Chronology of Renovation: In What Order Are Works Performed

1. Planning the Layout
All renovation work can be divided into two stages – planning and implementation. If the designer does not handle the planning, this task falls to the apartment owners themselves. The contracting organization performing the renovation work is unlikely to consider where it would be more convenient to place outlets and plumbing fixtures. During the planning stage, you need to decide what you want to change in your apartment and which materials and technologies you will use. Arrange in advance that all necessary materials are available or ready for delivery at the right time.

2. Drawing Up Plans
It is better to start with a survey plan of your apartment: it will help you visualize the possibilities and characteristics of the space more clearly. You can use a pre-existing BTI plan, which is available to all property owners without exception. The next step is preparing a furniture layout plan, on which the final design of your apartment will be shown. Mark the desired placement of furniture and plumbing fixtures.

3. Choosing a Crew
If you can paint the walls in the living room yourself, it's unlikely you'll be able to break down partitions and build new ones on your own. Therefore, the next step is choosing contractors. It may be cheaper to hire a crew not affiliated with a contracting organization, but we recommend hiring a reliable construction company. It is better to choose one that works in stages – just in case you suddenly decide to change contractors. During the renovation process, it is advisable to appear on site no less than once a week, supply all necessary materials and ensure that the work is performed conscientiously: on time and in accordance with all your wishes.

4. Starting Rough Work
The renovation consists of several stages, each lasting about a month: rough, engineering and finishing works. The rough stage is the initial stage of renovation, it is the most labor-intensive. During rough work, demolition and wall installation takes place, as well as floor screed. After removing unnecessary partitions and building new ones, it is necessary to bore holes in the walls. In other words, grooves must be made in the walls to lay all necessary utilities on the next stage: drainage pipelines of the air conditioning system, hot and cold water supply, electrical wiring, sewerage. The next step is pouring the floor screed. It ensures a perfectly flat floor and becomes the base for future flooring. Before starting the screed, it is necessary to pre-lay the heating system pipelines. The final rough touches are wall plastering, preparing them for the final coating (priming), and installation of a suspended ceiling or ceiling covering with GKL.

5. Moving to the Engineering Section
At this stage, engineering utilities must be installed in the apartment: ventilation ducts and equipment must be mounted, internal units of air conditioning systems must be installed, power and lighting circuits must be laid. During engineering works, heating system pipelines are also laid in accordance with the project, and cold and hot water supply and sewerage are connected to the locations where plumbing fixtures will be installed.

6. Beginning Finishing Work
The final stage of renovation will be finishing work – covering floors and walls with finishing materials, installing interior doors. The finishing stage includes painting and tiling works, laying solid or parquet boards, hanging wallpapers, installing laminate or carpet. If you choose wallpaper as the wall covering, at least one day should be spent priming the walls. Keep in mind that during wallpapering the apartment must be perfectly clean, and it is also important to avoid drafts. Be careful when experimenting with wall tiles. Plan ahead how you will lay them, taking into account the height of furniture and plumbing fixtures, especially if it's about a bathroom.

7. Assembling and Installing Furniture
You can now say that the renovation is complete. All that remains is to fill the apartment with contents. In addition to assembling furniture, this stage involves installing light fixtures, electrical hardware, skirting boards and cornices.