Details: DIY home repair from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.
Renovation of an apartment is an expensive pleasure these days. Some save up for it for years, while others give up their last savings and end up in a hole in debt. Regardless of the financial situation, everyone is trying to save money, but in practice, not everyone succeeds in doing this. We will analyze what materials you can save on, and which ones are better not, and we will learn how to expose hired repairmen who are trying to cash in on the ignorance of the owners.
The final estimate will depend on the type, size of the room and the complexity of the renovation. There are three types of renovation: cosmetic, major and European renovation. The cosmetic option is the most economical. These repairs usually include painting, wallpapering, and scrapping the floor. Such work is easy to do with your own hands, saving on calling a specialist. If you lack some specialized tool, you should not purchase it for one-time purposes. Rent it. Make a preliminary estimate for the renovation in order to adjust it in advance and find cheaper options. When deciding to hire a private specialist, redecorating an apartment will cost you, on average, 1,500 rubles per square meter, and through a construction company - 2–2.5 times more.
VIDEO It is much more difficult to carry out major repairs on your own, since many of the works require special skills and abilities. Stages of such repairs: rough finishing, floor screed, wall leveling, demolition and installation of partitions, dismantling of the old coating and finishing, complete replacement of water pipes, plumbing and electrical wiring, replacement of windows, doors, garbage disposal. The price for calling a foreman during a major overhaul increases to 6000-15000 rubles per 1 m 2. And that's not counting the cost of consumables.
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Here are four tips to help you save money on your overhaul:
1. Remove the old wallpaper, tiles, dismantle the flooring, remove and take out the garbage yourself. Such work does not require special skills and tools, and the savings are significant - 5000-8000 per 1 m 2.
2. Do not rush to spend money on expensive ceiling decoration. Just line up and paint it with inexpensive chalk paint. When the money appears, walk around the ceiling with plasterboard or make a stretch ceiling.
3. Do not completely remove the plaster. Remove it only where it flakes. However, consider the peculiarity of the finish. If you plan to apply photo wallpaper, the surface should be perfectly flat. It may be necessary to completely replace the plaster, in which case it will not be possible to save money.
4. In order not to waste time on paperwork and extra funds for garbage disposal, collect waste in bags and send it to storage in the basement, shed or leave it on the staircase in a designated place, it is provided. Throw out a bag every day in a common trash bin, there is nothing illegal in this.
Renovation practically does not differ from a major overhaul. The cost is increased by purchasing expensive and natural materials from well-known manufacturers. The price of materials is automatically reflected in the cost of the master's work, which starts from 25,000 rubles per 1 m 2. ...
If you decide to involve an experienced team of repairmen in the repair, be prepared that you can be deceived. To check this out for sure, pay attention to several important features. The information will be useful for both beginners and experienced homeowners who decide to start a renovation.
Preliminary estimate for apartment renovation
To obtain the exact cost of renovation work, the foreman measures the parameters of your room with his tape measure. It seems that everything is fine and there can be no catch. In this case, we recommend giving your own tape measure for measurements. Often, cunning repairmen cut the tape, for example, by 50 cm, and fasten it to another part of the tape, retreating 20-30 cm or more. From a real size, for example, 2 m, your room increases to 2.3 m and, accordingly, the price increases, because the cost of work is calculated on the basis of 1 m 2.
When receiving the estimate, carefully study all the positions. Repairers often duplicate the cost of services under the guise of other work. For example, leveling the walls - preparing the walls for wallpaper. Read each paragraph carefully so as not to overpay.
Pay attention to the price for 1 m 2. Compare it with other construction firms and individuals beforehand. Below average prices should alert you. Usually, in the process of work, the repairmen who initially offered you a low price raise it and ask you to pay extra for additional services. The owner finds himself in a dead end, as the work is already in progress, and the estimate is automatically increased by 2-3 times.
Saving materials and increasing the cost of work is another technique used by dishonest repairmen. For example, you can put a 1 cm layer of plaster at the price of 3-4 cm, shorten the planned route of laying electrical cables or plumbing pipes, and take the remaining material for yourself. In fact, you are overpaying for material that does not "work" for you. To avoid such mistakes when performing turnkey repairs, ask the repairmen to take a step-by-step photograph of the completed work process in detail and send it to you by mail.
If you decide to put a warm floor, remember that it is not placed around the entire perimeter of the room. An unscrupulous foreman will offer you to put underfloor heating under the furniture, where it is absolutely not needed, which will also increase the cost of the project.
Complete wiring replacement is another service that almost every foreman will offer you without making sure you really need it. You can make good money on old copper and aluminum wiring.
