My house
1. “ Look at me!”
Our apartment buildings in Salaspils mainly were built during the Soviet era and are around 50 years old - that is, in fact, the life expectancy of these buildings. Of course, these buildings will not collapse immediately, but every year they become obsolete. Therefore it is time to look at your house from a different perspective.
When we come home, we ignore that the facade’s paint is peeled down, loggias and balconies even look somewhat dangerous, and the connection between panels is not fixed in some places. Moisture and cold air enter our apartments through cracks. Some houses have leaking roofs, while others have water in the basements. Staircases and elevators are not very visually pleasing either. A better ventilation system would also be convenient so that the stairways do not smell like food, animals and other odors.
Now, look at your house from a different perspective- it is my property, where I want to live safely and be proud of it.
What can we do to make it so?
2. “ Think of me!”
Your house is your fortress, where you can feel protected from the outside world. Home is a place for everyone to always return to. A place where you can relax, feel comfortable and released. Therefore, it is worth thinking about your home's true value, about what we can do to improve it.
We often do not realize the actual value of our home. We often think- I only own one apartment in the building; therefore, what happens behind the door does not worry me.
However, it must be understood that the house is common property. By investing in the renovation of the whole house (not only in insulation), we also get both a beautiful building and an increase in its value and safety. By strengthening the foundations, replacing internal networks, windows, doors, arranging the attic, basement and roof, and insulating and painting the facade, we have a beautiful house and increased value and safety.
Let's think about our house as a united building, where everyone has their rights and responsibilities.
Maybe it's the right time to tidy up your common property - your house?
3. I want to live better!
If you have concluded that your house does not satisfy you visually and you are overpaying for heat, the only way of improving the situation is to take action. In order to start preparatory work, it is necessary to agree with the other owners of the house to clean up their common property - the house. The majority of the house owners need to signify their interest in participating in this process and not obstruct the work. More or less, home renovation work will affect every inhabitant of the house. You must say to yourself - "I am willing to endure some inconveniences to live better in the future".
Also, to facilitate the organization of the house renovation process, the Salaspils Council has instructed the municipal company Ltd. “Salaspils Siltums” to undertake this work. The rubric MY HOUSE will regularly be updated about the type of work Ltd. “Salaspils Siltums” and the owners of the house will have to do, however, for now, you can read more about this topic in the section “Renovation”.
4. How to prepare for home insulation and renovation?
Once the house residents have decided to insulate and renovate the house and have collected the signatures of the residents, preparatory work must be done - house energy audit, technical inspection and technical project development.
Energy audit - a process during which the energy flow in a building is inspected and analyzed to find and evaluate ways to save energy better.
Technical inspection - identifying and evaluating the technical condition of a building. As a result of the inspection, a conclusion is written, which contains general information about the building, a description of the situation, building components, internal and external engineering networks and equipment.
Technical project - determines the technical solutions to be used in the process of renovating and insulating the building, both in architecture and constructions, as well as for the installation and use of equipment. The technical design also determines the estimated construction costs.
Residents who have authorized “Salaspils Siltums” to manage house insulation and renovation process, do not partake in any of these actions - Salaspils Siltums organizes procedures on their behalf, identifies applicants and consults with them on the progress, as well as monitors the quality of the work done.
5. What’s the cost?
Construction costs or how much it will cost to renovate our house is the most critical question for all of us.
Based on the technical design project, a builder's tender will be announced. Based on the conditions, the best quality and lowest price will be selected for each house.
Our goal is to maintain the housing stock overall, not just to insulate and paint. Therefore, for all the residents of the house to see and understand the costs, each house's bill will be graphically explained, according to how costs are divided - how much for energy efficiency measures, how much for technical improvement, how much for financing and how much heat is consumed. It is predicted that heat consumption will decrease by 40-50%.
In terms of funding, it should not be forgotten that the European Union co-financing is still available, which will significantly reduce the payment burden on citizens, keeping the annual cost of renovation close to before. Nevertheless, imagine the result! A beautiful, safe and warm house! My house…
6. What is your benefit? A beautiful house!
One of the most popular questions - what will it give to you if we carry out renovation and insulation work on buildings ?! One of the answers - a beautiful house!
