Apartment renovation in Pļavnieki - for 602 and 119 series nine-storey buildings

Five micro-districts and 18-storey buildings: the buildings of Pļavnieki

The neighbourhood history page writes that construction began in 1985, that the central part has three 18-storey buildings, and that the construction mainly used large-panel 602 series nine-storey buildings, as well as 119 series buildings.

For a renovation the most important difference between the two series is the walls. Public sources write that in the 602 series the interior walls are usually load-bearing, so moving walls must be decided according to the building's design. For the 119 series, public sources write that in most apartments only the outer walls are load-bearing. That gives more options for changing partitions, but each apartment is checked against the building's design, not against how a neighbour's apartment looks.

Altogether this means that in Pļavnieki the typical work is renovating old electrical wiring, the bathroom and the kitchen, and replanning only where the wall allows it. In more detail: 602 series apartment renovation and 119 series apartment renovation.

Deglava iela and Lubānas iela: what to write in the request

Pļavnieki is a densely populated neighbourhood, and it is connected to the centre by Deglava iela, Lubānas iela and public transport. Access to the inner courtyards and parking are the main practical question here, so in the form write from which side your stairwell can be reached.

• The series (602, 119, 467, 104 or French project) or the year of the building.
• The floor and whether the lift is in working order; in 16 and 18-storey buildings this is essential.
• The area in m², the number of rooms and which rooms you will renovate.
• Whether the bathroom is combined or the bathroom and toilet are separate.
• Whether you will change the risers or radiators or move walls.
• The condition of the bathroom, the kitchen and the floors.

The bathroom in a 119 series apartment: check the plan first

In 119 series apartments the bathroom plan differs: a one-room apartment may have a combined bathroom, and a three-room apartment a separate bathroom with two toilets. The kitchen in this series is small, around 6 to 7 m². So before planning a bathroom renovation, look at your own apartment: whether you want to keep or demolish the wall between the bath and the toilet.

In wet rooms, waterproofing is applied before the tiles. The manufacturer (Ceresit CL 51) recommends at least two coats, and tape is worked into the wall-to-floor joints. For the tile adhesive Ceresit CM 17 the manufacturer states that a cement screed under tiles must be at least 28 days old. Bathrooms in this series have a separate page: 119 series bathroom.

Risers in a nine-storey building and loggia glazing

Risers are the common property of the apartment owners, but the pipes from the riser to the plumbing belong to the apartment. If in a bathroom renovation you also want to replace a section of the riser, you must agree with the building manager on shutting off the water for the whole riser. Replacing the risers of the whole building is usually paid for from common funds according to shares. Who is responsible for what is explained on the page who pays for risers, and for the work itself see riser replacement.

For Pļavnieki buildings of the 602, 119, 467 and 104 series, a loggia can be glazed according to the standard solution in the appendix to Riga's Territorial Use Regulations; a building design is then not needed. Joining a loggia to a room is a different matter: the outer structures of the loggia belong to the whole building, and this needs the association's consent. The interior finishing is described on the page loggia renovation.

Replanning in Pļavnieki: where to submit the documents

According to the Riga municipality's explanation, to demolish a non-load-bearing wall an architect prepares a plan, and a construction notice is submitted in the Construction Information System as a simplified renovation. An opening in a load-bearing wall needs the structural engineer's calculations, an explanatory memorandum and the consent of more than half of the apartment owners. Approval of reconstruction in Pļavnieki takes place at the Riga municipality's City Development Department (formerly the Riga City Building Board). If this applies to you, write it in the request and see replanning.

If your apartment is in a 467 series building, public sources write that practically all the walls there are load-bearing. In such an apartment the feel of the rooms can be changed with finishing, lighting points and new doors. On when a permit is needed at all, see does a renovation need a permit.

What a renovation costs in a Pļavnieki apartment

• Bathroom renovation (all the work): from €3,000.
• Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area.
• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area.
• Replacing a riser section in an apartment: from €100 per riser.

All prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Example: a 2-room apartment of 50 m², cosmetic renovation: 50 × €100 = from €5,000 (labour); the same apartment with a full renovation: 50 × €280 = from €14,000. The price changes with the number of rooms, the condition of the walls and floors, and whether pipes and risers are changed. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.

Related work: full renovation in Pļavnieki, cosmetic renovation in Pļavnieki, kitchen renovation in Pļavnieki and electrical wiring replacement in Pļavnieki.