And the last tip: buy materials yourself, do not entrust this business to the repair team. As a rule, they buy building materials from the market, where the storage conditions of many goods do not meet the standards. In addition, there repairmen can ask for an empty receipt with a stamp, write down the list of goods and their cost with a surcharge themselves.
It is better to start repairs in the off-season - in early or mid-autumn. This period is suitable for both external and internal repair work. It is still warm outside the window, and prices for building materials are gradually decreasing by the winter season. Savings on summer goods reach 15–20% without loss of quality. Therefore, if you were planning to spend 250,000 rubles on renovating a room, be aware that in the fall and winter you can save about 30,000 rubles, which can be spent on renovating the hallway.
Promotions and special offers are a special type of service where you can save money. Pay attention to illiquid assets. They have a limited shelf life and will not last until the next season. Hardware stores give good discounts on these items. If you are going to make repairs right now, take a closer look at putty, plaster, glue, sealant at a bargain price, below the market average.
Replacing plumbing affects a large part of the renovation budget. If it is in good condition, without chips, cracks and only a surface with an old coating makes you think about dismantling it, we advise you to clean and restore the plumbing. We replace expensive detergents with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar, which is good at destroying stubborn plaque. A budget version of the transformation is the restoration of the bath.You can cover the bathtub yourself with enamel, liquid acrylic, or order an acrylic insert for the dimensions of your plumbing. The restoration will cut the costs of purchasing a new bathtub by about 4 times and, depending on the option chosen, will extend the service life of the old bathtub from 5 to 20 years.
Replacement of plumbing elements
If you do decide to change your plumbing, consider the budget option of buying from the so-called landfill entrepreneurs. Often, when entering a new house, the owners change the faience and cast-iron plumbing, which is in good condition, and throw it into a landfill. Resourceful businessmen have come up with an easy way to make money quickly and easily. They take well-maintained plumbing from the landfill, wash it and put it in order. They do not expose their contacts directly, working on the principle of word of mouth. In the subsidiary warehouse of such entrepreneurs, you can pick up the right plumbing and save a third or even half of the factory cost.
Laying the floor is one of the most important stages in the renovation of an apartment.
To save finances when cladding walls, we advise you to buy not edged (planed) lumber, but a slab (waste sawing wood). The croaker is sold raw and does not correspond to the quality of the usual materials. It is easy to fix this if you purchase it in advance in March-April and keep it in a dry room until autumn. In addition, slab cladding saves finances on leveling the walls. In 80% of cases, it completely hides all the irregularities. Not only to save money, but also to make the wall decoration practical will help the option of covering the walls with a crochet to the waist and pasting the walls to the ceiling with non-woven wallpaper. The lower part is resistant to wear and tear, while the upper complements the overall picture.
The most budget-friendly option for laying the floor in dry rooms is marmoleum. This material requires floor leveling only in 10% of cases. However, for rooms with high humidity (bathrooms), marmoleum is not suitable, you will have to lay classic tiles. An alternative to marmoleum is laminate. This option is also inexpensive, looks beautiful and is suitable for installation under plank floors. True, the floor will have to be leveled.
For wall decoration in the bathroom, choose laminated hardboard. Such material is less common than tiles, but cheaper. It is better to sheathe the ceiling with plastic panels. Don't skimp on waterproofing. The money spent on it will pay off and extend the service life of even the cheapest finishing materials. Instead of gypsum plaster, use a cement-plaster mixture to level the walls. It is not inferior in quality and is cheaper. When deciding to put tiles on walls and floors, buy a solid color finish. Such tiles do not need to be frequently adjusted and matched to the pattern; less material is consumed, which is automatically reflected in the purchase cost.
When carrying out major and European-quality repairs, you cannot do without replacing the electrical wiring. At this event, it is better not to save money and entrust the work to a professional. It is especially important to pay attention to the Soviet wiring due to the high power of modern devices, which the old cable sometimes cannot withstand. During the replacement, you will have to groove the walls with a chasing cutter in order to lay new wiring efficiently. Workers charge for this service from 100 rubles per square meter.
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A complete replacement of the wiring in a two-room apartment, on average, will cost 40,000 rubles. A private specialist can take even less, but he does not give a guarantee for installation, therefore, in the event of malfunctions, you will have to pay the master again for the work. To save money, we advise you to contact an electrician from the DEZ. Such a specialist performs the work slowly as he is busy, however, the quality and guarantee of service is an undoubted advantage of choosing this particular master. But sockets and switches can be installed independently.
