Do you know how old your home is? There are some signs that are obvious that will give you a good estimate, but it won’t always be easy with older houses. An experienced home inspector is able to spot some outdated materials and building techniques that can give you a good estimate of the age of a home. Here are a few signs showing the age of a home:
Square Nails
Square Nails were fabricated in the 1800s. These nails become increasingly rare as the years go by. The oldest type of square nail is rough from head to end. The nails today are rounded and uniform, which means if you see square nails, the property was built pre-20th century.
Aluminum Wiring is Old, but Knob and Tube is Older
An example of an old wiring style is aluminum wiring. This wiring was used from the late 1960s to the late 1970s when copper was costly. The aluminum wiring style did not last that long because it does pose a fire hazard as the metal expands and contracts when it is heated up by use.
The existence of knob and tube (K&T) wiring is a sign that the property had electricity installed as early as 1880. Knob and tube wiring is composed of tubes made from porcelain with cloth-covered wires that you usually see on inside walls and joists.
Old Electrical Receptacles Aren’t Grounded.
An obvious sign that a house is older is when you see two-slot receptacles instead of regular grounded receptacles. The oldest outlets are non-polarized with two slots of the same size. Newer receptacles have two slots of different sizes and a round hole for the ground pin. Having these receptacles replaced might require the help of an electrician since there might not be a ground wire to connect to the new receptacle.
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