Identifying what you have
Knob and tube: single cloth-covered conductors on porcelain knobs with no ground, common before 1950. Aluminum branch circuits: dull silver conductors marked AL, common from 1965 to 1973. Both work until they do not, and the failure point is almost always at connections where expansion, oxidation and heat build over decades.
Why it matters
No equipment ground means no safe path for fault current and no protection for modern electronics. Brittle insulation cracks when disturbed. Aluminum connections loosen and overheat behind cover plates. Many insurers surcharge or decline coverage on both.
Remediation versus a full rewire
Partial fixes exist: pigtailing aluminum with approved connectors at every device, replacing accessible runs, and adding grounded circuits for kitchens, baths and laundry. A full rewire is the permanent answer and is the right call when the panel is also due, when walls are open for a remodel, or when more than half the circuits are original.
What a rewire looks like day to day
We stage the work room by room, fish new cable through existing cavities, keep openings small and low, and maintain power to most of the home each night. Expect a new panel, new grounded outlets, GFCI and AFCI protection, and updated smoke and CO detector wiring.