The electric had been turned off 3 years ago on the last house we purchased. There was a fuse box mounted on the exterior of the house. Rich installed a new breaker panel for us and part of the house did not come live. Then I remembered the line hanging outside the house going up instead of down.
Sawsall came out and I cut the wall open. At least the wire going up was insulated and grounded 12 gauge. Interesting seeing there was still old knob and tube wire going to the light switch.
Problem was the light in the dining room still had no current. Ok let me revise that it tested 31 volts. Strange, that means the neutral is broken somewhere. In old houses they quite often put the switch on the neutral, (try to work on a fixture with the switch shut off and find that out the hard way. Line still live even with the switch off.) Looked around the room and no switch.
Sawsall out once again and just started cutting into that popcorn texture ceiling knowing there was no repairing that baby. Yea, found a wire going down the wall in the corner of the room.
Went over and closed the cupboard door that has been open since we bought the house. Well lookee there a switch to the light. Didn't need to cut the ceiling after all. Now I had a couple of choices. A really bad patch on an ungly popcorn ceiling (the popcorn finish was painted and was not coming off, I tried) or putting up new drywall. Didn't like either choice.
I checked the keys on the plaster and lathe in the ceiling. they are in excellet shape. That meant I could add some weight to the current ceiling. Time for a Corinthian finish. Still need that awful wall paper trim gone. The government should stop wasting their time on budget arguments and border policies and do something worthwhile. Outlaw all wall paper. There I said it, and it is my new political stance. I will vote for anyone who makes it their political platform. No more wall paper! No more wall paper!
Come on everyone chant with me. No More Wall Paper!
