Renovating older apartments

What goes wrong in older apartments

The real problems in an old flat are usually hidden behind the finish: the wiring, the pipes and the waterproofing.

• Aluminium or aged wiring, a board that has been extended again and again, and no earth-leakage protection.
• Galvanised steel water pipes that have corroded inside, so the pressure is weak and the water runs discoloured.
• Bathrooms whose waterproofing has failed and that leak onto the flat below.
• Damp in the walls, especially on ground floors and on walls that carry pipes.
• Uneven floors and loose tiles that sound hollow.
• Old timber or aluminium windows that let in air, dust and noise.

The survey and the written quotation

A renovation starts with a survey that looks behind the finish, not with a colour chart. It should cover:

• Testing the electrics, the board and the cables, and finding out what type they are and their condition.
• Inspecting the supply pipes, the drainage and the water pressure.
• Finding the source of any damp or leak before any treatment.
• Checking floors, ceilings and windows.
• Listing the details worth keeping.

The result goes into the quotation item by item: what must be replaced, what can be repaired, and what stays as it is.

Full or partial renovation

Not every old flat needs stripping back to the walls; the decision depends on the state of the wiring, plumbing and waterproofing, not on how dated the tiles look.

A new surface over old tiles, such as microcement, only works if the tiles beneath are firmly fixed and the waterproofing is sound; otherwise the problem stays hidden under the new look.

Wiring and plumbing: renew or not

If the wiring is aluminium or has no earth-leakage protection, or the pipes are old galvanised steel, renewing them is the safe choice and the one that pays back over time.

• Copper cables sized for today's air conditioners, water heaters and appliances.
• A new board with separate circuits and an earth-leakage breaker.
• PPR supply pipes in place of galvanised steel, and PVC drainage laid to correct falls.
• A check of the flat's connection to the building's main riser, because renovating the flat will not fix a problem in the riser itself.

What is worth keeping

Old apartments have details that add value, and their fate is best decided before demolition, not after.

• High ceilings: you can drop gypsum board only where it is needed and keep the full height elsewhere.
• Old plaster cornices and mouldings: some can be repaired rather than removed.
• Solid old timber doors: they can often be stripped, refinished and given new hardware.
• Mosaic (terrazzo) floor tiles: if they are firm and do not sound hollow, they can often be ground and polished instead of lifted.
• Old marble: it can often be ground and polished if its thickness and condition allow.

The decision is made after the survey: sometimes restoring is better, sometimes replacing suits the material's condition.

Damp: find the cause first

Treating damp starts with finding where it comes from, because paint over a wet wall will peel again.

• A leak from pipes or a bathroom, in the flat itself or in the flat above.
• Rising damp from the ground on ground floors.
• Rainwater coming through the façade or around the windows.
• Condensation in bathrooms and kitchens without enough ventilation.
• Salts appearing on the wall surface (efflorescence), which often means the affected plaster has to be removed and the wall treated before re-plastering.

Once the source is stopped, the wall needs time to dry, then treatment, plaster and a suitable paint. If the source is in a neighbour's flat or the building's riser, the fix needs their cooperation.

Working in an occupied building

Renovating in an old, occupied building needs organisation that respects the neighbours; otherwise the work gets stopped.

• Working hours agreed with the building, especially for demolition and noise.
• Protection for the stairs, entrance and lift while materials and debris move.
• Debris removed as it is produced, never left on the stairs or in front of the building.
• Neighbours told in advance before water or power to the riser is shut off.
• If you stay in the flat, the work is split into phases, room by room.

How Itmam renovates older apartments

Alexandria is home: our head office is in El Ibrahimya and our showroom is in El Deresa. We visit the flat, measure it and write you an itemised quotation before any work starts.

On a finishing contract you pay each supplier directly and the tax invoice is in your name; our fee for supervision and execution is agreed in writing before work starts.

Kitchens, wardrobes, doors and vanities are made in our own workshops, so new joinery is made to the real, often irregular, measurements of an old flat.

We also work on the North Coast and in New Cairo, and elsewhere in Egypt when the job suits.