Do-it-yourself apartment renovation tips secondary housing

In detail: advice on repairing an apartment with your own hands, a secondary housing from a real master for the site my.housecope.com.

Have you finally made a decision to renew the interior of your home? Then the knowledge of what stages of apartment renovation await us and how to observe their sequence will come in handy. So many, at first glance, imperceptible nuances can arise.

If you determine the sequence of actions in advance, the result will only please.

This is a chance to significantly save your budget, since you don't have to redo anything and buy in a hurry, while overpaying.
The duration of the work will be reduced. Self-organization always contributes to a faster completion of the case.

The first mistake of the owner, who decided to start construction work, is the thoughtless purchase of building materials. Often, due to haste, he buys a lot of excess, but what is actually needed, on the contrary, remains on the shelves. After all, even for groceries, it is better to go with a well-thought-out list.
Read how to start repairs in our article.
It all starts with an estimate. In this case, it is advisable to invite a specialist for consultation, even if only independent work is planned in the future.

Before starting the repair, it is necessary to develop a project and draw up an estimate
With a well-defined plan and a competent list of everything you need, you can start.

We draw your attention once again: to avoid mistakes, alterations and downtime during the repair process, be sure to adhere to the ready-made plan.

Step-by-step repair steps

It all starts with total preparation. Such jobs include:

removing old wallpaper;
dismantling of plaster;
destruction of walls and partitions not provided for in the new project;
removal of floors;
dismantling of surfaces intended for replacement.

Repair stages in a new building skip the dismantling stage, proceeding directly to the next step.

Dismantling the interior

First of all, they carry out work on the installation of communications. Before making repairs, you need to do all the operations that can destroy new coatings: installation of windows, doors, wiring and ventilation. Also, pipe wiring can be attributed to this stage.
Read more about this in our articles:

Video (click to play).

All old electrical wiring is removed and a new one is installed. The safety instructions for the placement of outlets will help you to position the electrical components correctly and use wires with a sufficient cross-section. For example, you should take care of the presence of thick wiring and grounding at the point to which the washing machine will be connected.

At this stage, you can change the entire layout of the apartment, bringing novelty and additional comfort to the interior.

With the help of partitions (especially if the extra walls are removed), you can create an office, a nursery, divide a bathroom.
Most often, bricks or foam blocks are used for such purposes, less often drywall. By covering the new wall with soundproof plaster, you can achieve more comfort. When creating partitions, it is important to take into account the squaring of the premises, sometimes it is better to leave one large room than to make five small ones. In addition, the creation of unnecessary partitions can lead to a violation of the natural ventilation of the apartment. So when erecting additional walls, be sure to consult with professionals.
Articles on our site on the topic:

For plastering work, it is recommended to use a ready-made cement-sand mixture (DSP) or gypsum plaster, which will eliminate possible mistakes in self-mixing the proportions of sand and cement.If there is not enough experience in such work, it is still better to hire specialists. Firstly, it saves time, and secondly, you do not have to redo unsuccessful work.
More details:

Pouring concrete, equalize the floor. The quality of these works will affect the subsequent placement of furniture in the room. Probably more than once faced with the problem of leveling a table, chest of drawers, armchairs and, more significantly, a washing machine. A good screed will help avoid such difficulties in the future.
More: leveling wood and concrete floors.

At least a week should pass between the screed and the installation of drywall for the room to dry out.
We install the iron sectional base, leveling the surface of the ceiling. Then we mount the drywall sheets.
More detailed articles on this topic:

If you have not encountered such work before, then it is better to invite a specialist. The cost of fixing a marriage is much higher than paying a professional. After all, the tile itself is not cheap, and any possible flaws will be visible from the outside: this is usually the most beautiful and conspicuous part of the interior.

Moreover, the complexity of the work directly depends on the complexity of the pattern on the tile.
More details in our articles:

The stages of bathroom renovation are slightly different from those in other rooms:

design;
dismantling;
installation of pipes;
finishing work on the ceiling;
installation of electrical wires;
finishing work on walls and floors;
installation of lamps;
installation of ventilation and heating equipment;
door assembly.

The stages of repairing a bathroom are shown in the video:

So, whether the walls are painted or wallpaper is glued, this is already starting to give the room a complete look. We have come to the finish line!
Details in the following articles:

Experts were divided on the sequence of actions at the last stage. Some believe that wallpaper should be glued after laying the floor covering, others - on the contrary. But most still prefer to finish the renovation activities with flooring.
Read also:

With the wall covering sorted out, the floor looks as it was intended. The repair is over!