Electrical wiring - an element that is not worth saving
Another work to which you need to involve a specialist and not save money: replacing plumbing pipes. Choose your own consumables according to your budget. Attraction of a plumber will cost, on average, 15,000–20,000 rubles. If you have no experience in connecting plumbing, we also recommend that you seek help from a specialist.
The usual everyday business: the apartment clearly needs repair, but there is little money. How to make an inexpensive do-it-yourself apartment renovation? It seems to be the simplest, obvious way: superficial cosmetic repairs. That is, plywood wallpaper, ceiling whitewash, painting, fixing squeaky floors; possibly - replacement of windows.
However, if we calculate the labor costs and the consumption of materials, it turns out that by increasing the labor costs by half, and the expenditure of money by a quarter, you can give the apartment a completely different look, and for a long time. How much you need to invest specifically depends on the prices in the region, but the general methods by which you can make an apartment cozy and elegant inexpensively are the same.
Saving money when repairing an apartment with your own hands costs, like the Earth in ancient legends, on three whales and a slowly hurrying turtle under them:
We are not afraid of work. Nothing happens out of nothing. Or money or labor.
Wherever possible, we do not change the old, which has lost its appearance, but renew it.
We attribute the maximum savings to the place where it will not affect the quality of work and will not be visible.
We distribute the costs of labor and money in time: having conceived repairs in the summer or autumn, we spend a year on preparation, and then we pile up and quickly do everything. To lay out 200-300 thousand rubles at once is a problem, but breaking them up in parts for a year is quite possible. In addition, there will be time for seven times measure - cut once.
The only area where you will have to invite a specialist is alteration and strengthening of electrical wiring, if it is old and weak. Here, the only way to save money is to negotiate with the DEZ electrician. He will do the work in pieces, in his free time, but the likelihood of hack-work will be even less than that of "branded" specialists: after all, he will then serve all this.
It is better not to save on electrics and wiring, but some points, such as installing sockets, can be done independently.
A good specialized tool makes the job much easier and cheaper. But buying it is expensive. Therefore, it is better to rent a tool as needed. In terms of costs, it will come out a little if you decide in advance on the design and draw up an approximate plan for the production of work for yourself.
The best time of the year for self-repairing an apartment is early and mid-autumn. It's still warm, you can do outdoor work, and indoor work with open windows. And at the same time, prices for building materials will already fall significantly on the eve of the winter calm. Savings without loss of quality can be up to 15% in the sale of summer illiquid assets. If, for example, 200 thousand are postponed for repairs, then the savings will amount to 30 thousand, and this - a hallway or a bathroom - "candy".
Special mention should be made of non-liquid assets. A significant share of the cost of repairs will be spent on finishing materials: plaster, putty, floor leveler, assembly glue, sealant. All of them have a limited shelf life, so construction companies, which obviously do not have leftovers from the season to spring, are selling them at a bargain price. Therefore, look everywhere in advance for advertisements on the sale of building materials. Professionals do not need 50 kg of Aquaslay for leveling the walls, which expires in a month, but they will be enough for two rooms for you. The savings will be 70-80 rubles. everything, but the hen pecks by the grain.
Find more ideas on how to save on building materials here.
A sore point for cheap self-repair is the replacement of plumbing. If it is still "alive", only filthy, then it can be cleaned and painted. How to do this will be described below. But if there are chips and cracks, then whether you want it or not, you need to change it.
For such a case, here is information for you: new settlers, especially in houses above the budget category, often immediately start major repairs at the entrance, and excellent, completely new faience and cast-iron plumbing ends up in a landfill. Landfill operators (simply landfill scavengers) have long turned this circumstance into a profitable business.
They do not make direct contact with strangers by office phone, but it is quite possible to reach them using word of mouth methods. The rate is from one third to one half of the factory price for a household item. And do not think that you will be taken to the dump and shown where it lies. In the back room you will be offered a choice of clean, carefully washed products, which you can sit on even right away.
The next sore point is the removal of construction waste. The operation is not cheap and requires a lot of paperwork. Exit: a basement, a barn, a summer residence or a closet and a few used bags of plastic sackcloth, bought for a penny. Construction waste does not sour and does not rot, it can then be poured into a container in a house trash can. There is nothing illegal in this.
For lathing, various ancillary work and sewing large surfaces, you will need wooden battens and plywood. You can buy slats not planed, but a slab - waste from sawing industrial wood. The croaker is on sale raw, but if it is purchased in advance, in March-April, and kept in a dry room until autumn, it will not be inferior to edged timber in terms of the quality of wood.
