Domestic rewires

[GMES]

Ok so as anyone who knows me will know That I try and avoid Domestic work at all costs but now and then I get a request from one of my Ind/Commercial customers to do their homes.
I had to do one last month and once again realised pretty quickly why I try to avoid them, so the point of this thread is curiousity more than anything.

Do you Domestic lads have any set ways you approach them, by that I mean do you chase everything first or as you need them, do you get all Boards up and all joist drilled, do you do a floor at a time etc etc etc.
The house was fully furnished but occupiers went away for a week so there was no need to replace boards every night etc and finally how long do you normally take to do an average 3bed semi, all switches and sockets to new heights not original.

I will be interested to hear your methods.

 

[Midwest]

I've done few rewires myself in the past, but now that I work on my lonesome, I wouldn't consider them. However I've done some partial rewires. One was vacant, and had no floorings, which was easy, although as some of the existing cabling was reused, I had to check there was no nasty's lurking under the floorboards. That's why I prefer to remove all redundant wiring, so you can see the wood from the trees, if you see what I mean. Perhaps suggest to the customer to put main furniture into storage or the garage. Advise customer you're not responsible for removing and reinstating floor coverings. If customer is re-plastering, get them to consider taking ceiling down in kitchen (for e.g.), especially if they are adding extras or downlights.

 

[Midwest]

I just seem to remember doing some about 15 years ago and they went a lot smoother and quicker, Maybe it just longer now due to all the extra circuits etc.

Think 'thats called rose tinted specs'!

 

[GMES]

Think 'thats called rose tinted specs'!

You may well be right because I often look at the missus and think she used to be prettier and more fun 15 years ago :tounge_smile:

 

[uksparks]

I turn them down as its way too much hassle.

The last one I did about 2 years ago, I kind of did a bit on one circuit, then another, then another, no order to it.

i hated it.

 

[Midwest]

You may well be right because I often look at the missus and think she used to be prettier and more fun 15 years ago :tounge_smile:

OOOOOhhh be careful she's not looking over your shoulder!

 

[stevethesparks]

Yeah Done and dusted Steve, I was only involved on the 2nd fix, I was busy with Breakdowns luckily during 1st fix which was done by Glennsparks and my apprentice who put some serious graft in by the way, like I say me and Darrel were busy elsewhere but all in all it got started on a Monday about 10am and finished saturday with no snags to go back to.

I just seem to remember doing some about 15 years ago and they went a lot smoother and quicker, Maybe it just longer now due to all the extra circuits etc.

They done blimin well to do it in 6 days complete, they must have been working their wiggly bits off.

 

[GMES]

They done blimin well to do it in 6 days complete, they must have been working their wiggly bits off.

I think the problem is sometimes you set yourself unrealistic goals, As an example Glennsparks said he would get it 1st fixed in 2 day's but to be fair that was with another Guy aswell as the apprentice but the other guy turned out to be useless then you naturally run into unexpected problems and the timescale goes out of the window. this then leaves you feeling like it's gone to pot and we must be doing something wrong, But I won't be touching another for a very longtime so all is well.
Give me power boards and 3 phase gear anyday of the week a nice big factory and I'm in heaven.

 

[7029 dave]

It was my specialty, done hundreds of them, making the least mess and disruption is key to any occupied rewire. Times have changed regs/ testing etc, but if you strip all of that back the technical/practical operation has not changed.On price up would have a few switches off to see if in conduit or cavity wall, then pull test it does help just to see what you are up against. The job always started up stairs lighting circuit ,if could not get my final down for any reason cable would be run off enough to reach CU location and stuck on plug top temp, upstairs power circuits etc, carefully planning my cable runs to existing positions or to new positions agreed with customer. Furniture carpets moved pulled up to only where required, lots of fishing under floors on straight runs,whilst rewiring upstairs power circuits etc, would be looking for the conduit switch drops positions getting all floor boards up to pull away any slip tube joints if that is the system. (Found a lot of this in london) even better if it is just oval or round conduit.The lighting circuit downstairs, tin hat on but this is the only method best suited for occupied rewires, is the JB system less floor boards to lift cable runs shortened considerably. Fishing rods out I made mine up with metal coat hanger tapped to oval tube or mini trunking lids were good, and fish for your cables for example central ceiling position feeds loads cable up into the void in the direction required go upstairs with your rod and fish it out twisting it you feel the bite of the cable pulling it towards you. Knock off time floor down only a few nails back in if they need to come up again,the others that don't nail them all back, carpets down tidy up as you go along. Hope have not bored you all too much, just my experience with this kind of work.

 

[Martin Kerr]

Originally Posted by Midwest
Think 'thats called rose tinted specs'!



You may well be right because I often look at the missus and think she used to be prettier and more fun 15 years ago

Think that's called two black eyes.

 

[uksparks]

Where's JRC when you need him? He claimed he could rewire a house in a day

 

[Dave OCD]

Blimey, with the attitude of the majority of the posters on this thread there must be 1000s of customers waiting on someone willing to take on a full rewire. :smiley2: Ok it can be hard work but also very satisfying when you overcome various problems along the way and finish the job knowing everything is nicely done and safe.
I just try to be realistic with the timescales,some days a lot more will seem to get done than others, also try and think of it as a quantity of small jobs rather than a big headache.

 

[stevethesparks]

Is it just me or does everyone get them moments when you find yourself staring out of the windows thinking, "why did I take this on", and trying to motivate yourself to get cracking again, when doing re-wires.

 

[Dave OCD]

It's not just you mate.

 

[MisterE]

Just coming to the end of a complete rewire of my house (1964 traditional three bed semi) removing all the VIR cable that was disintegrating.
I decided early on that the only realistic way of rewiring the bedroom, bathroom and landing (where most of the upstairs cable runs went from the CU to upstairs) was to remove the kitchen, dining room and hall ceilings to avoid lifting laminate and floor tiles.
A new kitchen was going in at the same time (bricking up the old doorway) and the walls needed squaring up, so I've battened out a wall to provide the routes from the CU to the landing and another false wall on the landing provides the routes to the loft for loft circuits, upstairs lighting and shower circuits.
Removing the ceilings was very messy but allowed good access for the circuit runs.
It's been a long haul with plenty of earache on the way (about the length of time) but I know that it's all up to standard and where every cable runs.

 

[GMES]

Just coming to the end of a complete rewire of my house (1964 traditional three bed semi) removing all the VIR cable that was disintegrating.
I decided early on that the only realistic way of rewiring the bedroom, bathroom and landing (where most of the upstairs cable runs went from the CU to upstairs) was to remove the kitchen, dining room and hall ceilings to avoid lifting laminate and floor tiles.
A new kitchen was going in at the same time (bricking up the old doorway) and the walls needed squaring up, so I've battened out a wall to provide the routes from the CU to the landing and another false wall on the landing provides the routes to the loft for loft circuits, upstairs lighting and shower circuits.
Removing the ceilings was very messy but allowed good access for the circuit runs.
It's been a long haul with plenty of earache on the way (about the length of time) but I know that it's all up to standard and where every cable runs.

That's got to be a new forum record, start date 1964 just finishing 2016 :whatchutalkingabout were you part of the team doing motorway upgrades on the M1 :sifone: