Having three buildings on the property has had a number of advantages. We have often told people that our refurbishing efforts began in back and are proceeding toward the front. That refers to the fact that the workshop/Studio is at the back of the property, the Office is in the middle and the house is up front. We refurbished the Studio first and are using things we learned in that effort to do a better job and/or expend less effort in refurbishing the Office. In turn, we will apply what we learned in refurbishing the Studio and Office to the house when its time comes.
This explains why Carrie just replaced all of the electrical circuits in the Office. Unlike the house, there was no 1920’s vintage “tube & knob” wiring in use in the Office. It was still there and in the way, though. Plus, the wiring that had been done in the 1960’s was done with the same low regard for materials, workmanship, and safety that we have seen throughout the previous owners’ repair work. Carrie decided that replacing the Office wiring first would give her the experience she needs to tackle the more demanding and complex house rewiring.
Most of the rewiring is nasty physical labor. Crawling through the attic ripping out old wires and stuffing new wires down tiny barely accessible holes. Disposing of desiccated rat carcasses that have been haunting the walls for 80 years. Digging old receptacles out of decades of accumulated layers of wall paper, paint, and plaster. Stripping insulation, installing new outlet and switch boxes, attaching wires.
I got rat duty, but Carrie did everything else, including the research needed to install the three-way light switches. The first moment of truth came last night. Carrie has concentrated her rewiring efforts on the one room that temporarily houses her Law Office. This one room is a bit of an oasis with the rest of the rooms in varying states of repair. This one room has all its doors, windows, walls, floor, and ceiling; something that can be said of no other room in the office. With that room intact and functional, Carrie has a place to work while we then refurbish the remaining rooms. All of the new electrical outlets were installed. The phone and data circuits were terminated with new jacks. And while I was ripping siding off the walls of the back room, Carrie completed the installation of the ceiling light fixtures and the three-way switches controlling them. She had me stand by while she made the final attachment at the breaker box and threw the breakers to restore power. All the lights and outlets and switches worked flawlessly. Just as important to a functioning law office are the Cat-5 data cables that end in newly installed wall jacks right under the desk with the computer equipment. No more extension cables here!
We left the Office’s new porch light on all night as a beacon and celebration of Carrie’s wiring success.
