Disinfection in Imanta

What we do in Imanta

In Imanta we come out for mould removal, odour removal, ozone treatment and treatment after flooding, a sewage failure or long vacancy. The properties are flats in panel estates, detached houses in the residential streets, flats in new developments, and retail and service premises.

We have no premises and no permanent staff in the district. We travel out on request and agree a specific day; in Riga travel is included in the price. We do not promise arrival to the minute.

In Imanta the first question is not "where is the patch" but "what type of building". Everything else follows from that.

Flat, detached house, new-build

Imanta's building stock is not of one piece, and that is the practical character of the district. Next to large estates there are streets of detached houses and newer developments. That changes not only the price but what we look for in the first hour.

1Flat in an estateWe start with the ventilation grille and the surface temperature of the external wall. Often the air supply has gone after the windows were replaced and the stack no longer pulls — the moisture stays in the room.

2Detached houseWe start outside: gutters, downpipes, the ground around the foundations, the cellar or lower ground floor. In a private house the water source is more often outside the building than in it.

3New developmentThe building is airtight, there is no natural draught. We look at the mechanical ventilation, the filters and whether the system is switched on at all. In the first few years construction moisture is added to that.

In practice that also means a different length of inspection. In a flat there are few places to check and they are clearly bounded; in a detached house there are several times as many, because the outside and the service rooms have to be walked as well. Related descriptions: treatment of a flat, treatment of a private house.

In a detached house we start outside

In a private house, mould inside is often only the last link in a chain that starts at the edge of the roof. If a gutter overflows or a downpipe sends water towards the foundations, the wall takes up moisture for years and no amount of treatment indoors changes that.

✓ What to check before you call

Whether the gutters and downpipes are clear and the water is carried away from the house.
Whether the ground at the foundations slopes away rather than towards the building.
Whether damp or a smell lingers in the cellar after rain.
Whether the north-facing façade dries noticeably more slowly after rain.

✗ What not to do

Do not paint or tape over the patch before treatment.
Do not air the cellar in the warmest part of the day — warm air on a cool wall gives condensation.
Do not push furniture hard up against a cold external wall.
Do not wait for spring if the structure is already wet.

We do not do building works: waterproofing, drainage, roof and gutter repairs or installing ventilation. If the cause is there, we say so and do not start treatment while the structure is wet. See also mould in the cellar and mould in window frames.

Another common case in a private house is partial heating. If only the living part is heated in winter, the warm air flows into the cool rooms and settles on cold walls. The patch appears exactly where nobody spends time day to day, and it is often only found in spring.

Airing a cellar makes sense when the outside air is cooler and drier than the cellar air. In the middle of a summer day it is usually the other way round: warm air on a cool wall gives condensation, and "airing it out" only makes the problem worse.

The railway, barriers and the route

Imanta is a long district in western Pardaugava, and the railway line with its level crossings divides it. In practice that means one thing: two addresses that look adjacent on a map can be noticeably different to drive between. So it is worth naming the address precisely in your enquiry, with the block letter or house number.

Say whether there is a barrier in the courtyard and how it is opened.
At a detached house, say whether the gate is locked and whether there are animals on the property.
Tell us where a vehicle with equipment can be parked.
If the property is empty, arrange who will unlock the door.

We work the same way in the neighbouring districts — Zolitude is the closest, and several properties on one route are easier to plan than two separate trips.

Where our work ends

Honestly about the limits. We do not do building works and we do not assess the condition of load-bearing structures. If the inspection shows that the cause is in the structure or in a building service, we record it and say what has to be sorted out first.

If the roof or a pipe is leaking — a roofer or a plumber first, then us.
If in a block of flats the patch is on a shared external wall or on a top-floor ceiling — that is a question for the building manager.
If in a new-build the ventilation has never been commissioned — a ventilation specialist first.
If the timber is not covered in growth but rotten — a building specialist is needed.

That is not a refusal but the order in which things work: treatment removes the growth, but it does not replace the repair that removes the cause. If nobody says so before the work, the customer pays twice. If the property is empty before a sale or a move-in, that is the easiest moment to work: the rooms can be left without belongings and there is no rush to get back in after treatment.

What to prepare before the visit

In Imanta the type of property also changes what we need from you before the work. In a flat the preparation is short; in a detached house it takes longer, because rooms that are not used day to day have to be checked as well.

In a flat

Move furniture away from the external walls and empty the cupboards against them.
Take pictures and shelves down in the area to be treated.
Know the year the windows were replaced and which floor you are on.
Arrange who unlocks the door if you will not be there.

In a detached house

Unlock the cellar, the plant room and the attic — these are usually locked.
Provide access around the whole perimeter of the house.
Say whether there are animals on the property and whether the gate is locked.
Say which rooms are not heated in winter.

The property has to be empty during treatment. How long the space cannot be used and when it can be properly aired we tell you on site — that depends on the volume of the rooms and on how well the space ventilates.

Prices

Flats: 1-room from €55, 2-room from €65, 3-room from €75, 4-room from €85. Private houses from €95. Commercial premises: up to 100 m² €1.20/m², 100–300 m² €0.90/m², 300–1000 m² €0.70/m². Mould: inspection from €40, treatment from €1.50/m², minimum from €80. Ozone treatment €1.20/m², minimum €60.

In Riga travel is included in the price. All prices →

Frequently asked questions

Why does an inspection at a house cost the same as at a flat but take longer?

The inspection from €40 is a starting price, and in a house there is more to check: the outside, the cellar or lower ground floor, the plant room and the attic. If the property is large we say so from the description, before the visit rather than after it.

After the windows were replaced, condensation appeared on the glass and mould in the corners of the frames. What changed?

The old windows let air in through the gaps and the ventilation stack drew it out. The new windows are sealed, the air supply disappears and moisture stays in the room. The answer is a trickle vent or regular use of the vent setting; treatment removes the effect, not the cause.

Do you also come out to commercial premises in Imanta?

Yes. Retail, office and service premises are treated by area: up to 100 m² €1.20/m², 100–300 m² €0.90/m², 300–1000 m² €0.70/m². We usually plan the work outside the opening hours of the premises.