Careful planning of the course of renovation works greatly simplifies the matter and saves the budget. Do not be lazy to calculate everything in advance (preferably, together with a specialist).

It should be noted that the stages of bathroom renovation are slightly different due to the increased complexity. But the right approach to work makes any difficulties insignificant and easily surmountable. We wish you successful installation work!

How to start repairs in a new building from scratch. The sequence of stages of repair in a new apartment.

Wall design with wallpaper. How to correctly combine different types of wallpaper, interior photos. Tips for choosing colors and patterns.

What to look for when buying a screwdriver. Performance instructions and tips for choosing. Battery type and capacity, power.

Read also: DIY pok cupid repair

Most of the happy owners of apartments on the secondary market are concerned about the arrangement of their real estate. Before starting repairs, you need to decide on its scale. Some secondary housing only needs a cosmetic update.

But it happens that a major overhaul of secondary housing is required with the replacement of all communications. If you do all the work yourself, you get a good economy. Before proceeding with the alteration, it is necessary to decide what work will be performed and where to start the repair.

Overhaul

There are usually stages such as:

Coordination of redevelopment of premises.
Replacement of electrical wiring, sockets, additional lighting. Change of water supply and drainage pipes, as well as plumbing fixtures. Renovation of the heating system.
Replacement of window frames, interior and exterior doors.
Performing the necessary additional work before finishing walls, floors, ceilings.
Change of old finishing materials.
Installation of built-in furniture and appliances, if provided.

Redecorating

It can be limited only by changing the finishing materials on the walls, floor and ceiling, relying on a ready-made design project. But before such a replacement, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare the surfaces.

There are three reasons for this.:

To prevent new decorative coatings from falling off along with old putty or plaster.
So that new finishing materials do not deteriorate while working with them.
So that the chosen finish looks right.

So that the work does not end ahead of time, due to the lack of material support, it is necessary to correctly calculate the forthcoming costs. Depending on what you are going to repair, the necessary measurements of the room are made.

Knowing the size of the room, you can make any calculation. Then, in specialized stores, the prices of the building materials of interest are monitored. It is worth making a separate expense column for kitchen repairs if built-in appliances are installed.

Upgrading multiple rooms is best done in stages, starting with the farthest. This will help to avoid excess dirt that is formed from construction debris. Still, such a sequence will help solve the problem associated with the release of the renovated room from furniture.

Where to start repairs in the kitchen - with drawing up a design project. He will show you exactly where to place the sockets with switches, where to lead the pipes, at what height it is necessary to lay the apron of the working area. Therefore, it is better to repair the kitchen step by step, relying on the design.

In order for the repairs in the apartment to proceed systematically, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence.

Dismantling work

The beginning of the overhaul begins with dismantling work. Old finishing materials are removed from walls, floors, ceilings. If necessary, openings are changed and unnecessary partitions are demolished.
When repairing a one-room apartment, it is better to dismantle it in all rooms at once - in the room, in the kitchen, in the bathroom with a toilet and in the corridor.

This will save money on garbage disposal. If the repair of a two-room apartment is or more, then the dismantling can be done one by one, in the sequence which premises will be repaired.

Surface preparation

After the dismantling, it turned out to be an unfinished apartment. In the empty "box" the power supply system is replaced, all openings are prepared, new additional partitions are erected and the walls are plastered. Water supply and sewerage pipes, heated towel rails and heating radiators are being changed.

You need to carefully consider the water supply and power supply systems when making repairs to the kitchen and bathroom.

Aligning walls and ceilings

As soon as all electrical wires and pipes are hidden in special grooves, the walls are aligned with the ceiling by plastering and puttying. It's worth starting from the ceiling. The evenness of the surfaces is checked by the level.

Ceiling repair

The leveled ceiling can be painted, wallpaper or stretched. It all depends on what kind of design the room has.

The kitchen ceiling or in the bathroom must be made in such a way that large condensation does not form on it. Otherwise, mold will form in the future.

Replacement of windows and doors

When replacing windows, all cracks must be carefully insulated or filled with polyurethane foam. Then the window sill, slopes are installed, and outside - the ebb. During the entire process, it is necessary to monitor the evenness of the installation. This is necessary so that the window does not warp during operation.

It is better not to remove the protective film from the windows until the end of the repair work. Door frames are usually easy to install. The main thing is that everything should be set according to the level.

After completing the work on the ceiling and walls, you can proceed to the floor.When making repairs to a three-room apartment, furniture and things can be transferred to the new floor only then the skirting boards will be installed.

