Lived in house rewire tips

[APE37]

Hi guys,
Just wondering if any of you have any tips on lived in house re wires?
Got one coming up and just looking for some tips and tricks to get the job done as quick as poss without annoying the occupier. Been told the kitchen was re wired a few years ago and don't need to do, obviously I will need to keep clean and tidy and put boards back at the end of the day, maybe carpets if they are to be kept and will need to keep power on as people live there. Just wondering what you guys do in this situation? I.e start in loft then down or ground floor then up?
If anyone can help I would be grateful

Cheers

 

[Midwest]

Then there was the garage............

 

[Pete999]

What he said ^^^^^^^^^
Sub it out to a really fast housebasher and take a cut of the cash.
I honestly think I would rather be trapped on a submarine with our lass for 6 months than do a lived in rewire.

I was very good at it in all honestly, perhaps my skill has been, passed by

 

[Pete999]

Then there was the garage............

Oh come om Westy the Garage is a doddle

 

[Midwest]

When I was a lad, I recall one lived in rewire, were I kneeled down on the bathroom carpet, ohh that bathroom carpet is wet. Wasn't till later, I thought hmmmm that doesn't smell of bath water!

 

[Midwest]

Oh come om Westy the Garage is a doddle

Not when it's floor to ceiling with the new kitchen, with teeny weeny space for the CU

 

[APE37]

Hi guys,
Thanks for the replies. At the moment I am working for a firm so can't pass it on. Been told by boss kitchen not needed to be done. The rest is like for like in same locations, except some extra sockets. Just trying to get a plan of action together to make things easier, for me and occupier.
Once again thanks for the hints and tips. Really grateful.

APE

 

[7029 dave]

Well I will give you a few tips, because that's was my bag. Start from the top,look for conduits to pull down on switch drops etc. Ground floor lighting, JB the circuit, less floor board to lift, fish where you can, only move around furniture and floor boars depending on cable route.If lighting finals (risers) have not be planned and out of time, put on plug top to give service. Don't nail any boards back down unless your sure finished with route. Always keep disruption to a minimum, clean up after yourself. Carpets back down loosely till your finished.

 

[hightower]

Good advice from Dave above. We're currently doing a lived in 3 bedroom. 2 lads most of the time, started last Wednesday, should be finished by Thursday and definitely no later than Friday, and that's going steady away.

We always tend to start in the loft working our way down, and aim to have one circuit changed over and working each day, so that the customer has full power come night. So last Wednesday we completed 1st floor lights, Thursday was ground floor, Friday was cooker and smokes, no work on it today, tomorrow will be 1st floor sockets, Wednesday ground floor sockets, and that leaves a day or two to make sure everything is tickety boo and tie off any loose ends.

With lived in we tend to do tradition loop in and out of lights in attic and it's easy, but for first floor lights and all sockets we tend to fit Wago's and have them all fed from a 'wiring centre' that is still fairly accessible (under floorboards in boiler cupboard in this case). Obviously that means 4mm for a 32A radial, but it saves a massive amount of lifting boards etc - the more we can get done with rods the better. Think so far we've lifted about a dozen sections of floorboards and that's it.

 

[westward10]

4mm for a 32A radial ?

 

[hightower]

4mm for a 32A radial ?

Yes. Problem?

 

[westward10]

Depends on its installation method.

 

[hightower]

Depends on its installation method.

Clipped

 

[westward10]

All the way, no containment what so ever.

 

[hightower]

All the way, no containment what so ever.

Nope, just voids and plastered walls.

 

[1Justin]

Lived in rewire. Loads of fun. Good vacuum cleaner, allow 2 hours each day for moving furniture, taking up carpets, stuffing nick-nacks (or knickers) into boxes, and generally disrupting their house everywhere.
Agree beforehand exactly what they expect "making good" to mean.
Agree with them that you are not a carpet fitter, but you'll do the best you can. (But don't tell them you'll be doing it with your brick bolster)
Devise a cunning plan to allow socket outlets in a ring to remain live overnight whilst re-wiring the same ring into the same socket locations.
MDF wardrobes fall apart.
Ex kitchen wiring is nearly always rubbish.
Build in enough to account for every upstairs room with laminate flooring or carpet.
Get a full-on respirator mask and always use it in the loft when you are rooting about in the insulation. Silicosis is a time bomb for many builders and electricians.

Best Customer quote: "We'd like you to completely finish one room at a time before moving on to the next"