Knob and Tube (K&T) Wiring - Removal

Eliminating hidden hazards and modernizing your home’s skeleton

If your home was built before the 1950s, it may still contain Knob & Tube (K&T) wiring. While it was standard for its time, it lacks a grounding wire and is not designed to be covered by modern insulation, making it a significant safety risk and a major hurdle for home insurance.

The Dangers of Keeping Knob and Tube (K&T)

• Fire Hazard: The rubber insulation on K&T becomes brittle with age, flaking off and leaving bare high-voltage wires exposed inside your walls.
• No Grounding: K&T is a two-wire system with no ground, meaning your sensitive electronics (computers, TVs) are not protected from surges.
• Insurance Denials: Most insurance providers in Ontario will not renew policies or cover homes with active Knob & Tube wiring.
• Overheating: Because K&T was designed to dissipate heat into open air, adding modern blown-in insulation can cause the wires to overheat and ignite.

Identifying Knob and Tube Wiring:

Here is a photo idenfitying the wiring.

You can see what the knobs and tubes look like. Typically these can be found in the basement ceiling of older homes

Our Systematic Removal Process

We specialize in "surgical" replacements to minimize the impact on your home’s finishes:

1. Comprehensive Mapping: We identify exactly which outlets, lights, and switches are still powered by K&T.
2. Circuit Replacement: We run new wiring from your electrical panel to every point in the house.
3. Device Upgrades: All old two-prong outlets are replaced with modern, grounded three-prong outlets or GFCI protection where required.
4. Safe Abandonment: Once the new system is live, the old K&T wiring is disconnected and rendered dead, ensuring no "live" abandoned wires remain in your walls. All exposed and visible K&T is removed. (Typcially in the basement, accessible attic space)
5. Panel Upgrade/ Replacement:It is common for a new panel to required to be installed when doing a full wiring upgrade. At this point in the process we would set aside a day to get the electrical panel updated/upgraded to accomidate more circuits, AFCI breakers and for a fresh start at the panel.
6. Permit & Inspection Upon completion, we provide the ESA Certificate of Acceptance, which is the official document required by insurance companies to prove the hazard has been removed.

Ready to Remove the old Knob and Tube from your Home?

Our team serves Kitchener, Waterloo, Cambridge, Guelph and surrounding areas, we will come and estimate the full scope of work, come up with a plan and devise a timeline to get the job completed!