Upgraded a panel in a 1960s house and found knob and tube hiding behind drywall

I was swapping out a Federal Pacific in a house outside Cleveland last month and thought it was smooth sailing until I pulled the old drywall back and there it was, live knob and tube just chilling. Had to call the homeowner and tell them the job just tripled in cost because we had to gut half the basement ceiling to run new wire. Anyone else run into something you weren't expecting from the old days?

2 comments

2 Comments

blairsanchez11d ago

Yo, I've been there. Found knob and tube in a rental I was flipping back in '09. Thought I was done with the drywall but nope, live wires just hanging out behind the old lath. Ended up having to pull permits and everything because the inspector saw it from the street. Cost me an extra two grand and a week of my life.

rowangonzalez11d ago

Wait, the inspector saw it from the street? That's wild, how the hell did he spot knob and tube from outside your house? I've never heard of an inspector being that eagle-eyed, must have been looking for something specific or just knew the neighborhood's old wiring. That extra two grand stings but at least you caught it before someone got zapped.