Houses built in the last century no longer look very attractive. No one wants to look at shattering paint or crumbling bricks. Old windows often no longer fulfil their function - the wind strongly whistles through the cracks. Loggias - glazed and arranged in some places, but some seem dangerous. Antennas and satellite dishes of different sizes and shapes have grown on the house's facade like mushrooms after the rain. Stairs and handrails in stairwells do not create a sense of security. Wire balls hang on the walls of the staircase like chaotic cobwebs. And we run past it all every day to get home faster.
After the renovation, the entire facade of the house will be insulated and painted. The windows will be replaced in the stairwells and apartments; the loggias will be glazed. After deciding on the renovation, we sign for a united and beautiful building, so the loggias and windows will visually look the same. Antennas and satellite dishes will be given a specific place on the roof of the house. Continuing the renovation of stairs and handrails and managing the arrangement, you will be able to express yourself by painting the walls creatively. And we will be at home not only entering our apartment but already taking a step over the doorstep of the house.
7. What do we get? A safe house!
Our homes get older every day. A small problem that is not corrected in time can become a big misfortune tomorrow. Therefore, we all need to think about how to make our home safe!
When we see cracks in a house's walls, we sometimes do not think that there is something more severe beneath it. However, the house structures are damaged, and every day they become more dangerous for living. The wall can even break so far that one day we wake up to see a new "ventilation" hole in the apartment or staircase. The entrance roof and balconies, having served their time, do not withstand and collapse, but the house's front door breaks out of the hinges. Holes in the roof cover make the residents of the upper floors experience leaking. The apartment can also be damaged by internal risers that have not been changed and cleaned for years. If they burst, then all you have to do is hope that this time you got lucky - the cold water riser is broken, not the sewer.
After the renovation, we will not experience such misfortunes. Renovation of the house begins with a technical inspection, which determines the foundation, condition of the roof and risers, the strength of structures, walls, entrance roofs and balconies/loggias. As a result, when starting construction work, it is clear what needs to be done to make the house completely safe. So all the necessary structures will be strengthened, including renovating and insulating the walls. The entrance roofs and exterior doors will be replaced or renovated too. The cover of the roof will be insulated and replaced. The old risers will be replaced so that there are no unpleasant surprises.
Our children and grandchildren, who have the right to safe housing, also live in these Soviet-era houses - so let's start renovating our homes today to secure a beautiful future for them.
8. What do we get? An economical house!
Each year as the heating season approaches, we wonder - how much we will have to pay for heating this year. May the motto of our lives be - to live, not to survive – we need to think about reducing the consumption of our home - to become energy efficient!
An unregulated heating system tends to overheat the apartments, and even in winter, we sometimes open the windows because it gets too hot. As a result, we heat the outdoor air and unnecessarily pay for it. By installing and using a thermostat on radiators, we can reduce or increase the amount of heat in the room at any time. By turning the regulator, we reach our comfort level, so there is no need to keep the windows open for a long time. A good ventilation system keeps the air quality at a good level at all times, so you don't have to worry about overpaying for the heat flowing through the windows, if it is necessary to ventilate the overheated rooms.
The heat also drains through low-quality windows and unglazed loggias, so we use more heat energy to heat the apartment. Also, an uninsulated roof, attic and basement ceiling lower the temperature of the flats. By replacing windows, glazing loggias, insulating the basement ceiling, roof and attic, we can reduce the amount of heat needed for the house by up to 50%.
Incandescent bulbs in the stairwells are lit all night, thus increasing our payment for common areas. When you change the lighting to the motion sensor spotlight, the light will only turn on when needed. It might seem like a trifle, but it also reduces the monthly payment.
Energy efficiency - efficient use of heat, electricity, that way potentially reducing payments. Let's think about how we can save our money and only pay for the heat we actually use!
Author: "Salaspils Siltums", Ltd.