The old coating is removed from the floor, a leveling screed is made. Only after the floor is level over the entire surface can you start laying decorative materials.

Bathroom and toilet renovation

When repairing a bathroom with a toilet, you should pay special attention to the tightness of the installed pipes and water supply to the plumbing.

In such rooms, decorative coatings are chosen that are not afraid of moisture. A new bath, shower, toilet and bidet are being installed. In rare cases, the restoration of the bath enamel is done.

When purchasing materials, it is necessary to make a small stock in order to avoid a shortage of it during repairs.
So that the work does not get up, it is worth preparing all the necessary tools in advance.
Dust will settle much faster if water is sprayed with a spray gun during dismantling or chipping.
Partitions to be demolished should not be classified as load-bearing walls, as their dismantling is strictly prohibited. Especially if it is a panel house.

How to make repairs in an apartment

Before deciding which room to start renovating an apartment with, you need to find out the type of renovation transformations, their estimated timing and planned costs. It is quite possible that when answering these questions, the priority room will be determined by itself, by the method of elimination, thanks to the advice of experienced people or for other reasons.

The best place to start is with a family council. Even if you have the decisive right to vote on all issues, you are not living alone. Repair burdens fall on the whole family - if not in terms of financial costs, but in relation to everyday inconveniences. And at least it won't hurt to listen to the opinion of your loved ones. The design of the children's room and the functionality of the kitchen area have the right to determine not only the heads of families, wives and children can suggest such effective solutions that designers can only envy.The more deeply you discuss and think over the renovation before it starts, the easier and faster it will go. The decision of where to start renovating an apartment depends on several factors. And they are all the most important, so the order of our list is relative:

What is the renovation budget. After carefully considering all conceivable expense items, multiply the total by a factor of 1.5 to 2. No one has yet been able to ideally calculate the cost estimate of apartment renovation before its start, so a financial "safety cushion" will be required... Naturally, if you do not want to give up the whole repair venture halfway through;

What is the capital of our repair. Whether it concerns the whole dwelling or will affect only individual rooms, whether it is associated with the replacement of windows, doors, utilities and floor coverings. It may be necessary to change the layout of the rooms or take out the kitchen to the balcony - such global transformations should be planned in advance;

Who will renovate the apartment. If everyone is able to perform cosmetic wallpapering in the children's room, then it will not work to install a new bathroom without the appropriate skills. The more serious the renovation, the more versatile professionals in their field are needed... And it would be better if these are masters known to you, familiar from past affairs, and not abstract workers from an unfamiliar company with a "European level of highly qualified personnel, a nasalnik" ...

Is it possible to spend the repair time outside the renovated apartment. Living in conditions of construction work is difficult even for adults, and even for children, such hardships can be insurmountable.

All these pre-repair problems need to be solved comprehensively - money, time, capital and personnel should form a harmonious mosaic even at the planning stage. Otherwise, you can start such a long-term construction, which you will not be happy with. Image - Tips for repairing an apartment with your own hands secondary housing

A typical list of preliminary construction and repair preparation includes:With a major overhaul by professional craftsmen, it is not so important from which room to start repairing an apartment. Often, repairmen themselves determine the optimal sequence, especially if their material interest is related to the volume of work and does not depend on hourly wages. There are cases when the question "Where to start repairing a room?" did not ask at all, but started it in all the rooms at once, leaving the smallest room "for later", as a headquarters-base-dressing room.When self-repairing an apartment, one can only dream of such wide maneuverability. Here the options for the first repair steps are as follows:

A distant room, isolated from other rooms with a single door. You can take out all the furniture from it (pack the too bulky with cellophane and move it away from the walls). After clearing the space, you can safely proceed with the renovation transformations;

Bathroom, kitchen and toilet. The complexity of the work in these rooms is great, plus they need to be done quickly (no patience will be enough to live in an apartment without a toilet bowl). Replacement of mixers, installation of a gas stove and plumbing equipment must be completed in a few hours, for reasons of elementary comfort, and not at the expense of quality. Facing a new sink with ceramic tiles or installing PVC wall panels does not have such time limits; these repair stages can be extended over several days. Functionality is primary, and design beauties are secondary in terms of timing;

The hall and corridor should be recognized as categorically unsuitable for rooms of the first renovation. These premises are the last to be repaired, when the finish of the entire major cosmetic undertaking is already close.

At the initial stage of apartment renovation, it is necessary to draw up a renovation project. It should consist of:

layout received after renovation;
a plan for the placement of communications (sewerage, water supply, electrical wiring);
layout of technological equipment (bath, toilet, washbasin, water meters, air conditioner, built-in furniture).

