9 Upgrades to consider during a renovation
RJL Electrical
Serving Ottawa West & Surrounding Communities
Arnprior • Almonte • Barrhaven • Carp • Carleton Place • Dunrobin • Fitzroy Harbour • Kanata • Kemptville • Manotick • Merrickville • Mississippi Mills • Nepean • Osgoode • Pakenham • Perth • Smith’s Falls • Stittsville • Richmond
If you’re adding an addition to your house, renovating an existing living area or building your dream home from the ground up, one of the first steps is to plan your electrical wiring. While you’re planning, don’t forget to consider the details that will keep your home and electronics safe and add convenience to your day-to-day living. At RJL Electrical, we’ll be happy to provide you with some guidance and complete the project within your budget.
Electrical Upgrades
1. Switch to LED Lighting
A huge improvement can be made by switching over to LED lighting. LED lights run cooler, produce brighter light and use a fraction of the power than regular light bulbs. The price of LED lighting has come down considerably in recent years, and they are now available in warmer colours that are more complimentary to skin tones. LED lights that mimic the light of incandescent bulbs are even available now.
2. Wire a Media Centre
Are your TV, cable, surround sound, DVD player, etc., cables strewn everywhere? Do you have an octopus of power bars plugged into power bars? This condition is not only unsightly it is dangerous. An RJL Licensed Electrician can add additional outlets on surge protected circuits and fish those ugly cables through the wall.
3. Add Surge Protection
Surge bars offer limited protection and are seldom used for appliances. Surge protector power bars for expensive appliances, like your dryer, stove, and HVAC system are not available. By installing a surge protector right at your electrical panel, you can protect your entire home.
4. Repair Old Add-On Wiring
Add-on circuits are most common in older homes and are the most significant cause of electrical fires. As homeowners and handymen added connections to panels, they often failed to provide proper grounding, made poor connections, used incorrect cable sizes, or installed oversized circuit breakers. Have an RJL Licensed Electrician do a full inspection of your home’s wiring as part of your renovation plan.
1. Switch to LED Lighting
A huge improvement can be made by switching over to LED lighting. LED lights run cooler, produce brighter light and use a fraction of the power than regular light bulbs. The price of LED lighting has come down considerably in recent years, and they are now available in warmer colours that are more complimentary to skin tones. LED lights that mimic the light of incandescent bulbs are even available now.
2. Wire a Media Centre
Are your TV, cable, surround sound, DVD player, etc., cables strewn everywhere? Do you have an octopus of power bars plugged into power bars? This condition is not only unsightly it is dangerous. An RJL Licensed Electrician can add additional outlets on surge protected circuits and fish those ugly cables through the wall.
3. Add Surge Protection
Surge bars offer limited protection and are seldom used for appliances. Surge protector power bars for expensive appliances, like your dryer, stove, and HVAC system are not available. By installing a surge protector right at your electrical panel, you can protect your entire home.
4. Repair Old Add-On Wiring
Add-on circuits are most common in older homes and are the most significant cause of electrical fires. As homeowners and handymen added connections to panels, they often failed to provide proper grounding, made poor connections, used incorrect cable sizes, or installed oversized circuit breakers. Have an RJL Licensed Electrician do a full inspection of your home’s wiring as part of your renovation plan.
5. Design a Lighting Plan
Lighting is a crucial element for decorating any living space. A lighting plan should consider the way light is layered, as well as the specific application for which it is intended. Fortunately, today there is a wide selection of bulbs and fixtures to choose from. Let RJL Electrical help you design a lighting plan for your reno. See our comprehensive guide to lighting your home.
6. Add Security Lighting
5. Design a Lighting Plan
Lighting is a crucial element for decorating any living space. A lighting plan should consider the way light is layered, as well as the specific application for which it is intended. Fortunately, today there is a wide selection of bulbs and fixtures to choose from. Let RJL Electrical help you design a lighting plan for your reno. See our comprehensive guide to lighting your home.
6. Add Security Lighting
A motion sensing light can stop a trespasser dead in their tracks. If someone is snooping around your property, the sensor will detect their movement and switch on bright spotlights to scare them off. Motion sensing light also provides you with added safety and convenience by lighting your front porch when you arrive home at night.
7. Upgrade Electrical Panel
8. Pigtail Aluminum Wiring
When opening walls and ceilings during your renovation, it is the perfect time to repair hazardous aluminum wiring with Copper Pigtailing. It’s estimated that more than 450,000 homes in Canada are still wired with aluminum wiring. Copper Pigtailing.
9. Remove Old Heaters
7. Upgrade Electrical Panel
If you’re putting an addition on your home that will increase electrical demand, you will need to have a Licensed Electrician add additional circuit breakers. If your panel is old or damaged it can pose a fire risk and a renovation project is the best time to perform an upgrade to your home’s Electrical Panel.
8. Pigtail Aluminum Wiring
When opening walls and ceilings during your renovation, it is the perfect time to repair hazardous aluminum wiring with Copper Pigtailing. It’s estimated that more than 450,000 homes in Canada are still wired with aluminum wiring. To learn about aluminum wiring and Copper Pigtailing click here.
9. Remove Old Heaters
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