got a 12 year old home and confused on some points

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Oct 1st, 2020 4:41 pm

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Sep 29th, 2020 7:46 pm

junkone [OP]: Deal Addict; Nov 2, 2003; 1252 posts; 75 upvotes; oshawa

Sep 29th, 2020 7:46 pm

got a 12 year old home and confused on some points

i have a 800 sq feet basement. there are electrical outletts near the main electrical board and 1 near the furnace. the rest of the basement has no electrical sockets and it makse no sense. do builders assume that we will get electricals done over time?
why is there no light in living rooms?
why is thier no light to show the stair case?

if you dont have an answer, dont repond to my thread.
I need answers, and thats why i use redflagdeals forums.

21 replies

Sep 29th, 2020 8:10 pm

harbottle: Newbie; Aug 4, 2013; 18 posts; 21 upvotes

Sep 29th, 2020 8:10 pm

junkone wrote: ↑

i have a 800 sq feet basement. there are electrical outletts near the main electrical board and 1 near the furnace. the rest of the basement has no electrical sockets and it makse no sense. do builders assume that we will get electricals done over time?

why is there no light in living rooms?

why is thier no light to show the stair case?

One word: upgrades

+5

Sep 29th, 2020 8:17 pm

Jerico: Deal Fanatic; Jan 25, 2007; 9173 posts; 4704 upvotes; Paris

Sep 29th, 2020 8:17 pm

junkone wrote: ↑

i have a 800 sq feet basement. there are electrical outletts near the main electrical board and 1 near the furnace. the rest of the basement has no electrical sockets and it makse no sense. do builders assume that we will get electricals done over time?

why is there no light in living rooms?

why is thier no light to show the stair case?

Overhead lights are something that can easily be added or deleted. My Grandmother on my Mom’s side didnt believe in overhead lights anywhere but kitchen and dining room, and my Aunt still lives in that house. Its the most annoying thing whenever we visit.

Outlets in an unfinished basement cost money.

+1

Sep 29th, 2020 8:27 pm

thriftshopper: Deal Fanatic; Jul 7, 2017; 5006 posts; 2192 upvotes; SW corner of the cou…

Sep 29th, 2020 8:27 pm

There was some trend away from overhead lights a "few" years ago for whatever reason. Maybe style driven. You were supposed to use floor lamps or whatever.

Cream rises to the top. So does scum.

Sep 29th, 2020 8:39 pm

junkone [OP]: Deal Addict; Nov 2, 2003; 1252 posts; 75 upvotes; oshawa

Sep 29th, 2020 8:39 pm

floor lamps are the most useless thing ever. i am growing old and i can hardly read anything with the yellow floor lights.

if you dont have an answer, dont repond to my thread.
I need answers, and thats why i use redflagdeals forums.

+2

Sep 29th, 2020 8:41 pm

jayoldschool: Sr. Member; Sep 4, 2006; 768 posts; 393 upvotes; Ottawa

Sep 29th, 2020 8:41 pm

1. Yes, that is normal in an unfinished basement. Wire it how you like.
2. I can guarantee you that in that living room, there is a light switch that controls a switched wall outlet.
3. Normal to not have lighting above a stair case. Many places with 90 or curved will have a hanging fixture.

+1

Sep 29th, 2020 8:46 pm

MrFrugal1: Deal Addict; Jan 2, 2012; 3400 posts; 2241 upvotes; KINGSTON,ON

Sep 29th, 2020 8:46 pm

junkone wrote: ↑

i have a 800 sq feet basement. there are electrical outletts near the main electrical board and 1 near the furnace. the rest of the basement has no electrical sockets and it makse no sense. do builders assume that we will get electricals done over time?

The outlets that are in your basement are there because the Code required them. Unless you paid your builder to install outlets, that's what you get.

junkone wrote: ↑
why is there no light in living rooms?

Most likely you have a switch on a wall near the entrance to the living room that appears to turn nothing on or off. It actually switches the power 'off' and 'on' to one half of an outlet (maybe the top or maybe the bottom) in the room.

junkone wrote: ↑why is thier no light to show the stair case?

There should be a switch at the top and bottom of a staircase (unless it's a basement, in which case only a switch at the top of the staircase is required by Code.) Basements are considered "utility rooms".

+4

Sep 30th, 2020 10:21 pm

James Stonehenge: Sr. Member; Dec 25, 2012; 938 posts; 328 upvotes; Toronto

Sep 30th, 2020 10:21 pm

How expensive would it be to run outlets in an unfinished basement? Basement isn’t framed so I guess is isn’t?