This is not a renovation project. This is an interior design project.

Without a project, you can easily face a situation where the washbasin cannot be placed because of the riser, sewn up with a box, and electricity is not supplied to the lamp near the mirror. The cost of fixing such errors very often exceeds the cost of the project. Do not save on it - on the contrary, the project will save your money. A prerequisite for its compilation is full-scale measurements directly at the facility. You should not blindly trust the dimensions indicated in the passport for the apartment.

The main thing in the renovation project is the thoughtful placement of the required technological elements and the ease of operation of the apartment after renovation.

The next stage is the approval of the project by the Customer with the direct participation of the repair contractor. Since the customer hardly understands the intricacies of the use of building materials and the technology of their use, the approved project should suit the master. In it, in addition to the above, the types of materials used for finishing should be determined.

After the approval of the drawings, before the start of the repair, temporary networks are installed - water, sewerage, electricity. When an apartment is overhauled, everything changes - from the wiring to the flooring. At the same time, it is simply impossible to carry out repair work without water, sewerage and electricity.

Next, you need to decide on the costs of a "disposable" tool - spatulas, rules, buckets for the preparation of building mixtures, etc. Very often, repair crews do not include them in the cost of work and require them from the Customer. For the latter, this often becomes news. This is followed by the purchase of consumable equipment - garbage bags, brooms, scoops, dust bags for a vacuum cleaner, etc.

Dismantling work is the most noisy and garbage phase of the apartment overhaul. There is a removal of all finishing layers on the main walls, the demolition of unnecessary non-bearing partitions (if an apartment redevelopment is envisaged), a change in the configuration of doorways (their location, size), floor coverings and replaceable fencing structures for balconies and loggias. Before starting dismantling, it is advisable to talk to your neighbors. Warn them about the noise, assure them of the shortest possible time for such inconveniences.

You should decide in advance how the garbage will be removed. From a standard "kopeck piece" it is easy to get several trucks (depending on the volume of dismantling and the capacity of the cars). Garbage storage at the entrance, including temporary storage, can lead to a conflict with neighbors.

The amount of garbage during the renovation of an apartment often surprises the customer.

Garbage collection can never be done once. As the work progresses, it will periodically become necessary to remove the remnants of materials, packaging, etc. It is better to discuss the total expected number of machine-walkers with the contractor in advance. Customers usually greatly underestimate the volume, and hence the cost, of a number of works - do not hesitate to discuss your financial costs in detail with the contractor in advance. So it will be easier for you to control it on the one hand, and on the other hand, the performer will be sure that he will receive the appropriate payment.

The main installation during the overhaul of apartments begins with the preparation of door and window openings, as well as a loggia and / or balcony for glazing.

The doorway is prepared for the installation of the arch.

After dismantling work, even if the dimensions and location of the openings remain unchanged, their perimeter is not always a regular rectangle, directly suitable for installing a door or window. In addition, you must be sure that the dimensions of the openings meet the standard sizes produced by the modern industry (if we are not talking about ordering all windows and doors according to individual sizes). At the same stage, the loggia or balcony is prepared for glazing, followed by the call of the measurer from the manufacturer of windows, doors (including the entrance) to the object.

The main installation also includes the laying of plumbing communications, underfloor heating (if it is decided to abandon heating radiators), the construction of new partitions and plastering of walls. After that, it is necessary to perform priming and painting of the ceiling in order to avoid debris falling onto the stretch ceiling later.

Laying communications in the bathroom.

In parallel with these types of work, the list of finishing materials, plumbing fixtures, interior doors, kitchen and bathroom furniture, and the choice of an air conditioner are finally approved.

The next stage of apartment renovation is the waterproofing of the bathroom floor, installation of the front door, windows, glazing of the balcony and loggia. One should not be surprised at such a motley set of works performed simultaneously. A team of several people is engaged in major repairs. Their simultaneous use is a guarantee of tight repair times.

Waterproofing the bathroom floor.

Another group of specialists, which it is better to visit at a time, are representatives of contractors who connect Internet communications, satellite (cable) television, as well as the installation of air conditioners. In their presence, it is necessary to agree on the layout of all necessary cables.

Then heating radiators are installed (if you do not have warm floors). Around the same time, there is a call for a measurer for the kitchen, who will determine the places for supplying the sewage system, cold and hot water, and power supply.

