Intuitive Demolition

Sometimes you just have to follow your muse in whatever unexpected direction it wants to go, especially if it's the Muse of Destruction.

One of the therapeutic advantages of renovating an old house is the opportunity to tear stuff apart in the name of discovery. Yesterday I was installing a new light fixture in the bathroom when I unearthed some scary connections made by the electrician we used a few months ago. He was highly recommended, but after seeing what he left behind the sheet rock I don't think we'll be using him again.

I couldn't quite figure out where the power came from. I had to dismantle several outlets and pull switches and wires trying to find all the links on the bathroom's electrical circuit with only partial success. Where some of the wires come from and where they go is a mystery. This photo shows the kind of wiring that exists in most of the house. Would YOU want this kind of wiring in YOUR house? I tend to forget quite quickly how much abuse this old house has taken in its 100 or so years of existence. Electricity scares me enough that I don't like to do much more than replacing outlets, fixtures, or switches. This circuit needs to be entirely replaced and connected to a new breaker in the circuit box, a job that is beyond my capabilities and my courage. I just hope I can find a good electrician this time.