Stalin-era apartment renovation

What Stalin-era buildings are like

Wikipedia describes them as brick masonry buildings with thick walls, built from 1945 to the late 1950s; as an example in Riga it names Teika. Cityreal.lv gives 2–6 storeys. The ceilings are high, but the exact height differs from building to building, so the estimate needs your measurements.

In a renovation, what matters is not only the finish but also what is hidden in the walls: electrical wiring, pipes and ventilation ducts.

High ceilings and thick walls in a renovation

Painting and skimming walls are calculated per m² of wall or ceiling surface, not per floor area. With high ceilings there is more wall in the same room, so the amount of finishing work is larger.

Example: a room of 15 m² with 40 m² of walls: skimming 40 × €10 = €400 and painting 40 × €4 = €160, in total from €560. If higher ceilings mean 48 m² of walls: 48 × €10 = €480 and 48 × €4 = €192, in total from €672.

High ceilings can be partly lowered with plasterboard ceilings to hide wiring or light fittings, or you can choose stretch ceilings. If the ceiling has old plaster with cracks, it must be checked before finishing.

Wiring, pipes and ventilation

• Electrical wiring: in many homes it was installed in the Soviet era and is worn out. The Fire Safety Regulations currently in force require it to be inspected once every 10 years. When the installation is rebuilt, socket and lighting circuits need residual current protection with a tripping current of no more than 30 mA.
• Pipes: asbestos has historically been used as thermal insulation of pipework and boilers. If during demolition you see old pipe insulation, do not damage it; asbestos is identified in a laboratory.
• Ventilation: in the other rooms of the apartment natural ventilation ducts are cleaned and inspected at least once every 10 years, and in rooms with gas appliances at least once every five years.

About old wires, read the article old electrical wires in an apartment.

Windows, walls and documents

Windows in the external structures are common property: they may be replaced at your own expense, in agreement with the building manager; the association may decide that its consent is also needed. Documents are not needed in second- and third-group buildings if the window division, proportions and frame colour are retained. If the building is a cultural monument, the solution is agreed with the cultural heritage authority.

For a new opening in a thick masonry wall you first need to know whether the wall is load-bearing. An opening in a load-bearing wall needs an explanatory memorandum, an architect and a structural engineer with certificates and, if the building is divided into apartment properties, the consent of more than half of the apartment owners.

What to write in the request

• the address and the building series or year of construction;
• the apartment area in m² and the number of rooms;
• a short description of each room;
• the ceiling height and whether the ceilings have rosettes or other decorations you want to keep;
• whether you will change the electrical wiring, the pipes and sections of risers;
• whether you will choose the materials yourself.

The price of a renovation in a Stalin-era apartment

• Cosmetic renovation: from €100/m² of apartment area.
• Full renovation: from €280/m² of apartment area.
• Plasterboard or suspended ceilings: from €15/m².

Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate. The price depends on the area and the number of rooms, the type of renovation, the condition of the walls, floors and ceilings, whether the electrical wiring, pipes and risers are changed, and the chosen finish. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.

What a full renovation includes