Historic 1920s house in Raleigh with knob and tube wiring

[Daniel Mock]

I have a house under contract that's a 1920s build in a historic neighborhood in downtown Raleigh. The house is in overall good condition with original plaster walls, plaster ceilings, original doors & trim. It also has all original knob and tube wiring. 

1) Would we have issues closing with a conventional mortgage with this wiring? 

2) Is the wiring save to live with while we save up for a full renovation over a year or 2?

3) Any tips on replacing the wiring while keeping the integrity of the plaster walls?

Any advice/suggestions help. Thanks!

[Andy Sabisch]

We have done a number of pre-1900 homes with knob-&-tube wiring.

As far as a mortgage goes, they will typically not ask but since you have a mortgage, you will need insurance and that is where the issue will come into play.  Many companies will NOT insure that type of wire due to the liability it poses.

As far as it being safe, depends on what you plug in and what was done to the circuits since it was installed.  Many homes we have done had butcher jobs inside the walls and were lucky it did not burn down.  Regardless of insurance requirements, we simply plan on a full rewire when we find knob and tube period.

As far as doing a rewire while maintaining the integrity of the walls, be very careful about hiring most electricians that have not done what you are asking for.  Knocking holes into walls is the easy solution but you are stuck with the mess or a big bill to repair.  We have done the last few ourselves and to be honest, it was quite simple if you lay out the runs on paper beforehand.  Then here is a trick that an older electrician share with me several years ago.  Pull the baseboards and cut a slit along the floor level and run the wires there and the with a snake, pull them up to the switches or up into the next floor using the same technique.  When you have them in place, simply put the baseboards back up and no damage to the walls.  For overhead lights, find out the way the floor joists run and run the wire down between two joists.  I would be happy to discuss this with you further if you are interested.

Hope this helps