What did people find when they opened up the walls in older New Brunswick homes — is knob and tube wiring common here?

Knob and tube wiring is definitely found in older New Brunswick homes, though it's less common than in Ontario or BC simply because NB had slower early electrification. You'll most likely encounter it in homes built between 1900-1940, particularly in the heritage districts of Saint John's Uptown, Fredericton's downtown core, and some of the older sections of Moncton.

When contractors open up walls in these vintage NB homes, here's what they typically discover:

The knob and tube itself consists of ceramic knobs supporting individual hot and neutral wires, with ceramic tubes protecting wires where they pass through framing. Unlike modern cable, there's no ground wire and no protective sheathing. The wiring often looks surprisingly good after 80-100 years — the porcelain insulators and cloth-wrapped copper conductors were built to last.

Mixed electrical systems are extremely common in NB's older homes. You might find original knob and tube feeding some circuits, 1950s cloth-wrapped cable on others, and modern Romex added during various renovations. Many Saint John Loyalist-era homes and Fredericton's University Avenue Victorian houses show this patchwork approach — previous owners upgraded piece by piece rather than rewiring completely.

Insulation complications create the biggest safety concern. When blown-in insulation was added to walls in the 1970s-80s energy crisis, it often buried knob and tube wiring. The old wiring was designed to air-cool, but insulation causes dangerous overheating. This is particularly problematic in NB's post-war bungalows where vermiculite insulation (potentially containing asbestos) was blown around existing knob and tube.

Insurance and financing issues immediately arise when knob and tube is discovered. Most insurers won't cover homes with active knob and tube, and mortgage lenders often require electrical upgrades before closing. This creates urgency for homeowners who thought they were buying a "move-in ready" heritage property.

The complete rewiring cost in New Brunswick typically runs $8,000-$15,000 for a modest older home, depending on accessibility and whether you're opening walls anyway for other renovations. Licensed electrical contractors (TIS licence required) must pull wiring permits from NB Power (1-800-615-0522) and arrange final inspection through TIS (1-888-659-3222).

Don't attempt to work on knob and tube yourself — all electrical work in NB requires a licensed contractor. The old wiring can be brittle, and mixing old and new systems improperly creates fire hazards. Have a licensed electrician assess the entire system before planning any wall work or insulation upgrades.

If you're buying an older NB home, budget for electrical inspection and potential rewiring — it's one of the most common surprises in heritage properties across the province.