Are you planning a home renovation? If so, you need to be aware that this is the perfect time for electrical walk-throughs. An electrical walk-through is the process of going through the entire home, using house plans as a guide, to determine how your wiring must be installed. This helps to ensure you have lighting in the right places, as well as power points, control panels, charging stations, heaters, audio/visual outlets and more.
Once a renovation is complete, making changes to the home electrical plan is more costly, so it pays to conduct a thorough walk-through before you get too deep into the planning stages. In this article, we’ll explore the steps a qualified renovation electrician takes while designing your home’s electrical system.
Step 1: Preparing for the electrical walk-through for your reno
Home renovations usually require many hands to be successful. You’ve likely got your own vision for how you want the house to look, but there are usually other professionals involved, too. This could include builders, architects, interior designers, plumbers, painters and more. Typically, everybody should be involved in electrical walk-throughs to ensure you’re all on the same page.
Although your interior designer may not be an electrical wiring expert, they do have a big say in the placement of lights and other features. Builders don’t usually work with electrical systems, but they also play a key role in planning. So, try to arrange a time for all parties to be present, as this will get everybody on the same page, and you can avoid wiring plan changes at the last minute.
Step 2: Create your electrical plans for a house
Considering you’re doing a renovation rather than a new build, you can likely access existing house plans. However, house wiring installation diagrams aren’t always readily available. During the walk-through, your electrician uses existing house plans to formulate an electrical plan. Naturally, if there are other structural changes to occur, they will also need to be reflected in the new plan. This is another reason to have all relevant parties present during the walk-through.
The electrical plan must include the desired placement of lights, power outlets and everything else that needs to be wired in.
Step 3: Check existing electrical systems
Your house already has an electrical system with wiring and other components throughout the house. By thoroughly checking the existing system, you get an understanding of the project scope. Many people choose to do full wiring upgrades when renovating a house, but this often depends on the quality and suitability of the current setup.
If the existing system is in good condition, you may only need to make minor adjustments, but this varies from house to house.
Step 4: Consider special features and scene-setting
During your walk-through, don’t just think about the basics such as lights and power points. Modern electrical systems can do so much more. For example, you might consider a smart lighting system that gives you wireless control. Certain rooms may require dimming switches or lights that you can program for different moods and scenes.
What other electrical options would be beneficial? In-built device charging stations help to limit the number of cords around the house. Do you want accent lighting to highlight certain architectural features? There’s a lot you can do with modern electrical design, and the walk-through is the perfect time to decide on everything you want.
Step 5: Lighting design for practical areas in your home
There are four major types of lighting. Ambient lighting creates a mood, task lighting is used to illuminate areas you work in (such as food prep areas), decorative lighting is as the name suggests, and accent lighting helps to highlight architectural features. In practical areas of the home, such as the kitchen, you need enough light to see what you’re doing.
For example, you may not want the entire kitchen and dining area flooded with light, but carefully placed downlights above the kitchen bench offer great food prep lighting. Can you use sensor-activated LED strip lights to light the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night? You’ll find the need for functional lighting everywhere in the home, so take the time to be specific during your walk-through.
Step 6: Be particular with each room
Every room is different, requiring different electrical capabilities. From lighting to placement of power outlets, it pays to be precise when doing electrical walk-throughs. Here are some tips for different areas of the house:
Bedrooms
- Try to save space with discreet wall lighting instead of bedside lamps.
- Arrange power outlets where you can easily reach them.
- Use in-built charging stations.
Bathrooms
- Use cabinets and vanities to hide additional power outlets.
- Install a charging station.
- Place fans in central positions.
- Use multiple lighting levels for different times of the day.
Outdoors
- Consider outdoor entertaining needs and place lighting accordingly.
- Use only weatherproof outlets.
- Illuminate steps, pathways and potential hazards.
Living rooms
- Design for functionality and comfort.
- Place audio/visual ports where you can hide cords.
- Use floor power outlets where practical.
Ultimately, every home is different, and the electrical wiring plan needs to reflect your unique lifestyle. What works in your neighbour’s home may not suit yours, so work closely with your electrician to identify all of your needs during the walk-through. And remember to be specific, because it’s much more expensive to move switches, outlets and lights once the renovation is complete. It’s also a good idea to upgrade smoke alarms to comply with new regulations.
Step 7: Finalise your home electrical plan
The final step in the planning phase is to complete the home electrical plan. This includes a full and comprehensive house wiring installation diagram that shows everything, including lights, power outlets, AV ports, heating, fixed appliances and more. The plan should be extremely detailed, and of course, it must match the builder’s renovation plans, particularly if structural house changes are occurring.
