![]() The modern standard is an electrical panel with circuit breakers, not fuses.īeyond the electrical service panel, electrical wiring has gone through many changes since the 1960s to make it safer and more stable. To fix it, the old circuit must be rewired. ![]() Once damaged, the danger remains even if the 20-ampere fuse is replaced with one of the correct size. The electrical wires can’t handle the higher amperage, causing the wires to overheat. Additionally, there is a risk of fire if, say, someone plugs a 20-ampere fuse in a slot for a 15-ampere fuse. While fuse panels are still legal in most places, having one in the house is usually an indicator that the wiring may be equally obsolete. Today, 200 amps is standard, but modern electrical needs are pushing even this higher standard, too. Electrical junction boxes with 100-ampere or higher service appeared about 1985. ![]() (An ampere, or amp for short, is a unit of electric current.) Inside were four Edison-base plug fuses for branch circuits, and one or more fuse blocks for cartridge fuses to serve major appliances. A common design for fuse boxes in homes built between 19 was the 60-ampere fuse box. The bad news is that most postwar houses didn’t miss the fuse era. That’s fortunate, because aged knob-and-tube is considered such a fire hazard that modern building inspectors will stop work on renovation projects if it is still in use in the house. (Photo: )Īs for electrical wiring, the good news is that many houses of the 1950s and ’60s missed the knob-and-tube era completely. If the plumbing is original and fully or partially corroded, the only way to ensure no lead gets into your water is to fully replace the galvanized plumbing and service lines. If you suspect your house is served by galvanized pipes, have the system inspected by a reputable plumber. Worse, the corrosion can form rust, creating the potential for lead accumulation, which then percolates into drinking water. Over years or decades, the zinc erodes and allows corrosion to build up on the inside pipe walls, reducing water pressure and contributing to poor water quality. Galvanized pipes are actually made of steel covered with a layer of zinc. As a cost-saving move, many postwar homes were plumbed with galvanized iron pipes rather than copper. If you have poor water pressure or unexplained leaks, you probably know there’s a problem with the plumbing. ![]() Add in aging and obsolete plumbing and electrical systems, and you have a scenario where a significant chunk of the renovation budget for a 60-year-old house must go toward elements that are absolutely essential for health and safety, but won’t be seen. More pernicious is the use of asbestos in all those composite products, lead in paints and other finishes, and formaldehyde in a variety of products, including insulation. Fortunately for present-day residents (and perhaps bad for Boomers), any off-gassing took place within months of initial construction. Early plywood and wallboard, for example, contain or were finished with materials that contained high levels of VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Of course, some of these vintage products came with unforeseen issues. Among the innovative products you can still find in postwar homes today are plywood and fiberboard composite siding, roofing shingles, acoustic tile and floor tile and early forms of insulation and electrical distribution boards. (Photo: Edward Addeo)īuilders made good use of the many new materials developed earlier in the 20th century, especially when it helped curtail the rising cost of construction. Kitchen layouts feature the classic work triangle, and unlike many homes built before 1940, there was at least one bathroom. Inside, walls are sheathed with smooth wallboard and floors laid with durable strip hardwood. The good news: Most of the homes built in the postwar era were stick-built from quality materials, with solid foundations and rugged brick, wood, or composite siding. Altogether they make up at least a third of the occupied homes in the United States.Īs any Baby Boomer can tell you, getting older comes with challenges. Somewhere between 25 and 30 million single family houses went up between 19-most of them in the newer, more compact styles variously called Ranch, split level, raised ranch, Atomic Ranch, Cape Cod, and others. Like the Baby Boomers they nurtured, homes built in the 20 years after World War II are mellowing with age. A simple suburban ranch with a shallow hipped roof, built in 1947.
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