As for plywood, waste packaging plywood from disassembled used containers can be turned into water-resistant in the following way:
We buy a 10 l canister or two PVA putties; it looks like a very liquid PVA glue and is cheap.
We cover the floor in the country house, in the shed, in the attic or in some other non-residential premises with plastic wrap. The air temperature is not lower than +13 degrees.
We lay a sheet of plywood on the floor, pour a puddle of putty on the center of it and disperse it with a brush.
We cover the plywood with plastic, lay the next sheet, putty in the same way, etc.
We put heavier oppression on the plywood soaked in PVA; better - dispersed over the area: bricks, pieces of metal, concrete, old TV, etc.
After a week, we repeat the procedure, turning each sheet over.
After another two weeks, the smooth, waterproof plywood is ready for use. Additional exposure under pressure will improve its quality.
Boards and large pieces of thick timber can also be obtained from used containers - pallets for cargo. Advertisements for their sale are not uncommon.
A very economical repair option - sheathing the walls and ceiling of living rooms with laminate; for thrifty owners richer - MDF. When cladding on a wooden lathing from a slab, in 80% of cases, alignment of walls and ceilings is not required, which already excludes large expenditures of labor and money.
You can save even more by sheathing the walls up to your waist or up to your chest, and pasting them up to the ceiling with non-woven wallpaper. The work is simplified and cheaper, and the bottom of the walls, which breaks and gets dirty the most, will be reliably protected by resistant material.
The most economical flooring option is marmoleum. Floor preparation for it is not required in 90% of cases. But for a bathroom and toilet, marmoleum is not suitable; here you will have to fork out for tiles, especially since you will need a little of it.
If you want to have a plank-like floor in the rooms, then laminate flooring will not be much more expensive, but the floor may need to be leveled.
The walls in the bathroom can be covered with laminated hardboard instead of tiles - it is hygroscopic and does not require surface preparation.
If you intend to glaze and insulate the balcony, then it is better to do it separately from everything else and in advance: from the end of March to the beginning of May. Outside, the balcony is decorated with siding, but inside it, instead of traditional MDF or lining, you can sew it up with plywood, pasting it with self-adhesive film.
When deciding how to make an apartment renovation economically, you need to pay special attention to windows and doors: they account for a significant share of the costs. As for windows, here is the most economical option: self-installation of wooden window frames. It is more expedient to buy them in March-April, when prices for commercial timber fall, and to put them in late spring - in early summer, when the tree dries out and shrinks properly. The technology of installing wooden windows into openings is quite affordable for an average home craftsman.
It would be better to update the doors. Remember your homemade waterproof plywood? Here it is sheathed both sides of the door, on mounting glue, laying the door removed from the hinges on a plastic mat and under oppression. At the same time, at the same time, you can cover the window in the interior door, if it is not needed.
This will make the door thicker. Two options are possible here:
Reinstalling the hinges is not the best way for the lazy.
Remove the old lining from the door; it is most often made of building cardboard or thin fiberboard, and put on a new, plywood frame. In this case, the chipped corners immediately "go away".
In both cases, the new door is pasted over with self-adhesive wood or with a different texture and varnished. And you will be surprised (pleasantly, of course) with its new look. And the hard plywood cheeks will ensure the door's durability. It is better to cover the slopes of the doorway with doborks from the same plywood: it will come out cheaper and more beautiful than re-plastering.
Dirty plumbing, if intact, needs to be cleaned. The rather expensive active detergents recommended for this can be replaced with much cheaper table vinegar - after all, it is also a weak acid - followed by washing off the sagging deposits with the most common washing powder. Just do not use abrasive detergents - they will scratch the glaze and objects, especially the toilet, will get dirty very quickly.
For cleaning with vinegar, make kvash - a knob made of a rag on a stick. Vinegar is poured where it does not leak, or sauerkraut is dipped into it, and the drips are cleaned with circular motions with pressure. Particularly "stubborn" spots in the grooves are removed with small kvash and technical hydrochloric acid. All this, of course, is done with latex household gloves, a plastic apron and with doors and windows open. It is also advisable to wear a respirator, at least a cheap "petal".
Tiles that are not chipped or cracked can be restored using a method well known to motorists; they renew the worn-out plastic spoilers and bumpers in this way:
The entire lined surface with my pemolux; it is impossible to use active acid detergents! For a bathroom in "Khrushchev", 1 liter is enough; on a larger - respectively more.
After pemolux, we wipe it with a rag, abundantly moistened with the same table vinegar: pemolux is alkaline, and the vinegar neutralizes its residues.
