What a tangled web we weave, when we...renovate!

5 years ago

We are the fourth owners of a house built in 1952. The three prior owners each had additions built, and also, apparently, did some significant remodeling. Over the 20 years that we have owned the house, we have had the kitchen, a portion of the basement (which had been "finished" by prior owner) and the upstairs master bathroom renovated, and the upstairs hall bathroom remodeled.

The unfinished part of the basement is a mess of cables, wires, pipes, boxes, ductwork ... it looks as if the "old" cables, wires, pipes and boxes were not removed with each addition and renovation - just that "new" ones were added. When we have to have systems serviced, the technicians often have to spend many minutes figuring out which wires, cables, pipes go where, which are still in use, etc. I also think that the ductwork has just been added to, or extended, over the years, and even eyeballing it makes me think it could be more direct and efficient.

We plan to live here another few years, and then sell the house. I would like to at least explore the idea of having the ductwork redone, and the unused wires, cables, pipes, and boxes removed to make things easier to service, and to make it easier to paint the basement. I have a sense that the jumbled mess would hinder efforts to sell the house down the road.

I'm trying to figure out who to call! A general contractor, or each of the trades involved? If the latter, in which order? There are electrical boxes and wires, gas lines, plumbing lines, old security system wires, old dehumidifier box and wires, old telephone wires and cables, TV cables, ductwork for furnace and two air conditioner units...etc. I did try to do some Google research for my area, but didn't find much help about how to proceed.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
I think the different trades is the way to go. We bought a 1956 MCM ranch where the electrical box was a complete mystery as to what breaker did waht. We need more amps so when the elctrician did the work he also made sure all the breakers were named so that is where i would strt . Ductwork is usually an HVAC pros domain and without picures and some info as to your heating and cooling there is no way to know what ductwork is serving what. Gas lines and plumbing are usually best to have a plumber that is also a gas fitter to deal with that. Telephone and cable stuff you can usually pull yourself if neither of those are used by you.
Karen
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks Patricia! I will start with electrician - when the currently-used (no pun intended!) electrical box was installed, the old box that it replaced was left there...and as to the telephone and other cable, and security system wires, etc...none are marked, so it's been a guessing game even for the technicians that come to work on any given system. I'm thinking maybe the electrician will be able to at least identify which wires are NOT his province, and point me in someone else's direction! I'd be interested in knowing whether most Houzzers' experience is that contractors working on renovations and additions remove the no-longer-to-be-used wires, cables, ducts, etc. when they install new ones...
Related Professionals
Gallup General Contractors · Annapolis Home Remodeling · Dodge City Home Remodeling · Guymon Home Remodeling · Ontario Home Remodeling · Clarksville Bathroom Remodelers · Leominster Bathroom Remodelers · Laconia Bathroom Remodelers · Rochester General Contractors · Santa Fe General Contractors · Lake City Interior Designers & Decorators · Martinsburg Interior Designers & Decorators · Altoona Interior Designers & Decorators · Richmond Cabinets & Cabinetry · Williamsburg Cabinets & Cabinetry
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yeah, you make the cables behind your television neat and obscure. Basement? Not so much.
mike_home
5 years ago
I suggest you do some research if a certificate of occupancy is required prior to selling your house. In some municipalities an inspection is done in order to flag any code violations. It would be good to resolve any electrical code violations as part of the electrician's work.
Karen
Original Author
5 years ago
I’d usually agree with you, Joe! This isn’t as much a “looks” issue with me as it is an effort to make things (from service calls to heating and cooling the house to painting the basement walls) more efficient. Also - posting the photos just to show examples of the tangled web - not asking any of you to try to diagnose! Thanks!
Karen
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, Mike.
partim
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Be careful. My neighbours' tradespeople accidentally took out all the working ducts from their attic, as well as the out-of-date ones that they were supposed to remove. It caused lots of problems!!

I would just label the active ones and out of date ones, and leave them be. No, tradespeople do not remove out of date items when they install new ones unless that is specified in the contract. It's a significant amount of extra work and doesn't really add value.
Nicholas Brown
5 years ago
"Yeah, you make the cables behind your television neat and obscure"

Don't say that @Joseph Corlett, LLC. Sorting out what's behind the TV is a weekend project all of it's own!
Karen thanked Nicholas Brown
Karen
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, partim. I appreciate the warning and the suggestion, for sure!
Nancy Walton
5 years ago
Some of those photos sure look to me like they're not up to code, especially the fuse/circuit-breaker box. You might want to start with the town building inspector, then they can point you to the people who can fix it. I agree, what a mess!
Karen
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks, Nancy. (And it looks messier in person, unfortunately).