Electrically eclectic Eichlers

Often described as "having character" or "being interesting," old homes can just as often be described as "challenging" -- both to maintain and to renovate.

All older homes, which were not designed to anticipate today's electricity requirements, need electrical updates.

"If original wiring was used for what it was intended, it is fine," said Tom O'Connor, who owns O'Connor and Sons Electric in Palo Alto. "Lots of people have a lot of stuff in their homes now that no one imagined 40 years ago."

Sean Smith, who owns Smith Electric in Los Gatos, agrees.

"Back in the 1950s and 1960s, the biggest piece of (kitchen countertop) technology was a toaster or maybe a plug-in waffle iron," Smith said. In addition to the refrigerators, stoves and ovens that would have been in a 50-year-old kitchen, today's kitchens have dishwashers, powerful stove hoods, microwaves and many other countertop appliances that run on electricity.

Eichler homes, built throughout California for approximately 25 years starting in the early 1950s, are known for being among the most challenging older homes for electrical upgrades. Inside, Eichlers are not very different from other homes -- modern and old -- because the interior walls are standard 2-inch by 4-inch framed lumber, except these are covered with wood paneling instead of Sheetrock, Smith said.

What separates Eichlers from other older homes are the logistics required to get electrical wires inside the home.

Eichler homes are named after Joseph Eichler, a developer who oversaw the design and building of entire neighborhoods. The homes were designed in the style of midcentury modern architecture, with simple lines, open floor plans and exterior walls with many floor-to-ceiling windows and large glass sliding doors.

Certain aspects of the simple and clean Eichler design make performing electrical work more laborious than other older homes. Eichlers have no attics or crawl space; the underside of the roof is the home's ceiling. The homes also have a concrete slab foundation that includes embedded radiant-heating elements.

Some original wires lay directly underneath the roof and some run through metal pipes, called electrical conduits, beneath the concrete slab, Smith said. One or two conduits supplied power to the kitchen while others powered the washing machine and dryer, Smith added.

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Electrically eclectic Eichlers