When you spend enough time working as an electrician, you learn that no two projects are exactly alike. No matter how simple a job may seem on the surface, there will always be extra wrinkles making things unique—and that’s part of why we love our work so much here at TCA Electric! In today’s project spotlight, we’re highlighting a recent project we did at a home on Nelson Street in Downtown Vancouver. The homeowners had a wonderful vision for their kitchen renovation—but they needed a savvy electrician to work within their design while keeping to building codes. This project took a bit of elbow grease and some creative pop-up counter receptacle use, but spoiler alert: it all came together in the end!
The clients: Factory Edge and Vancouver homeowners
For this project, TCA was called in by Scott Turner of Factory Edge Construction. Factory Edge is a Vancouver-based construction company specializing in home renovation projects. We’ve worked with them for several years and have teamed up on various projects in that time, with great results. So when Scott called us in to help solve an electrical conundrum for some clients of his, we were happy for the opportunity to collaborate once more!
The project: A new dream kitchen
Factory Edge was originally brought in to help remodel these homeowners’ kitchen. The clients had a clear vision for the design of their new kitchen—in fact, they’d even done the drawings themselves! The clients had laid out all of their ideal lighting and receptacle locations for their kitchen. As part of their design, they wanted to open up one wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room and install a backsplash on the other wall. The backsplash featured a very intricate design that the homeowners didn’t want to spoil with any devices.
The challenges: A receptacle riddle
This project gave us quite an electrical conundrum. See, code requires that there be a receptacle within 3 feet of any location on a kitchen counter. This prevents potentially hazardous situations where electrical cords have to run a long length through the kitchen. To comply with code, receptacles are typically installed on backsplashes. However, one wall in this new kitchen was to feature a decorative backsplash, while the other was being removed entirely, seemingly leaving us with nowhere to put any receptacles.
As an added challenge, the clients had selected specialty light fixtures for their kitchen, which can often be tricky to install depending on their origin. TCA would have to find a way to solve both of these problems in order to make these clients’ vision a reality.
The solution: Creative pop-up counter receptacle use!
Our solution to the receptacle conundrum was simple: if we couldn’t put receptacles along the back walls, why not install them in the counters? We proposed using pop-up counter receptacles to comply with electrical codes and preserve the decorative backsplash. These receptacles are installed inside the counter, and they can be raised and lowered depending on the clients’ needs at the time. The clients loved the idea, and we got to work.
The result: A successful kitchen remodel
TCA Electric set to work installing the pop-up counter receptacles and specialty light fixtures, completing rough-in and finishing permits and inspections as we went. The end result was a perfect marriage of functionality, code compliance, and a truly unique kitchen vision. The clients were happy with our work, and we were delighted to help this kitchen remodel come together!
TCA Electric: Your Creative Residential Electricians
It bears repeating: You never know what twists the next electrical project will present! Here at TCA Electric, we love a good challenge, and we always aim to help homeowners achieve their perfect vision while keeping to safety codes. With decades of experience providing residential electrical services, our licensed and qualified electricians certainly know how to think outside the box. Have you hit an electrical roadblock with your most recent home renovation project? Whether it’s with a pop-up counter receptacle or some other creative solution, TCA Electric can help! Contact us today for a consultation and estimate.