When the placement of all technological equipment is finally approved and it became clear how all this is connected, the walls are channeled. After the chasing, the installation of rough electrics (cables, socket boxes, junction boxes) and rough plumbing (water supply and sewerage pipes) follows. In parallel with this, air conditioning routes are being laid, their external blocks are installed, and signaling networks (Internet, television) are being installed.

In modern renovation, cable communications are most often laid under the ceiling, hiding them with a stretch ceiling.

Next comes the preparation of the floor for pouring the screed (over the entire area of the apartment), laying the reinforcing mesh and damper tape for the screed.
The main installation is completed by pouring the screed without a finishing layer.

At the stage of finishing installation, when renovating an apartment, false walls are often equipped to hide heating radiators and the device of secret sliding doors (if necessary).

Sewing up the heating radiator allows you to hide the pipes, the radiator itself (which is especially important if it is old) and to avoid practically insoluble difficulties in finishing the room in the area of the junction of the risers with the floor and ceiling.

In the same period, boxes for sewing communications are mounted. Not a single bathroom renovation in an apartment building can do without this operation.

Plasterboard box is a standard solution.

After the drywall work, a primer, installation of corners, filling is performed.

All surfaces covered with plasterboard must be putty.

After all the surfaces are formed, we call the measurer for stretch ceilings (if the ceilings are exactly stretch ceilings). At the same time, the loggia or balcony is being finished, the junction nodes are installed, the tiles are laid in the bathroom, in the kitchen, and the bathroom is installed.

This is followed by cleaning the screed from particles of building mixtures and debris adhering to it, a primer, a finishing layer of a self-leveling screed, installing window sills, countertops, plastic slopes.

The final leveling of the floor during major repairs is highly desirable due to the fact that when performing a large amount of work on the floor, various damage to the surface layer will inevitably appear. It is hardly possible to save a new screed from this. It is more convenient to underfill the main screed in height by 1 cm, and at the end of all "heavy" work, make a "self-spreading" finishing layer.
After finishing work on the floor, you can proceed to the last types of finishing work. It includes the last primer and finishing of the walls (wallpaper or painting), the installation of stretch ceilings and the installation of the flooring (laminate, linoleum, etc.). Before proceeding to the final stage, it remains only to install interior doors, arrange arches and portals (if any).

Our renovation is almost complete. To complete it, you will need the installation of kitchen and all built-in furniture, installation of baseboards, clean electrics and indoor air conditioning units. In parallel with this, we carry out the installation of fine plumbing (washbasin, toilet). This is followed by final cleaning.

The final touch is the installation of curtains, blinds, shelves, mirrors and furniture.

We hope that this article will help you understand where to start a major overhaul of an apartment and what sequence of actions should be followed in the future.

Everyone knows how the purchase of an apartment in the primary and secondary market differs, but the difference between the “primary” and “secondary” is also manifested at the stage of renovation. Together with the masters of the online consumer services YouDo.com, we will try to evaluate both options in terms of the organization and possibilities of the repair process.

The main advantage of renovation in a new apartment is the ability to start from scratch, to create a unique space in accordance with your ideas of comfort. At the same time, it is worth starting preparation in advance, without waiting for the cherished keys to be in your hands.

“If you are not satisfied with the existing layout of an apartment, sometimes the issue can be resolved at the stage of building a house. To do this, you need to consult with the developer and state your wishes. Not all companies meet the needs of the client, but those who do not take risks do not drink champagne! In case of a favorable decision, for a relatively small surcharge, you will save yourself the trouble of breaking and rebuilding partitions, ”advises Alexander, a professional builder.

“Particular attention should also be paid to the acceptance of the apartment,” he recalls. - During acceptance, it is important to make sure that the developer does not leave serious deficiencies that will result in costly fixes. If you are not confident in your abilities, invite specialists who are well versed in construction technologies and will help you draw up a list of claims. "

In the recent past, most apartments were rented out without finishing, now the buyer has a choice: to buy bare walls and make repairs from scratch, or buy an apartment with finishing from the developer. The latter option, as a rule, offers a standard finish, no frills, but quite livable. The advantage of such housing is that new settlers can immediately begin to settle down in a new place with minimal inconvenience - no one will undertake large-scale renovation work in the neighborhood.

“Turnkey finishing is, of course, inferior to designer renovation with an individual selection of materials, although if a family urgently needs to move to their own square meters, this is better than nothing. But many later, having saved up money, take up the alteration. The quality of the final finish depends entirely on the construction company that built the house - ask about its reputation, read the reviews on the forums. In some ways, this is a lottery, but choosing a professional construction team is also not an easy task, ”notes Alexander.