Apartment renovation after flooding

Renovation after flooding by neighbours: what to do before the work

1. Photos and video Photograph and film the damage in every room: ceilings, walls, floor, furniture, electrical wiring.
2. A written request to the building manager Immediately ask the building manager in writing to inspect the apartment and draw up a report.
3. The source Find out whether the water came from a neighbour's apartment or from the building's riser. This determines who you claim damages from.
4. Documents Keep the report, estimates and invoices. If needed, an independent expert's opinion can be additional evidence.
5. Renovation Only when the damage has been photographed and the bases have dried.

The regulations do not directly oblige the building manager to draw up a flooding report, so the injured party has to collect the evidence themselves. The building manager visually inspects the building's utility systems and records the findings in the inspection log.

Who compensates the damage

An apartment owner is liable for damage caused to other owners, and everyone must compensate the damage they have caused by their action or inaction. If the water came from a neighbour's apartment, damages are claimed from that neighbour.

If the water came from a riser, the riser is the common property of the apartment owners, and the building manager who has been assigned its maintenance is liable under civil law for improper work. If your apartment has a home policy, turn to the policy issuer, which usually then claims compensation from the building manager; without a policy the claim can be brought against the building manager. In disputes over whether the damage is in common property, what decides is the location and whether the element is functionally linked with the building's system. In 2023 the Supreme Court (Senāts) held that the inlet valve at the entrance to an apartment is part of the building's common water supply system.

More on the steps and documents: neighbours flooded my apartment.

Why you have to wait until the base dries after flooding

Water can soak into plaster, screed and partitions, and the surface looks dry sooner than the material under it. For each next material, the manufacturer states how damp the base may be:

• For tiles: the manufacturer of Ceresit CM 17 states that the moisture of a cement screed and plaster must be below 4%.
• For waterproofing: the base for Ceresit CL 51 must be dry, load-bearing and clean; for gypsum plasters the moisture no more than 1.0%, for anhydrite and gypsum levelling compounds no more than 0.5%.
• For laminate: Quick-Step states moisture below 2.5% (CM), and below 1.5% (CM) with underfloor heating.
• For parquet and resilient coverings: the manufacturer of Ceresit CN 76 states up to 2.0% for a cement base without heating.

How long the renovation takes depends on the amount of work and the drying time of the materials. If the water ran along the electrical wiring, ask an electrical specialist to check it before renovation; specialists can be checked in the BIS register of construction specialists. If mould appears after flooding, for treatment of the rooms see dezinfekcijariga.lv.

Renovation after flooding in the usual order

1. Removing the damaged finish Peeling wallpaper, swollen floor covering, damaged plasterboard ceilings.
2. Drying and measuring moisture The bases are left open until the moisture meets the requirements of the next material.
3. Restoring the base Repairing plaster or screed, priming. The manufacturer of Ceresit CT 17 states that the primer dries in about 2 hours.
4. Ceilings and walls Skimming and painting or hanging wallpaper.
5. Floor A new covering, skirting boards.

How much does renovation after flooding cost?

Renovation after flooding is by estimate, because the extent of the damage is different each time. Estimate lines: skimming of walls or ceilings from €10/m², painting of walls or ceilings from €4/m², wallpapering from €5/m², plasterboard or suspended ceilings from €15/m², laying laminate from €6.50/m², demolition of walls, floors and finishes from €6/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: a 15 m² room with 40 m² of walls. Skimming 40 × €10 = €400 and painting 40 × €4 = €160, in total from €560. If the laminate is also damaged: 15 × €6.50 = from €97.50.

The price is affected by the number and area of the damaged rooms, the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment. All prices: prices.

What is included in this work