Question about old cloth wiring in a 1920s house in Cincinnati

Last week I was doing a kitchen rewire in a house from the 1920s and found the original cloth covered knob and tube still active behind the plaster. It was surprisingly brittle, and a section had cracked just from me moving it aside. What's the safest way you guys handle this stuff when you find it still in use?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_carter1d ago

Honestly, that's a full rewire situation. Brittle cloth wiring is a major fire risk, you can't just patch it.

emmam671d ago

Yeah, @angela_carter is totally right about the fire risk. That old cloth insulation just crumbles apart over time, exposing live wires. It's one of those things you just have to bite the bullet and replace completely, no shortcuts.