Avoid this danger when buying an old home

If you’re looking to buy a home that was built in the 40s or before, check out the electric wiring in the home before you buy.

Knob and tube was the common way to wire a home. These systems were designed to carry much less electrical current than we use now. Also, the protective insulation for the wires become brittle and fall off and then you have very hot wires exposed to your walls, which can definitely be a fire hazard.

My house was built in 1927 and about 10 years before we moved in there was a large fire upstairs that caused much damage, which we believe to have been caused from the knob and tube system. After the fire our whole house was rewired. It’s something to look out for before buying and factor in the cost of replacing the electrical system if it still is knob and tube, so you don’t put you and your family in danger.