We wipe it several times with a wet cloth "to a clean cloth"; now we got rid of the dirt stuck into the surface.
We glue the edges of the tiles with masking tape ("paper tape"), except for the seams.
We paint the seams from a spray bottle with nitro paint in two layers; the second - after the first is completely dry.
We remove the tape, splashes and drips of paint on the tiles are removed with a cotton swab moistened with solvent 646 or 647.
We buy a can of liquid silicone grease at the car market or in a car shop, and properly spray the tiles with seams.
If the grease is absorbed immediately, you will need to spray it again.
If after 2-3 days silicone is still "taken" on the tile, wipe the surface with a rag moistened with vinegar.
The meaning of this treatment is that the silicone tightens microcracks and pores in which dirt accumulates. Processing is enough for 3-5 years, and then it can be repeated.
The cast iron capital bath can be repaired with epoxy or acrylic resin.Complaints about its fragility arise from a violation of the technology for preparing the coloring composition and its application. With strict adherence to the technology, the restored bath will serve for another 10-15 years.
It is not at all necessary to change it to an expensive stainless steel or brass and make a bypass (bypass) for it. The heated towel rail is cleaned to metal after cleaning the bathtub for painting with the same cord-brush in the drill chuck. If no fistula is found, it is painted with the remains of the compound from the bath painting. The look will be no worse than modern branded ones, and the durability is like a bathtub.
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On fasteners during repairs, you can save up to 1000 rubles by using not galvanized or cadmium plated (shiny), but phosphated (black). The heads of the self-tapping screws and dowel-nails still have to be repaired, and in the apartment there is no rain or frost.
To make cheap repairs, you first need to know what and how to do, how the apartment should look after renovation. Do not be lazy to confer with the whole family several times, see more pictures of ready-made apartments. Design is not something incomprehensibly sublime; artistic taste is endowed with most people. The professionalism of a designer in most cases comes down to understanding the client's taste and guessing what he wants. And you, since you are doing for yourself, you need to understand what you want. Up to 50% of the costs for self-repairs arise due to the fact that they start at random and then correct and redo along the way.
And, finally, carrying out the work in the correct sequence contributes to the savings on repairs: we start from a distance from the front door, and in the course of work we gradually approach it. The living room, bedroom and nursery can be renovated in any order. Then comes the turn of the kitchen. We make the hallway the penultimate one, and complete the renovation with a bathroom. Savings are obtained on the amount of construction waste (and, after all, half of it is waste of materials for which it was paid) and on the alteration of the soiled and beaten with unreasonable organization of work.
Guided by the above, you can make a comprehensive renovation of an apartment with an original design, spending little more than a cosmetic repair.
VIDEO
Where should you start repairing an apartment or a separate room in order to do everything in the best possible time, not overpay and get exactly the result you expect?> I put everything on the shelves so that your repair turns from a state into a process.
We will tell you about the main nuances that should be taken into account during various transformations in apartments, including in "Stalin", "Khrushchev" and "Brezhnev" houses.
We have prepared a list of questions that you should ask yourself and the construction team before starting the renovation. Answers will help you finish work faster and spend less money and nerves.
Without a well thought out plan, the renovation will turn into a natural disaster. We tell you what nuances you should definitely pay attention to, as well as list the procedure and terms of work in order to make your task as easy as possible.
Any repair and construction work involves an important stage - the execution of documentation: design, estimate, contract and executive. He is often overlooked. Dealing with official paperwork is quite troublesome, but it will help you to protect yourself from problems in the future.
When arranging a home, it is important to provide for convenient access to hidden elements of engineering equipment - valves and pressure reducers, siphons and filters, meters and regulators. This means that you cannot do without inspection hatches. Here's how to choose the perfect one.
Before starting repairs, it is worth deciding on the complexity and volume of work to be done. Sometimes superficial transformations are enough to make the apartment look fresh and cozy again.New wall decoration, replacement of flooring, reinstallation of doors - all these are parts of cosmetic repairs, faster, more economical, but at the same time not solving serious problems in the apartment.
When more global changes are required, major repairs begin. It includes redevelopment of space, demolition and construction of new partitions, replacement of pipes, electrical wiring and heating elements. Such repairs are an order of magnitude more expensive than cosmetic ones and lasts longer - but after them you get an absolutely renewed home.
Any type of repair can be done independently or with the help of specialists. The first option is less expensive, but does not guarantee a 100% result. If he is closer to you, check out our useful instructions and master classes - they will help you complete the work no worse than an experienced craftsman.
