is usually a two-person job, as it helps to have another person catch the wire installed through the crawl space. If the homeowner or electrician did the calculations correctly, then the wire should feed down straight to the outlet and junction boxes of all of your devices. This process continues room by room until all wiring is complete.

The Advantages of Rewiring Without Plaster or Drywall

When there are large holes in walls or ceilings, you want to ensure you're doing the proper caulking. Adding new insulation can make the cost of rewiring much less expensive. Here are just a few advantages of rewiring without plaster and drywall:

No demolition. It can be a significant expense if you aren't having your house rewired in an extensive renovation project. With a bare-bones project like a new addition, the cost can be more than a new construction home because it includes installing the new home and replacing the framing, plumbing, heating, etc. It's easier to install new wiring, so you don't have to tear out old wiring. You also don't have to replace or deal with old wiring systems. You can still open up walls and bring in new wiring without removing or tearing up any old framing.

There's no way around it. You will spend money to rewire your house. While it is an option, it's not something you should ever undertake lightly. Even if you decide to do the project, it's essential to do it the right way. Make sure you do the electrical work in an organized, professional manner. Never start the job without taking the proper classes and certifications. Not to mention, you'll need a qualified electrician to do the work safely and efficiently.

An electrician is your best bet for helping you safely, efficiently, and safely rewire your house without demolition. Take the plunge and rewire your house without destroying the walls. Start by hiring an electrician, then consult our electrician guide to learn more about what you need to know. Our local, insured, and certified electricians are here to help you make the right plan and take the best course of action for rewiring your home!