Structured Wiring and Smart Home Basics: Getting Your House Ready

How structured wiring, wired access points and smart home wiring make a home network reliable, and the best time to run low-voltage cable.

Which electrical work needs a permit under Virginia’s statewide building code, what’s usually exempt, who can pull the permit and what inspection involves.

The electrical findings that show up most on Virginia home inspections, what each one means, and how buyers and sellers should handle them before closing.

What to do and not do with your home’s electrical system after water or fire damage, what must be replaced, and how to get power back safely.

How a home standby generator and automatic transfer switch work, how they’re sized, permits and placement in Virginia, and the upkeep that keeps one ready.

What knob-and-tube, aluminum branch wiring and two-prong outlets mean in an older Virginia home, the code-approved fixes and where to start.

How a whole-home surge protector works, why the 2020 NEC requires one on new and replaced home services, and what it can and can’t protect.

A plain comparison of home battery storage and standby generators: runtime, heavy loads, noise, maintenance and which fits your Virginia home.

Why backfeeding is deadly, how a generator inlet with an interlock or manual transfer switch works, and how to choose and size one for your home.

The four reasons breakers trip (overloads, shorts, ground faults and arc faults), how to tell them apart, and when to stop resetting and call.