knob and tube wiring. Full gut job or is surface mount wiring okay?

[Eric Hathway]

I just got a home inspection done on a 3 family and they found 90% of the electircal to be active knob and tube. It is a fire risk being in the insulation in the attic so if I moved forward with the deal it would have to be removed.

Has anyone heard of removing it and rewiring with surface mounted wiring? From what I hear it would be half the cost and in my case the seller might agree to have it done.

Any thoughts?

[Colleen F.]

We have one house with surface mount wiring. It is not for the reason you state but people don't like it cosmetically and whether it is reasonable really depends on the area and type of rental.  It also has on occasion been pulled from the wall.  While I think it is a good solution in some cases and in small areas  may still be a reasonable option  overall it is not a great option. It is  one of the places where the price difference may be worth it.  Now if it is the case of a temporary fix while you put off a gut rehab on a unit it may make sense. Or if like ours there are trade offs that make it worth it.  The more surface mount you need to run the less it likely to be a good option. Rewiring an attic ok ,  rewiring occupied apartments may be harder.