Depending on that, the boards are sanded and varnished, replaced, or covered with a new floor covering. The price is calculated in an estimate, so in the request write the year of the building and describe the floor.
Wooden floors in old Riga houses
In pre-war masonry buildings the floor slabs are mostly wooden, and Riga also has many wooden apartment houses, for example in Āgenskalns, Čiekurkalns, Maskavas forštate and Grīziņkalns. In such apartments there may be a plank floor on timber structures beneath the existing covering. How old it is and in what condition can only be seen once the covering has been removed.
An important boundary: the floor finish is the apartment owner's part, but the floor slabs with their heat and sound insulation are the common property of the apartment owners. If the work affects only the boards and the covering, it is a renovation of your apartment. If beams have to be replaced or reinforced, it affects common property, and then the consent of the apartment owners' association is needed.
Sources: apollo.lv on pre-war houses; apkaimes.lv and deepbaltic.com on wooden houses; Law on Residential Properties, Sections 3, 4 and 11. Checked 11.11.2026.
Three ways to restore a wooden floor
| Method | When it is chosen | Nearest price |
|---|---|---|
| Sanding and varnishing | The boards hold, the surface is worn or painted | Parquet sanding and varnishing: from €23/m² |
| Board replacement or plank floor installation | The boards are damaged, rotten or moving | price by estimate |
| Wooden floor levelling and a new covering | The floor is uneven, you want laminate, vinyl or parquet | Laminate installation: from €6.50/m² |
Painted boards are sanded down to the wood before varnishing. If the floor is levelled so that a new covering can be laid on it, check in the levelling material manufacturer's instructions that it is intended for a wooden base. For a new covering, parquet installation or laminate installation are also suitable.
The work in the usual order
- Condition of the boards The boards are checked for which ones move, creak or are damaged, and for signs of moisture beneath them.
- Removing the old covering If there is linoleum or another covering on the boards, it is removed.
- Fixing and replacing boards Loose boards are fixed down and damaged ones are replaced.
- Finishing The boards are sanded and varnished or prepared for a new covering.
- Skirting boards Skirting boards and thresholds are installed.
What to decide and write in the request
- The year or type of the building: pre-war masonry building, wooden house or other.
- What is wrong with the floor: creaking, moving, uneven, worn, painted.
- What result you want: exposed wood or a new covering.
- The area of the rooms in m² and the condition of the floor, including in corners and by thresholds.
- Whether you will choose the materials yourself.
If the whole floor structure has to be replaced down to the beams, this is usually part of a larger job: see renovation of an apartment in a pre-war building or renovation of an apartment in a wooden house.
How much wooden floor restoration costs
The price of wooden floor restoration is calculated in an estimate. The nearest prices: parquet sanding and varnishing from €23/m², laminate installation from €6.50/m², parquet installation from €25/m², demolition of walls, floors and finishes from €6/m². Prices are for labour. Materials are calculated separately in the estimate.
The price depends on the area and the number of rooms, the condition of the boards, how many boards have to be replaced, whether an old covering or paint has to be removed, and the chosen finish. All prices are on the page renovation prices. An exact estimate can be made after seeing the apartment.
What is and is not in the price
What this work includes
- work agreed in the estimate: sanding and varnishing boards, fixing or replacing boards, laying a new covering
What is calculated separately
- boards, varnish, covering and skirting boards as materials
- replacing or reinforcing beams (common property)
- demolition of the old covering
Sources
- In pre-war buildings the floor slabs are mostly wooden checked 11 November 2026
- Wooden apartment houses in Čiekurkalns and Maskavas forštate checked 11 November 2026
- Wooden house neighbourhoods in Riga: Āgenskalns, Čiekurkalns, Maskavas forštate, Grīziņkalns checked 11 November 2026
- Floor finishes are part of the apartment; floor slabs with insulation are common property; work affecting common property needs the association's consent checked 11 November 2026