Renovation and finishing in Sarkandaugava - for pre-war buildings and 464 series buildings

An industrial neighbourhood with old buildings and Soviet series

The neighbourhood history page writes that Sarkandaugava historically developed many and varied industrial establishments, and notes that the neighbourhood is characterised by a large number of outdated buildings. Today it has pre-war wooden and masonry buildings, apartment buildings, hospital complexes and industrial sites. Among series buildings, public sources name the 464 series and many 602 series buildings.

For a renovation this means that one neighbourhood needs two different starting points. In an old building you first assess the condition of the timber floor structure, the floor base, the wall plaster and the wires, because that determines whether a cosmetic renovation is enough. In a series building the structure is better known, and the question is about utilities and small rooms. If the building is very old, describe the condition of the ceilings and floors in the request; it helps to understand the amount of work.

In Riga, for buildings older than 50 years that are not state-protected, the City Development Department (Pilsētas attīstības departaments) can determine a cultural and historical value when reviewing a construction proposal.

The 464 series: a small kitchen and gypsum concrete partitions

464 series buildings are five-storey, made of grey reinforced concrete panels with gypsum concrete partitions, and the kitchens in them are small. As typical problems, public sources name waterproofing, worn risers and electrical wiring, poor ventilation on the lower floors, and that panel walls are hard to replan. A Ministry of Economics study of 13 buildings of this series handed over from 1964 to 1978 found the buildings safe for further use.

In a small kitchen every centimetre can be used: built-in furniture up to the ceiling, a tiled splashback and new socket points where the appliances will be. If the apartment is on the ground floor, check the draught in the ventilation duct: the kitchen, toilet and bathroom in a residential building are ventilated through natural exhaust ducts. See 464 series apartment renovation, kitchen renovation and kitchen splashback tiling.

Risers and the bathroom in a 464 or 602 series building

If you are renovating the bathroom down to the base, it makes sense to replace the pipes up to the riser at the same time. The riser itself is the common property of the apartment owners, so replacing its section in the apartment is agreed with the building manager, who shuts off the water for the whole riser. If the work affects common property more widely, the association's consent is needed. Replacing the risers of the whole building is usually paid for jointly according to shares.

Waterproofing is applied before tiles over the whole wet zone. The manufacturer of Ceresit CL 51 recommends two layers so that the dry layer is 0.5 mm, and tape is worked into the wall-to-floor joints; collars are used for pipes and drains. Leave a hatch in the box around the riser so that the building manager can access the utilities. More: riser replacement and who pays for risers.

A pre-war wooden and masonry building: floor, walls, wiring

In pre-war buildings the floors between storeys are mostly timber, the ceilings high and the windows non-standard. If the floor is boards or parquet on timber joists, you can try restoring it by sanding and varnishing; if the floor is very uneven, the levelling solution is chosen according to the floor structure, not as in a concrete building. Walls with old plaster may need partial plastering before skimming.

In an old building the wires are checked before finishing. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require an inspection of the electrical wiring once every 10 years, and a reconstructed installation needs residual current protection. When removing old coverings, remember that in buildings built before the ban on asbestos the materials may contain asbestos, and it is determined only in a laboratory. See pre-war building apartment renovation, wooden house apartment renovation and old apartment renovation.

Tvaika iela and Ganību dambis: what to write in the form

Sarkandaugava is reached along Tvaika iela and Ganību dambis, and the neighbourhood has a tram and a railway. The proximity of the port and industry means freight traffic on the larger streets, so write from which street the entrance is and whether you can stop by it.

• The building: pre-war wooden, pre-war masonry, 464 or 602 series.
• The floor, the lift (in the 602 series), the area in m².
• The type of floor, and whether it moves or creaks.
• The rooms to renovate, and whether you will change the risers.
• Floors, ceilings, bathroom and distribution board: what condition they are in.

If the building is near the hospital complexes or the port area, the access rules at a specific building may differ, so it is better to describe the route to the entrance than to write only the address. Also write whether you will live in the apartment during the renovation; there is a separate page on this, renovating while living in the apartment.

Prices for a Sarkandaugava apartment

• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area.
• Bathroom renovation (all the work): from €3,000.
• Replacing a riser section in an apartment: from €100 per riser.
• Parquet sanding and varnishing: from €23/m².

Prices are for labour; materials are calculated separately in the estimate. Example: a 1-room apartment of 33 m², full renovation, 33 × €280 = from €9,240 (labour). In an old building the total is influenced more by the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings, in a series building by whether pipes and risers are changed. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.

Work: full renovation in Sarkandaugava, bathroom renovation in Sarkandaugava, parquet sanding in Sarkandaugava, electrical wiring replacement in Sarkandaugava.