No matter what size and type your extension is going to be, you are likely to want an electrical supply in there, even if it’s just for a light.
And if you’re going the whole hog, with a two or even three story extension with extra bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms, then a serious upgrade to the house’s wiring will be required.
1. Plan Your Layout
Otherwise you are likely to be looking at new lighting circuits and new mains power loops as well. Go through the extension in your mind and imagine how you are going to use it, and where you’re likely to need power and light. If any of the rooms are going to be used as bathrooms, kitchens or utility rooms then you need to assess the need for special circuits to boilers, cookers etc. And consider whether you will want central lighting or wall lamps.
Another option is a circuit for standard and table lamps that can be turned on and off from a single wall switch, an idea popular in America for many years that’s beginning to appear more frequently in this country.
Think about the outside of your home. Whilst we’re doing the internal wiring it might be worthwhile getting a couple of weatherproof sockets put on an outside wall. This would make it easier to plug garden tools and lights in, particularly if your extension is a conservatory or garden room, so the wiring would be going close to the outside wall anyway.Get all of this clear in your mind, and preferably written down too then we can discuss this with you and make any suggestions we think may help improve your plan. If you have your requirements sorted out beforehand it will make everyones life easier especially when it comes to pricing your job.
2. Distribution Boards
Depending on the layout of your original electrics, extending them can bring up some issues. For example, if you are adding or extending a kitchen, you are likely to have to add a circuit that goes directly from the distribution board, which will cause disruption to the rest of your home.
For a lot of other work, unless it is very extensive, it’s usually possible to extend the existing ring circuit but it is something to bear in mind.
3. Future Proofing
When a new customer come to us with original plans, we very rarely end up implementing those plans exactly. Instead, we help them understand not only what their current needs are, but what their future needs might be. Things are changing so fast in every industry and inlife generally so getting electrical access and power correct is essential.
You need to think about mood lighting, surround sound, high-speed Wi-Fi, kitchen gadgets, security systems and TV’s in most rooms! To make the most of future technologies your electrical circuits must be up to the job, yet so many people don’t plan ahead and then will run into problems later on
4. Faulty existing Wiring
There is no guarantee that your existing wiring is up to standard and that creates a whole new series of problems. If we come to install new wiring in your extension, knock through a wall and find a mass of tangled, damaged or mismatched cables, your project is immediately going to be delayed.
Having an electrical survey carried out before work commences is the best way to protect against this, but sometimes we just don’t know what we’re dealing with until we see inside the walls. If your home has faulty wiring, it can probably be fixed, but it will add time and money on to the cost of the project.
5. Double Up
One rule of thumb that’s well worth remembering is that once you’ve decided on the number of sockets that you’ll need in a given room, then double it!
With the ever increasing number of electrical devices in use today it’s going to be an absolute nightmare if you spend all that money then end up having to put extension leads all over the place the next time you move a room around or get a new gadget for Christmas.
We’re always happy to offer advice and a free no obligation quotation so just give us a call.