Repairing with a contractor seems like a safer choice, but there are pitfalls here as well. How to choose a good specialist? How to draw up a construction contract correctly? Comprehensive answers to these questions are collected below.
Features of drawing up a contract for construction or repair work: specifics, main points, estimate and design documentation.
When repairing, the question certainly arises: who should be entrusted with the work - a large company or private craftsmen? We compare both options and talk about the pros and cons of each.
We will tell you about all the intricacies of agreeing on the redevelopment of an apartment, including the one already done, so that you do not drown in bureaucratic delays.
We tell you about the main stages of the repair and the approximate time required for their implementation, as well as offer several life hacks on how to speed up the process.
The most burning aspect of the future renovation is the financial one. First of all, you need to decide how much the selected work will cost and what the money will be enough for; what and how you can save money, and what it is better not to skimp on.
Another important aspect is the preparation of a repair estimate, on the basis of which its approximate cost is estimated. There are other questions regarding the budget: for example, is it worth the investment on repair insurance?
Our tips will help you deal with all the financial subtleties. And with the help of simple and understandable calculators, in just a couple of clicks you can calculate the approximate cost of renovating an apartment or a separate room and the cost of building materials.
To prevent home or apartment renovation from emptying your wallet, you need to properly optimize your spending. We will tell you how to do this at the planning stage and during the process itself.
In addition to the previous article in this section, we will allow ourselves, dear readers, to tell you one short story that happened last summer with one gentleman, and show you a certain table, which the performer called an estimate.
When starting a renovation, a zealous owner first of all picks up a calculator. However, he will receive expenses close to the real ones only if he takes into account various factors and nuances, including those that are not obvious.
Indicate the main parameters of the apartment, select the type and cost of work and materials and find out how much it will cost to renovate your apartment.
The harmonious and modern interior of a small Moscow apartment in an old building combines serenity and emotionality, openness and introversion.
A married couple with a teenage son dreamed of an interior in which the loft style would be combined with the traditional layout. Under this condition, it was extremely important to keep the "light breath" of this apartment near Moscow.
The design of the first floor has an original interpretation of the aviation theme. On the second level, the advantages of high ceilings are used and a mezzanine floor is arranged.
The design of this St. Petersburg apartment combines laconic forms and elegant details.
So that the repair does not stretch indefinitely, it is necessary to correctly plan it. To do this, it is necessary to take into account the procedure and terms of repair work, familiarize yourself with the legal framework, find out what documents will be needed for the transformations and how to draw them up. And that's not all. It is important to understand whether it is worth seeking help from a designer and how to think over the redevelopment so as not to drown in a series of approvals.
Knowing all these details, you will save time, money and nerves, but, most importantly, you can be in your new apartment as soon as possible.
Do you want to be surrounded by a modern interior, but can't articulate how it should look? Something you like about friends' apartments, something attracted you in magazines, something is difficult to decide on. Is it much easier to say what you don't want categorically? Only a professional will help you to understand your preferences and make the best decision.
We will tell you about repair and civil liability insurance, the features of insurance products, insurance risks and the cost of the policy.
On the forums of potential new settlers, battles over finishing from the developer have not subsided for many years. Is it worth spending additional funds on a ready-made standard repair, or is it still cheaper to buy an apartment and do the finishing yourself?
What can and cannot be done during redevelopment? What types of work do not apply to it? In what cases can you attach a balcony or loggia to a room? We answer the main questions about the global change of the apartment.
The amount of work that has to be done during the renovation is truly enormous, and in order not to drown in the sea of construction and finishing problems, competent and precise planning is necessary.
Choosing a new apartment design is a very important task that takes a lot of time and effort. And it's not only about creating a beautiful interior: with the help of a thoughtful design, you can change the geometry of the space, visually increase the size of the room, create a suitable atmosphere and mood. Take on board the best design options, interior trends and design life hacks - they will help you quickly decide on the future look of your apartment.
We have prepared a detailed overview of the most famous interior design trends. With its help, you can easily create the desired atmosphere in the apartment.
In our selection - only those styles that look organically in the interiors of small apartments, make the rooms light and airy and visually expand the space.
Let's talk about the 60-30-10 rule and five more important nuances of choosing an interior palette in a question-and-answer format.
Do you think Porsche is only a car brand, and the backstage exists exclusively on the set? No - all these are also the names of current interior styles. These and other fashion trends are in our selection.
These tips will help you visually enlarge the apartment and find a place where it seems to be practically nonexistent.
A modern interior is often built on a mixture of styles, and everything must be done so that it does not represent a random set of things, but looks whole and harmonious. Our simple and straightforward tips will help you cope with this task perfectly.
