Had pot lights installed in our 1974 Toronto bungalow kitchen and living room. What the electrician found when he opened the ceiling is worth sharing as a cautionary tale for other older-home owners.
What We Planned
12 pot lights in the kitchen and 8 in the living room. Both rooms are directly below the attic. Went with ICAT-rated LED fixtures (IC + Air-Tight combined, integrated LED, 4-inch, 2700K).
What We Found
When the electrician opened the ceiling to run wires:
Kitchen: existing knob-and-tube wiring in parts of the ceiling. Required remediation before new fixtures could be connected. This added $1,800 to the project but it was not optional.
Attic above living room: insulation was blown-in vermiculite (1970s product, possibly contains asbestos). We had a sample tested. Result: non-detect for asbestos. Bullet dodged, but the test was $120 and necessary.
Final Cost Breakdown
20 ICAT LED fixtures: $1,600 (Halo brand from supply house)
Electrical labour (2 days): $2,400
Knob-and-tube remediation in kitchen area: $1,800
Dimmer switches (4 zones): $320
Permits + ESA inspection: $280
Total: $6,400
What I Wish Someone Had Told Me
Any electrical work in a pre-1980 Toronto home should budget 20-30% contingency for knob-and-tube discovery. Our electrician said it is present in the majority of 1960s-1980s Toronto homes they open up.
Also: specify ICAT explicitly to your contractor. “LED pot lights” is not specific enough. ICAT is the spec that matters for attic-adjacent ceilings.