Apartment and house renovation in Bieriņi - for detached houses along the Mārupīte

57.5% detached-house areas: what kind of houses are renovated

In Riga's territorial plan, most of Bieriņi, 57.5% of its area, is taken up by detached-house development areas, and the neighbourhoods portal writes that the character of the neighbourhood with detached houses and gardens is meant to be kept. For a renovation this means the work may take place inside a family house, not in an apartment in a series building, and the request may involve several floors and rooms.

In detached houses and low-rise buildings, the work may be restoring interiors, fitting out bathrooms and kitchens, and rebuilding or extending the living area. In an older house you have to start with what is not visible in the finish: the floor base, wiring and pipes. In Riga, for buildings older than 50 years that are not state-protected, in examining a construction intention the City Development Department may determine the cultural and historical value and the permitted action. For finishing work only (painting, wallpaper, flooring), no construction documents are needed.

If the apartment is in one of the low-rise apartment buildings, the limits of common property apply: risers, load-bearing walls and floor slabs belong to all owners together. See private house renovation and old apartment renovation.

Kantora iela, Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve and what the request should contain

Bieriņi is linked with the city by Kārļa Ulmaņa gatve, Kantora iela and the roads towards Mārupe. In the request, write the exact address.

• type of house: detached house, semi-detached house or an apartment in a low-rise building
• the year or period of construction, if you know it, and the number of floors
• the rooms and the approximate area in m²
• the floors now: boards, parquet, screed, tiles
• whether you plan to combine rooms or move the kitchen
• the condition of all the rooms to be renovated

Wooden floors and parquet in a family house

In older detached houses, under the linoleum or carpet there may be wooden boards or parquet. If they are sound, the floor can be sanded and varnished. If the boards have dried out or sway, they are fixed or removed, and a new covering is laid on the base. Before sanding, the room must be cleared of furniture, because the work is dusty, and after varnishing the floor must be allowed to cure according to the varnish manufacturer's instructions.

If the new floor is laid on a cement base, the manufacturer Ceresit states that under parquet, laminate and wooden coverings the moisture of the base must not exceed 2.0% without heating and 1.8% with underfloor heating. For Quick-Step laminate, unevenness of the base greater than 2 mm per 1 m is levelled, and a gap of at least 8–10 mm is left along the walls. See parquet sanding in Bieriņi, restoring wooden floors and laying parquet.

Kitchen combined with a living room

In a family house, the kitchen can be combined with the living room or dining room. In a detached house one owner decides on this, but the structure stays the same: first find out whether the wall is load-bearing. Demolishing a non-load-bearing partition when combining rooms is, according to the Riga municipality's explanation, a simplified renovation: a certified architect prepares a plan, and a construction notice is submitted in the BIS. If the wall is load-bearing, the opening needs a solution for the structural joints and an assessment of the effect on the strength of the building, and an explanatory memorandum is submitted to the building board.

Approval of reconstruction in Bieriņi takes place at the Riga municipality's City Development Department (Pilsētas attīstības departaments; until 1 September 2021 the Riga City Building Board), and the documents are submitted in the BIS. If the kitchen has a gas hob, a gas hob or another appliance without a flue may be replaced or moved within one room in agreement with the gas supplier; an appliance with a flue needs the supplier's permission and a certificate on the condition of the flues and ventilation ducts even in the same room; moving to another room needs the supplier's technical conditions, the certificate and a building design.

The solution for moving gas pipelines is prepared or approved by a certified person. Gas work is not part of the renovation estimate. See kitchen with a room and kitchen renovation in Bieriņi.

Renovation noise in a detached-house neighbourhood

In a quiet detached-house street, sanding and demolition can be heard by the neighbours. Riga's regulations set no specific renovation hours; the Riga regulations on maintaining the territory and buildings currently in force (2024) have no such requirement. For disturbing a person's peace, a private individual may be given a warning or a fine of up to 100 fine units, that is, up to €500. The best course is to warn the neighbours about the noisier work. See renovation hours.

Prices for work in Bieriņi houses

Parquet sanding and varnishing: from €23/m². Laying parquet: from €25/m². Demolition of walls, floors and finishes: from €6/m². Plasterboard partition: from €12/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.

Example: sanding and varnishing 20 m² of living room parquet is 20 × €23 = from €460. If 8 m² of non-load-bearing partition between the kitchen and the room is demolished, the demolition is 8 × €6 = from €48. For renovating a whole house, the price is set by an estimate according to the number of rooms, their condition and the finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the house.