Nrfmira magazine about careful renovation of old houses

An independent magazine about careful renovation of old houses. It is not a restoration company or a heritage authority, provides no services and has no connection with previous websites on this domain.

Planning

Planning the work

A renovation in an old house starts long before the first hammer blow. First you need to understand what kind of building it is and what obligations come with it, what condition the floors and walls are in, and what in the flat is worth keeping. The more questions are settled on paper, the fewer unpleasant surprises during the work and the less the house itself loses.

The most expensive mistakes in an old house are made in the first week: mouldings removed, doors thrown out, lime plaster knocked off the walls. A week spent on a survey usually pays for itself.

— From the editors

How this section works: we describe the general order of preparing a renovation and the questions worth discussing with specialists, with no timelines, estimates or regulation numbers apart from the main Russian law on heritage sites. The specific requirements for your building are set by the heritage authority, the designer and the building's management.

How to plan a renovation in an old house

  1. Find out the building's status

    Find out whether the building is a protected heritage site or has been identified as a potential one, and whether it lies within a protected zone. Your local heritage authority can tell you; the answer determines what can be changed in the building without approval.

  2. Bring in a survey specialist

    A survey specialist will assess the floors, walls, the condition of the services and any signs of damp. Their report will show which work is urgent, which can wait and where intervention would put the structure at risk.

  3. Decide what you are keeping

    Make a list of the details that stay: windows, doors, parquet, mouldings, the stove, an old staircase. Photograph them and mark them on the floor plan so the team doesn't remove them by mistake.

  4. Prepare the design and approvals

    Layout changes, moving wet areas and alterations to building services are done to a design. If the building is a heritage site, work to preserve it is agreed with the heritage authority. Work must not start before approval.

  5. Choose a team experienced with old buildings

    Ask whether the team has worked with timber floor structures, lime plaster and old windows, and ask to see completed projects. A good sign is a contractor who suggests keeping things rather than tearing them out.

  6. Sign off the work in stages

    Inspect hidden work before it is covered by finishes: wiring, pipes, the subfloor. At the end, check that the details you kept are intact, that windows and doors close and that there are no new cracks. Put any comments in writing.

If the building is a heritage site

In Russia, cultural heritage sites are protected by Federal Law No. 73-FZ "On Cultural Heritage Sites (Monuments of History and Culture) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation", adopted in 2002. For each such site, it is defined what exactly is protected, and the owner or user takes on obligations to preserve it. Other countries have their own rules for listed or protected buildings, so readers elsewhere should check with their local heritage authority.

Under the Russian law, work to preserve a heritage site is carried out with the approval of the heritage authority and by organisations that hold the relevant licence. This applies not only to the facade: individual interior features, windows, doors and staircases can also be protected.

For residents this means a simple rule: before changing anything outside or touching protected details inside, find out what is covered by the protection and get approval. Unauthorised alterations in such a building may lead to a requirement to put everything back as it was.

What to discuss with specialists before work begins

  • Which structures in the flat are load-bearing and what lies above and below them
  • Whether timber floor structures can take a new bathroom, heavy tiles or a screed
  • Whether the lime plaster can be kept and what to repair it with
  • What to do with old paint and materials that may contain lead or asbestos
  • Which ventilation ducts and flues are in use and what must not be connected to them
  • Which work needs a design and approval and which does not
  • Ideas

    Ideas for an old flat: keep the windows, bring parquet back to life, keep the stove, fit a kitchen and bathroom with care.

  • Questions

    Answers about the magazine, preparing for a renovation, the safety of old materials and approvals.

  • Major repairs (in Russian)

    A note at an archived address: how major repairs differ from restoration and how a historic building is renovated.

Sources

  • Russian Federal Law No. 73-FZ "On Cultural Heritage Sites (Monuments of History and Culture) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation"
  • Guidance materials on the preservation of cultural heritage sites

This information is given in general terms, based on the text of Russian Federal Law No. 73-FZ, guidance materials on the preservation of cultural heritage sites and safety recommendations for working with old coatings. Other countries have their own rules for listed or protected buildings. The status of your building and the work allowed are decided by the heritage authority, and the condition of the structure is assessed by survey specialists.