Sep 30th, 2020 10:28 pm

junkone [OP]: Deal Addict; Nov 2, 2003; 1252 posts; 75 upvotes; oshawa

Sep 30th, 2020 10:28 pm

MrFrugal1 wrote: ↑ The outlets that are in your basement are there because the Code required them. Unless you paid your builder to install outlets, that's what you get.

Most likely you have a switch on a wall near the entrance to the living room that appears to turn nothing on or off. It actually switches the power 'off' and 'on' to one half of an outlet (maybe the top or maybe the bottom) in the room.

i put my sofa around some outlets and need to investigate

There should be a switch at the top and bottom of a staircase (unless it's a basement, in which case only a switch at the top of the staircase is required by Code.) Basements are considered "utility rooms".

if you dont have an answer, dont repond to my thread.
I need answers, and thats why i use redflagdeals forums.

Sep 30th, 2020 10:29 pm

junkone [OP]: Deal Addict; Nov 2, 2003; 1252 posts; 75 upvotes; oshawa

Sep 30th, 2020 10:29 pm

jayoldschool wrote: ↑ 1. Yes, that is normal in an unfinished basement. Wire it how you like.
2. I can guarantee you that in that living room, there is a light switch that controls a switched wall outlet.
3. Normal to not have lighting above a stair case. Many places with 90 or curved will have a hanging fixture.

i have a 90 degree turn stair case and i tripped on the step as i could not see a damn thing in the dark. its aweful not to have lights there. wonder what the previous owners did. maybe they had owl eyes

if you dont have an answer, dont repond to my thread.
I need answers, and thats why i use redflagdeals forums.

Sep 30th, 2020 10:56 pm

boyohboy: Deal Addict; Dec 6, 2006; 4976 posts; 1366 upvotes; Toronto

Sep 30th, 2020 10:56 pm

junkone wrote: ↑ i have a 90 degree turn stair case and i tripped on the step as i could not see a damn thing in the dark. its aweful not to have lights there. wonder what the previous owners did. maybe they had owl eyes

Floor lamps.

My house was similar. There were only ceiling lights in kitchen & breakfast, dinning room, and middle of spiral staircase. All other major rooms in first and 2nd floors had no ceiling lights. First thing I added before even moving in was adding ceiling lights to every room. Floor lamps are just annoying as heck.

+1

Sep 30th, 2020 11:20 pm

DavidC363: Member; Feb 5, 2015; 309 posts; 373 upvotes; Toronto

Sep 30th, 2020 11:20 pm

1) i have a 2 yr old home with same outlets, one near main electrical board i use for routers and such, one near furnace, must be a code thing.
2) for some reason its a thing, my formal living room is the only room with an outlet for lamp use, everyother room has ceiling lights. i have noticed that in many houses/new build sheets.
3) must be some solution.

+1

Oct 1st, 2020 9:37 am

jayoldschool: Sr. Member; Sep 4, 2006; 768 posts; 393 upvotes; Ottawa

Oct 1st, 2020 9:37 am

junkone wrote: ↑ i have a 90 degree turn stair case and i tripped on the step as i could not see a damn thing in the dark. its aweful not to have lights there. wonder what the previous owners did. maybe they had owl eyes

You hit the switch at the top or bottom to turn on the lights up or down. Usually a two way switch for this exact reason.

+1

Oct 1st, 2020 9:45 am

Evil Baby: Deal Expert; Mar 18, 2005; 20302 posts; 2902 upvotes; Niagara Falls

Oct 1st, 2020 9:45 am

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ There was some trend away from overhead lights a "few" years ago for whatever reason. Maybe style driven. You were supposed to use floor lamps or whatever.

Few years ago? Man, my house built in the 70's had almost no ceiling lights. Over the last 4 years I've been adding LED pot-lights and the new LED style thing lights that look like built in florescent lights. As white and bight as I can get them. If I want my lights on, I don't want to have to strain to look around.

+1

Oct 1st, 2020 9:51 am

Evil Baby: Deal Expert; Mar 18, 2005; 20302 posts; 2902 upvotes; Niagara Falls

Oct 1st, 2020 9:51 am

James Stonehenge wrote: ↑ How expensive would it be to run outlets in an unfinished basement? Basement isn’t framed so I guess is isn’t?

Just did a quick Google and it said the average cost from an electrician is $350 per outlet but you really have to decide on what you plan on doing with the basement first. if you just want outlets now but don't plan on framing the walls in, the electrician will have to use armored cable(actual electricians, feel free to correct me on this) which is significantly more expensive per foot than normal wire. You can't run normal romex wire if it's not covered (in a wall).

So if you put in outlets before you frame the basement, then in the future when you go to frame the basement you'd likely be removing all the wiring you've had done and getting it run all over again.

+1

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