While it’s exciting to think about renovating your home yourself, it’s essential to be realistic about what you can do. Some projects are best assigned to licensed professionals like a residential electrician to meet safety standards.
4 Types of Home Renovation
Knowing the differences between the four main types of renovations will help you determine what changes need to be made to your electrical system.
1. Minor Renovation
A minor renovation is a small remodel, often done to save energy or improve the appearance of your home, such as replacing windows or painting the interior. No electrical changes are usually made as part of the renovation work. Still, you can take advantage of the disruption to your house and daily routine to install electrical safety features or more modern lighting.
2. Upgrade
Upgrading one or more rooms means making changes to improve their functionality. A good example would be adding a cooking island to your kitchen. This might require moving electrical outlets or adding new ones.
3. Conversion
Conversion refers to changing the intended use of a part of your home. The most common examples are converting a basement, attic, garage, or outbuilding into usable living or office space.
If you’re considering a significant conversion, like turning a garage into a bedroom, you’ll probably need to upgrade your electrical system.
4. Home Extension
Adding an extension to your home or converting an outdoor space into internal space, is a common Sunshine Coast renovation project. You’ll probably have to make a few electrical changes with a conversion.
Once you’ve determined what kind of home renovation you want, it’s time to hire a residential electrician.
Why Do You Need To Hire a Residential Electrician?
With all these projects, you can ensure better construction at home by hiring a licensed electrician. Here are the four reasons to reach out to a residential electrician:
1. They Prioritise Electrical Safety
For safety, you must install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in your kitchen, bathroom, powder room, garage, and outdoor living space. We also recommend installing them anywhere water may come into contact with electricity, like in a basement.
You may need to install arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) in bedrooms and other habitable areas. Lastly, tamper-resistant receptacles help protect against shocks in households with young children.
It’s better to find a licensed electrician to do the work and ensure all the necessary requirements are met. If your renovation is in the way of an electrical feeder line, contact the electric company before finalising your plans. Don’t try to move the lines yourself; you’ll need a representative from the utility company to do that.
During your house renovation, construction electricians will be responsible for installing wiring, outlets, and light fixtures.
2. They Help in Installing New Wiring
An electrician can ensure your wiring is up-to-date and compliant with local regulations, keeping your home safe for years to come. This may involve replacing existing copper wires or installing new cables to accommodate additional lighting, automation technologies, underfloor heating, and home theatre systems.
If you’re planning to install new appliances like dryers, spa baths, or dishwashers as part of your remodel, you may need to install or upgrade your electrical panel. This will ensure that your home can handle the increased electricity demand.
3. They Assist in New Appliances Installations
Adding new appliances such as dishwashers, dryers, televisions, security systems, and home automation is a standard home renovation. An electrician is needed to wire these jobs to provide power to the equipment.
4. They Upgrade and Install House Lighting
If you’re planning a renovation, new lights can make a difference in the kitchen or bathroom. A skilled electrician will ensure the new lights are correctly wired and the circuits are improved if necessary.
Remember that you will need to get permission from the body corporate before doing any bathroom renovations in an apartment.
Conclusion
Electrical work is complicated and requires the use of many tools and equipment. Hiring a licensed electrician will ensure that you have an expert working on your home electrical system.
The electrician will conduct a needs assessment and sit with you to discuss your options. Use that information to create a budget and then give them a call. They will be able to provide a safe and reliable home electrical system.
If you are looking for an electrician in Brisbane, contact us at Blue Electrical. We specialise in installing, repairing and maintaining electrical lines in Brisbane homes. To hire our electrical contractors in North Brisbane, feel free to call us today.