From timeless classics to relaxing Mediterranean style, we have selected for you the most relevant trends for a modern interior.
Where to start repairing an apartment so that the repair work does not stretch out for an indefinite period, and the end result undoubtedly pleases you, this is what will be discussed in today's article. Renovation of the apartment requires serious preliminary preparation. The most
Where to start renovating an apartment so that the renovation work does not drag on for an indefinite period, and the end result is undoubtedly for you
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Do you associate repairs with a difficult, costly and long process? Our site "Remontik" will prove you otherwise! Believe it or not, the renovation process can be a real pleasure if you turn a rather boring and difficult task into a simple and fun process.
If you are thinking about how to make repairs in an apartment with your own hands, then the first thing you need to observe is the sequence of all actions, and all the stages should be passed one after another, according to a prepared plan in advance.
So, if you are in the mood and are seriously thinking about making repairs in the apartment with your own hands, then you should adhere to the following steps:
Indeed, you can make an apartment renovation with your own hands, without resorting to the help of professionals, if you adhere to a clear scheme and carefully study each of the stages, which we will discuss in more detail below.
List of tools required for DIY apartment renovation
Ladder. It may seem to someone that she is not the most necessary tool on the list, but it is not.
Special tools for marking:
tape measure 10 or 2-3 meters;
square;
metal ruler one meter;
carpenter's hydraulic level - use for more accurate marking of horizontal surfaces;
cord - beacons are installed along the stretched cord for alignment;
plumb line - ensures the evenness of the walls during plastering - the surface is fixed.
Hand tools (you can buy them in whole sets or separately):
hammer;
ax - pay special attention to the sharpening of the blade (for the left or right hand) and the ax itself, which should sit as tightly as possible on the butt;
hacksaw - blade thickness from 1 mm with a well-polished surface;
chisel - up to 10 mm (needed for woodwork);
log house;
chisel 20 mm wide (used for woodwork);
scissors for metal;
cutters.
Power tools:
an electric drill with a perforator (necessary both during repair and after its completion);
angle grinder, can be used when grinding surfaces and corners, as well as when cutting stone and metal;
screw cutter (for this you can use a drill at low speeds);
electric jigsaw.
Tools for other jobs:
paint bath (container for paint, glue, primer, etc.);
scrapers, spatulas (for applying plaster, putty, putty and removing old wallpaper and paints);
rollers (large shaggy, small foam rubber) and a "fishing rod" to them;
brushes (round and flat);
skin (different grain size) - designed to smooth surfaces;
a syringe gun (for squeezing out various glue-like mixtures) plus a gun cleaner;
masking tape (used for neat painting).
This is the minimum list of necessary tools for those who are planning to renovate an apartment on their own.
Every renovation, be it major or cosmetic, begins with a global preparation. First of all, you will need to perform all dismantling work: removing plaster, whitewash, wallpaper, door blocks, flooring and, if necessary, you will need to dismantle the partitions, as well as rearrange them.
VIDEO Situations often arise that when completing repairs and finishing, you will find that you forgot to dismantle something. In this case, you have to redo a considerable part of the work, and do it carefully, slowly in order to minimize new damage.
For this reason, after completing the dismantling of everything old, unnecessary and not subject to replacement, carefully inspect and analyze the results of your work. Think if you did everything right.
Replacing double-glazed windows in an apartment
This is a rather dirty job, especially its first part, when you have to dismantle old window blocks. Upon completion of the installation of the window and sill, cover them with plastic wrap so as not to smear or scratch during further work.
Plastering work in the apartment: video, photo
When performing plastering work, you need to follow the following sequence of actions: marking for beacon profiles, priming walls, installing a beacon profile, plastering walls, slopes. Moreover, plasterboard walls are not subject to plastering. Ceiling plastering, installation and installation of suspended and tension structures should be done after you complete the wiring on the ceiling of electrical cables, ventilation and other communications.
VIDEO Distribution of electrical communications and implementation of plumbing works
All activities at this stage are reduced to one - a responsible action: installation or replacement of heating radiators, laying and routing of electrical cables, low-current profiles (ground cables, telephone, internet, alarm, TV).
Before proceeding with the installation of cables, mark the output of switches and sockets on the walls. Then proceed to grooving grooves and holes for cables, junction boxes, display boxes, take care of installing a built-in electrical unit.
Be sure to draw a diagram of the electrical wiring: it will be needed in order to prevent it from entering the places where the wire is laid, where you will drill a hole, and also hammer in nails in the future. It is important in the toilet, kitchen, bathroom, before laying electrical wiring, to lay pipes, as well as all the work that is associated with them.
