Healdsburg Ave – Sebastopol

Scope of Work: The fire rebuild project on Healdsburg Ave in Sebastopol involved comprehensive electrical work. The scope of work started simple and quickly developed into more. The scope included the removal of all knob and tube, as well as snake skin wiring in the living room. Six ceiling light cans were installed and wired to a wall switch. Wiring was run for five outlets in the living room, and this circuit was integrated with the can lights. A new dedicated circuit was established from the panel to the living room, along with another circuit for an oxygen machine. Existing wiring from the living room, which branched off to nearby outlets, was also integrated. During the project, it was reported that framers observed sparks when moving a particular wire. Upon inspection, it was found to be an old cloth-insulated wire with an exposed hot wire. As the connection was being undone, insulation from other wires began to flake off. After consulting with the client, the decision was made to cut into the lath and plaster and run new wiring to the light switches at both ends of the kitchen, a task that took approximately three hours. Additionally, a sparking ceiling box was addressed by removing old wires and running new 12-2 wire to the switch box. Fixtures in four rooms were removed to facilitate drywall installation. In the primary bedroom and bathroom, cut-in cans were left hanging from the ceiling; these wires were cut, capped, and stapled near their future locations. Photographs of some electrical boxes were taken, revealing that the entire house was wired with old cloth insulation, indicating a need for a complete rewire.