Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, and feasting. But with all the hustle and bustle of preparing a holiday meal, it's easy to forget about safety. The kitchen, often the heart of the home, can also be a hotspot for accidents if proper precautions aren't taken.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, with more than three times the daily average. Unattended cooking is the primary culprit, leading to a significant number of fires and injuries.   

To ensure a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving, keep these fire safety tips in mind:

By following these simple safety guidelines, you can enjoy a stress-free and safe Thanksgiving holiday with your loved ones. Remember, a little prevention can go a long way in ensuring a happy and healthy celebration.

What’s going on in this picture?

Sometimes it really is THAT easy! Notice what that label says? Yep. John-Mansville 1/8” Standard Asbestos Flexboard, a building product that was in use from 1925 to 1983. 

Asbestos exposure is notorious for leading to serious health issues. When flexboards like these are cut for installation purposes or begin to deteriorate with age, exposure to the asbestos particles within can lead to a plethora of diseases, including cancer. Luckily, our inspectors don’t encounter this stuff too often. Removal will be a top priority for these new homeowners. 

Every year, new construction techniques are implemented to make homes more functional, more energy efficient, and safer for families. While this certainly doesn’t mean that newly constructed homes are without their own problems, these new innovations do mean that more and more old home features tend to become obsolete over time.

While some “obsolete” home features can be as harmless as a tacky paint color or out-of-date kitchen cabinets, others can pose a serious safety risk. We’re going to key in on one of these old-school home features in particular that were once ubiquitous between 1880 and the 1940s.

That feature? Knob and tube wiring.

What is Knob and Tube Wiring?
Knob and tube wiring (K&T) was a standardized electrical wiring system implemented all throughout North America. It used a combination of insulated copper conductors, and its namesake porcelain “knobs” and “tubes.” Requiring skill to install, these knobs and tubes were particularly lauded for their long lifespans, their affordability, and their ability to meet basic electrical needs.

For its time, knob and tube wiring was a marvel of home design. However, as the demands of residential properties changed, knob and tube wiring became a serious cause for concern.

Is Knob and Tube Wiring Dangerous?
In the right setting, knob and tube wiring is not inherently dangerous, however there are a few things homeowners should be aware of:

1. Homes Require More Power Today
The first issue that knob and tube wiring systems face today is that the electrical demands of a home are much more extreme than back in 1880. While knob and tube wiring could be set up to handle heavier duty appliances like dishwashers, dryers, and modern refrigerators, heavy modifications would be required to update these older systems. Which leads straight into the second issue with modern K&T.

2. Modern Modifications Can Lead to Problems
Because they’ve been around for such a long time, knob and tube wiring systems have had plenty of opportunities to be tampered with by untrained hands and ambitious DIYers. Bending K&T can cause wiring insulation to crack and peel away, leading to major inefficiencies and fire hazards.

3. K&T Wiring Lacks a Grounding Conductor
Part of the reason why K&T wiring is considered obsolete is their lack of grounding wire which is incompatible with modern appliances and can cause them to short out, shock people when attempting to plug them in, and even cause fires. While there may be ways to make knob and tube systems compatible with appliances that need grounding (such as using GFCI outlets), certified electricians will commonly recommend full replacement.

4. Building Insulation and K&T Don’t Mix
Finally, the biggest concern related to knob and tube wiring is the major fire hazard that they cause when in contact with building insulation. As mentioned earlier, K&T wires need space to allow its heat to dissipate. When covered by modern insulation materials, this heat does not have the open air it needs and will likely cause the insulation to catch fire.

In most areas, homes with active knob and tube wiring will need to have a certified electrician sign off on its safety before the home can be insured, and even then, some providers may steer clear. According to Angie’s List, rewiring a home can cost up to $10,000. For this reason and for all the previously mentioned points, it’s crucial for buyers to be aware of any home’s electrical system before placing an offer!