One of our specialties as an electrical contractor serving Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley is working on older homes. Southern California may not be New England—we don’t have nineteenth-century homes here. But “vintage” doesn’t have to stretch back to the gaslight era. Many houses built before 1970 have specific requirements when it comes to electrical services (as well as HVAC services, which we also handle).
There’s no wrong time to arrange for Van Nuys, CA, electrical upgrades to your vintage home. But the best time to have a major electrical system overhaul is during a home renovation. You can make the wiring, outlets, panels, and more a part of an extensive renovation project. The results may not make a significant cosmetic change, but the difference in electrical performance and safety is massive. Expert electrical upgrades pay off for many years to come.
Below are important electrical upgrades and changes to have done as part of an extensive renovation.
We’ve had a longer cold spell here in Southern California than we often get. Of course, it’s nothing compared to the awful deep freeze that recently struck the Midwest. But it’s still cold to us, and if you use an electric-powered heating system like a heat pump or an electric furnace, you can expect to see an uptick on your electrical bills. That’s normal: just check electrical usage with previous bills to see that the rise in costs corresponds to more use.
We don’t have snow for December in California, and we imagine most locals are a-okay with that. But homeowners still want some holiday cheer, and one of the best ways to pretend they’re in a winter wonderland while still only needing a windbreaker when outside is to put up a festive light show on the outside of the house. And a generous amount on the inside as well.
… or, to put it another way, “Aren’t power strips surge protectors?”
If you are shopping for a new home or are planning to sell your current one, you may have heard about how important it is for the house to be “up to code” or “code compliant.” What does this actually mean, and how do you find out if the house meets the code? 
This is a question homeowners often ask when they either have electrical wiring repairs that need to be done or when they’re contemplating a new installation, such as new lighting, a ceiling fan installation, or when wiring for an add-on room. It’s smart to look for places to save money in home improvement projects. But it’s much smarter to know when doing the work as a “do-it-yourself” project poses potential safety hazards.
Once upon a time, not so very long ago, the idea of a “home theater system” meant a nice television set in a room without too much light to distract from the screen. Anything more “theatrical” needed to have an expensive projection system and screen installed. Then along came stereo sound equipment. Then big screen TVs. Then surround-sound audio systems. Then flat-screen TVs. Then digital sound. Then HD TVs. Then 4K TVs. And who knows what else may be around the corner?
