Open retro wiring in a wooden house: stylish and unusual

Open retro wiring has been forgotten for almost a hundred years. In the 20s of the last century, it was extremely popular, but new materials appeared, and they began to forget about the open method. In recent years, the fashion for retro wiring is back. It looks especially stylish in a wooden house: the laying of wires in the cable channels is too noticeable, even if they imitate a tree. Braided cables on the walls of the house, mounted in an open way, make the rooms of the house made of wood much more comfortable and unusual.

Retro wiring in a wooden house: fashion of the last century is returning

At the dawn of the electrification of houses there was only one way - wiring from a twisted pair of aluminum cable, which was mounted on the walls using porcelain insulator rollers. After almost a century, this technology has regained popularity, but the design has been slightly modified and significantly improved. Modern retro wiring only imitates the old days from the outside, but it is much more reliable and safer.

How is the cable arranged?

If previously only aluminum single-core wires were used, now conductive conductors are made exclusively of copper. For lighting, a cable with a cross section of one and a half millimeters is used, and for outlets and switches a wire 2.5 mm thick will be required. If the apartment has powerful equipment (kitchen appliances, water heaters, electric stoves), then they are connected to electricity in a hidden way: retro-cables of large thickness simply do not exist.

The first layer of cable insulation is a vinyl sheath, the second is a non-combustible fiber, and the outside is a decorative braid. A decorative braid is usually made of fiberglass, cotton fiber or non-combustible silk. Silk-braided cables are the most expensive. The outer layer must be impregnated with fire-resistant varnish.

In our next article, you can learn more about the choice of cables for installing electrical wiring in a house:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/ehlektrosnabzhenie/kakoy-provod-ispolzovat-dlya-provodki-v-dome.html.

Retro Cable Samples

Retro Wires

Retro wiring is ideal for a wooden house with a finish in the style of “vintage”, “Provence”, “country”, “loft”.

Advantages and disadvantages

Among the advantages of this type of electrification of a wooden house is worth noting:

• originality. A large selection of cables, switches and sockets allows you to choose the most suitable concept for a particular interior;
• ease of installation. The hidden method involves wall chipping and other time-consuming operations. Open installation allows you to save time without much effort;
• ease of repair. Damage to cables is very easy to detect;
• safety. Cables are mounted using special insulators mounted on insulated gaskets. That is, one hundred percent circuit protection is provided.

Of course, this type of wiring is not without some drawbacks:

• lower strength compared to the closed method (inaccurate movement can damage the cable);
• space limitation. Installation of overhead junction boxes, switches and sockets, conceals the space;
• inconvenience when repairing a home. Cables interfere with finishing work.

Mounting

To perform the wiring of retro wiring you will need:

• junction boxes;
• cables of the desired section (from 1.5 to 2.5 mm);
• overhead sockets in retro style;
• retroswitches;
• a sufficient number of porcelain insulators-rollers.

Unlike flush mounting, which is carried out before the start of finishing work, wiring electrical wiring It is already done on top of a wallpaper, painted or varnished wooden surface.

Everything you need to get started

Design is a critical step

Electrification of an object, and especially a wooden house, requires strict adherence to modern standards. The right choice of consumables and compliance with installation rules ensures safe operation.

It is better to entrust the design to a specialist, because only he will be able to choose the optimal cable cross section depending on the loads, taking into account other important parameters. Design by a specialist electrical company - 50% of successful installation. An electrician will advise the most suitable places for installing junction boxes, switches, sockets.

A specialist will advise on the optimal circuit for connecting equipment. Finding a suitable circuit takes a lot of time, but it is better to spend it, making the wiring safe, durable and ready for any load.

Material calculation

Retro wiring is not cheap. This is due to the high price of components. The country of origin and even the color of the product greatly affects the cost. For example, a brown cable will cost much less than blue or golden. Those who decide to use components from China will be disappointed: even Chinese retro wiring products are quite expensive. The most popular Italian companies offering a variety of products characterized by reliability and variety.

If there is a project scheme, it is not so difficult to calculate the amount of materials. The cost of production is as follows:

Important Mounting Features for Roller Insulators

Installation of insulators implies some features:

• the first porcelain insulator rollers are mounted at a distance of 4-5 cm from the switch, socket or junction box;
• horizontal installation means the distance between the insulators is not more than 45 cm (otherwise the cable will begin to sag);
• with vertical installation, the step can be increased to 50 cm;
• 2 insulators are used for rotation at an angle of 45 degrees at a distance of 5 cm, while the wire itself rotates 90 degrees.

Mounting overhead sockets and switches

Before mounting a junction box, switch or socket, the first thing to do is turn off the power. Installation includes only a few steps:

1. The product is disassembled.
2. A decorative product frame with a mandatory lining from the bottom of insulating material is attached to the wall using self-tapping screws.
3. The housing of the socket or switch is mounted on the fixed base.
4. Phase and zero cables are connected to the extreme terminals, and grounding - to the central. Typically, the phase cables are white (gray), but can be of other colors, so a screwdriver indicator is used. The grounding is yellow-green, and the zero cable is blue or blue.
5. The product is assembled.

About how to properly ground in a private house, read our article:https://aquatech.tomathouse.com/en/ehlektrosnabzhenie/kak-sdelat-zazemlenie-v-chastnom-dome.html

Video: retro sockets and switches for open wiring

Retro wiring is an interesting and very original solution for owners of wooden houses. Installation does not take much time.The main thing is to comply with the rules for installing electrical equipment. For long-term safe operation, consult a professional electrician.