Licensed Electrician Serving Beverly, Chicago
Beverly is known for its hilly, tree-lined streets and one of the largest collections of Prairie- and Victorian-era homes in Chicago. Many of these century-old houses still run on original wiring that was never designed for today's electrical load — from window AC units to home offices. EMT Electric works on these homes from our shop in nearby Oak Lawn.
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Wiring in Beverly's big old houses
Many of the larger homes in Beverly, including the ones along Longwood Drive and the side streets off the ridge, were built before 1930. In houses that old we still open walls and find knob-and-tube wiring, cloth-insulated cable and junctions that were extended over the decades by whoever owned the house at the time. Plaster and lath walls, high ceilings and original trim make the work slower, so we plan every wire run before we cut anything.
A lot of Beverly homeowners want to keep the character of the house, and so do we. That means fishing new circuits through closets and basements where we can, patching small openings instead of tearing out whole walls, and rehanging old light fixtures on properly supported boxes when they come down. When an attic or third floor has been finished, we check what is actually feeding it, because those rooms were often added onto a single old circuit.
Popular projects in Beverly
The jobs we're called for most often here.
Knob-and-tube assessment
We trace what is still live in the walls and attic, tell you plainly which circuits are safe to leave for now and which should come out, and replace them in stages if that suits you.
Service and panel upgrades
Some large Beverly homes still have a 60- or 100-amp service. We size a new panel for central air, kitchen appliances and finished upper floors, and coordinate the service change with ComEd.
Lighting in plaster ceilings
Recessed lights in old plaster need careful cutting and the right housings. We lay out the lights so they work with the room's trim and existing fixtures, and keep the patching to a minimum.
Services
From quick fixes to full remodel wiring — here’s what EMT Electric handles.
Troubleshooting
- Troubleshoot & repair partial power
- Identify shorts, overloads, & failures
Fans & Ventilation
- Ceiling fans
- Attic fans & bathroom exhaust fans
Switches & Outlets
- Dimmers, 3-way, 4-way, timers
- Receptacles / GFCI replacements
Dedicated Circuits
- Dryer, AC unit, furnace, baseboard heaters
- Washer, microwave, oven, etc.
- Dishwasher & disposal power
Outdoor & Low Voltage
- Security/pole/landscape lights
- Photocells, motion sensors
- Doorbells & cable
Permits and inspections in Beverly
Because Beverly is inside the city, the work falls under the Chicago Electrical Code, which is stricter than what most suburbs follow. New wiring is run in metal conduit rather than plastic-sheathed cable, and that matters in a house with plaster walls, where every run has to be planned around the framing. We pull the permit through the Chicago Department of Buildings and meet the inspector at your house.
Beverly electrical questions
Do I have to rip out all the knob-and-tube in my house at once?
Not always. Some of it may already be disconnected, and some may still be carrying lights or outlets. We find out which, then recommend an order of work, usually starting with circuits that are overloaded, buried in insulation or spliced into newer wiring. Some insurers ask about knob-and-tube, so it helps to know exactly what is still live.
Can you rewire an old house without wrecking the plaster?
We can keep the damage small. Most new runs go through the basement, attic, closets and the spaces behind baseboards, and we cut small access holes rather than opening whole walls. Some patching is always needed in plaster, and we show you where the openings will be before any work starts.
Can you rehang or rewire an antique light fixture?
Usually, yes. Many older chandeliers and sconces can be rewired with new wire and sockets, then hung on a box rated for the weight. If a fixture is too far gone to be safe, we will tell you that rather than put it back up. We can look at it in place before we quote.
Why Beverly Homeowners Choose EMT Electric
EMT Electric is owner-operated. Peter Podczerwinski is on every Beverly job himself, with no subcontractors, so the person who looks at your old wiring is the person who replaces it. We return calls the same day and give free, firm quotes.
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Nearby areas we serve
We work across the neighborhoods and towns around Beverly, out of our base in Oak Lawn.