Newmarket · Newmarket-Tay Power Distribution service area
Rewiring and new circuits for Newmarket homes
Behind the walls of a Newmarket home you might find wiring from almost any decade. We work out what's there, then rewire the parts that need it and leave sound wiring alone.
Older homes
Wiring in houses near Main Street
The houses closest to Newmarket's Main Street are the oldest in town. In homes of that age, it's not unusual to find several generations of wiring at once. A newer kitchen circuit may sit beside a bedroom still on its original run.
Knob-and-tube wiring was common in Ontario homes built before about 1950. It has no ground conductor, and its insulation was never designed to be buried in modern attic insulation. Aluminum branch wiring turns up in some homes from the late 1960s and 1970s, and needs the right connectors and devices.
An electrical inspection is the right first step if you've just bought, or your insurer is asking questions. It shows what's in the walls and how much of it should be replaced.
Across the town
Wiring jobs we see in different Newmarket neighbourhoods
A general picture, based on the age of the homes. Every house gets its own assessment.
| Downtown Newmarket | Gorham-College Manor, Huron Heights, Bristol-London | Armitage, Stonehaven, Summerhill Estates, Glenway | Woodland Hill, Copper Hills | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wiring likely found | Mixed eras, possibly ungrounded runs | Copper, sometimes aluminum in older homes | Copper cable | Modern copper cable |
| Typical job | Full or partial rewire | Targeted repairs and basement circuits | Kitchen and basement renovations | New circuits for added loads |
| Watch for | Plaster and lath walls | A crowded 100 amp panel | Earlier basement finishing to check | Finished drywall to fish through |
How we do it
Rewiring a lived-in house
- AssessmentWe trace the existing circuits and test them before planning anything
- Written scopeWhich rooms, which circuits, and the order we'll work in
- RoutesRun through the basement ceiling and attic to keep wall openings small
- DevicesGrounded outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection where the rules call for it
- PanelNew breakers, or a new panel if the old one can't take the circuits
- ESA inspectionEach stage inspected, with the Certificate of Acceptance at the end
Renovations
New circuits for kitchens and basements
Most of the wiring we do in Newmarket's established subdivisions is tied to a renovation. A kitchen needs dedicated circuits for the counters, the range, the dishwasher and the microwave. A finished basement needs lighting, outlets and alarms, and often a bathroom fan and heated floor.
Older basements deserve a careful look before we add to them. Earlier finishing work was sometimes done without an inspection, and it's better to find that before the new drywall goes up. See the rest of our local work on the Newmarket service area page.
Questions
Wiring and rewiring in Newmarket: questions
My downtown Newmarket house has two-prong outlets. Does it need a rewire?
Not necessarily, but it's a sign to look closer. Two-prong outlets mean those circuits have no ground wire. They can be original wiring or a later circuit that was never upgraded. An inspection tells you how much of the house is affected.
We're finishing the basement in our Armitage home. What wiring will we need?
That depends on the plan. Most basements need several new general-purpose circuits, lighting, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and sometimes a bathroom or bar. We check panel capacity first, since many homes of that age are already near full.
Can we stay in the house while you rewire?
In most cases, yes. We switch circuits over a few rooms at a time and restore power at the end of each day. We agree the order with you before we start, so you always have a working kitchen or bathroom.
Do you patch the walls afterwards?
We keep openings small and tidy, working from the basement and attic wherever we can. Patching and painting can be arranged as part of the job, or left to your own contractor if you're renovating anyway.
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