Floor preparation in the apartment: photo, video
Underfloor heating device, screed and leveling. As soon as the screed is laid, leveled, you need to wait until it is completely dry. Different materials offer different drying times, which means you should carefully read the description on the packaging or instructions.
Finishing work
Once the floor has been prepared, you can install the doors and then proceed with the finishing. Moreover, the sequence of all finishing works directly depends on the materials used and the choice of technologies. So, painting and whitewashing the ceiling is done first of all, and the suspended ceiling is best mounted when the walls are finished. Laying the floor covering, whether it be tiles, linoleum or parquet, is done when both the ceiling and the walls are ready.
Then you can install rosettes, skirting boards, platbands, various decorative elements. Faucets, plumbing fixtures and various accessories are installed in the toilet, bathroom, kitchen.
Attention! If possible, it is better to renovate the whole apartment at once. Similar stages of work are, first of all, relevant for the "dirty" ones, which include removing old whitewash, installing windows, not to mention dismantling and rearranging partitions, if it makes sense to do it in different rooms at the same time, so as not to allow this when in the same room the carpet has been laid, and in the neighboring one you have just begun to remove the old whitewash from the ceiling.
If you cannot afford to repair the entire apartment as a whole, you can start it from the farthest room and gradually move closer to the exit. The renovation of the corridor and hallway is carried out last.This is a fairly obvious rule: it is clear that carrying bags of construction waste and buckets of mortar around only renovated rooms is not the best solution. But be that as it may, in practice this rule is violated very often.
It is also worth moving from the room farthest from the hallway when repairing an entire apartment. First of all, this applies to the last stage of do-it-yourself apartment renovation - finishing.
We have provided instructions on how to repair an apartment on our own. For those who prefer watching videos, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the videos presented above, where all the processes are clearly examined.
VIDEO
If you want to renovate your home, but at the same time not spend a lot of money, then do not think that you can save only on materials and services of specialists. In fact, there are not so many secrets of budget repair.
Start renovating in winter. Experienced workers can be hired for a fraction of the cost as they don't have a lot of work in the off-season. Sometimes discounts can go up to 40%. But at the same time, do not forget that winter climatic conditions are unfavorable for repair and construction work, and most people decide to repair in summer.
You can also save on the materials used by replacing expensive imported ones with cheaper domestic counterparts. Imported materials do not always meet expectations, and are much more expensive than domestically produced materials.
Most of the costs are for materials. If you replace vinyl wallpaper with paper, which today can be no less beautiful, then you will save two or three times on wall decoration. Well, instead of a suspended or plasterboard ceiling, you can use paint, which will cost you much less. Of course, in cases where it is necessary to align the ceiling, it is not worth saving and it is better to perform it from drywall.
Sometimes the services of specialists are more expensive than the materials with which they work. For this reason, before choosing a construction team, look at a few offers and do not rush to contact the first specialists you come across.
For cheap kitchen renovations, use vinyl or fiberglass wallpaper. They need to be glued to the very ceiling and finished with ceramic tiles in the kitchen apron area. If you want to save even more, replace the ceramic tiles with plastic panels that imitate tiles, and cover the kitchen work area with self-adhesive tape.
VIDEO
If you don't have enough money for expensive bathroom tiles, then the walls in this room can be pasted over with washable vinyl wallpaper or acrylic paint. Also, PVC wall panels for the bathroom look very beautiful, the cost of which will pleasantly surprise you.
When planning an inexpensive do-it-yourself apartment renovation, you can't afford to buy expensive plumbing fixtures. Therefore, if the old plumbing fixtures look bad, then you can clean or paint them. However, if the plumbing is cracked, then only their replacement remains. You can also save on the removal of construction waste if you organize it yourself.
In no case do not skimp on piping or wiring. Engineering communications must be of high quality and must be installed by specialists. If we talk about finishing, then even the most expensive decorative finishing will look bad if you lay it out with gaps or ugly.
The only repair stage that will be difficult to handle on your own is reworking the electrical wiring. For those who are planning to save money, a way out is also offered here - negotiate with an electrician who serves your house. Such a master will be interested in the high quality of his work, since he will have to serve your house in the future. You should not save on the wiring itself, since the safety of your family directly depends on its quality. Well, you can easily install the sockets yourself, saving money.
Video (click to play).
If you do not have repair tools, you will have to buy or rent them. However, a more economical option is to ask friends or neighbors. We recommend compiling a list of all the necessary tools in advance so as not to be left without tools at hand during the repair process.
