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In this section we will study various time periods and a few things that should be looked at when making some old house upgrades. 1. Wiring in a 1920's Home When updating a 1920's property the electrical system was named "Knob & Tube" because it was laid out alongside wooden framing on ceramic knobs and passed through the joists via ceramic tubes. If your house has this style of wiring in your home it is necessary that you hire a contractor to upgrade your system as soon as possible as it is a fire hazard for a number of reasons. 2. Removal of Steel Water Pipes Steel water pipes were used in residential and commercial properties from 1900 to 1940 and even though they worked well until the mortgage was paid off after that they will start to to rust shut (much like an artery becomes clogged). Soon you will take note of the fact that your water pressure has slowed to a trickle if you have these types of pipes in your home or else you may not be aware of a problem until a pipe actually bursts. So it is important that you remove and replace in your residence before the problems begin to surface. 3. Wall Insulation Depending on the climate where you are located many houses did not have insulated exterior walls and the insulation below the roof often was not much better. However, if you want to get and stay warm then why not consider blown in insulation. All it takes is a small hole to be drilled in each outer surface and then the company you decide on can blow in the insulation to fill the empty space and so warm up your own home. 4. Asbestos Heating Pipes and Ducts Up until the 1940's asbestos was used as insulation for heating systems. As we have recently discovered, this stuff is dangerous you will to contract for an professional company who is qualified in asbestos removal to come in and take it away. You should also have them reinsulate your pipes with a non-toxic material. You can save money at this stage to actually decide to upgrade the entire heating system to be upgraded as well. 5. Undersized Electrical Systems Many older residences will need to have their electrical supply systems upgraded as often they will have one or more rooms on the same circuit. You may find that when the compressor kicks in on the refrigerator the lights in your living room begin to dim. To fix this problem you should arrange for a registered electrician to come in and inspect the wiring of your homeand agree to have it modified as they see fit. 6. Replacing Windows Because many of the windows manufactured the 1940's and 1960's were made of poor quality steel or aluminium you will probably have to look at upgrading them in order to properly protect your unit from the elements. There are many window companies around who can produce weather protection which will reflect the design of your home without you having to lose out on your comfort. Before you get your hammer out, study the above items as these are some things which will need to be considered when carrying out such a project.
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