Whether you are wiring your unfinished basement for the first time, or completely remodeling what's already there, you have to know what you are doing. In most cases, enlisting the help of a professional is a must, unless you want to shock yourself and end up without power for a couple of days, or maybe even a few weeks.
When looking in to rewiring your basement, you have to take the steps to make sure it gets done right. The current house we live in now is really old. Because of this, when we moved in a lot of the electrical wiring wasn't up to code. I'm not really sure what that means, but that's what the inspector told me.
At this point we had to rewire not only our basement, but the rest of the house as well. There are all sorts of things to consider while diving into a basement rewiring, whether for practical or aesthetic reasons.
Before you start
Rewiring the home can be expensive, usually anywhere between a couple thousand dollars to over ten thousand. With this in mind, your remodel must be chosen wisely. Unless you have money to burn, you are going to be living with your decisions for a long time.
The first thing to ask yourself is: what do I want from this remodel? If you are looking for a change that is purely functional, oftentimes the price is pretty much fixed. But if you are looking for a change of style, depending on what you want, you have some wiggle room to experiment and learn the best lighting for the lowest cost.
Before you start, talk to an electrician. Find out exactly what it takes to complete your dream project. They have all the experience, and know the advantages and disadvantages of installing can lights. For us, all we cared about was having our electrical wiring up to code. The electrician was able to tell us the price, and let us know how long the process would take.
The options
Like with anything else in life, finding the best options for your budget is what it's all about. You should consider all the options before committing to one. It is good to listen to the electrician, but at the end of the day, you are going to be the one living with the electrical wiring in your home. Pick the option that works best for you.
I'm not just talking options for your electricity here; I'm talking options during the process. If you choose to undergo a huge basement project, it may affect other areas of living space in your home. Here are some questions to ask your electrician before committing to a project:
- First, the obvious: how expensive will the project end up being?
- How long will the project take?
- What are my options?
- Which are better; can lights or track lights?
- Depending on how long it takes, how do we live during the rewiring phase?
These questions can help guide you through your home electrical remodeling. By being ready to ask the questions, and considering all the possibilities, you will have the easiest home remodeling experience possible.
By Cassie Costner
Having dealt with an electrical remodeling, Cassie has experience with the steps needed to ensure the best electric experience. She also used to work for an electrical contracting company, learning more about the field than most people. In other writings, she discusses saving money through reducing your power bill.
