Disinfection in Teika

The most mixed building stock of all

In Teika, pre-war houses, low-rise streets, blocks of flats and modern office complexes along Brivibas gatve all stand side by side in one district. That means "disinfection in Teika" is really several different jobs, and the first thing we ask in an enquiry is the type and age of the building.

We carry out mould removal, odour removal, ozone treatment and treatment after flooding, a failure, a change of tenants or long vacancy. We have no office and no depot on the ground — we travel out on request, and in Riga travel is included in the price.

In an old house and a new office the symptom can look similar, but the cause is the opposite — and so the answer is not the same either.

Pre-war houses: the moisture comes from below

In an older timber or masonry house the damp story starts at ground level, not at the ceiling. Thick masonry walls take up moisture slowly and give it back just as slowly; in a timber building the moisture concentrates in the bottom log courses and the floor zone.

1Rising dampPatches and salt efflorescence in the lower part of the wall, not up at the ceiling. It comes from the ground through the foundations and does not disappear with airing alone.

2Bricked-up chimney fluesIn an old house the stove and its flue provided a constant draught. Once they are bricked up and the windows replaced with sealed units, air exchange stops altogether.

3Timber structuresWe treat timber more gently and more slowly than concrete. If the timber is not covered in growth but already rotten, a building specialist is needed — we do not assess that.

In practice that means the inspection in an old house takes longer: the ground around the foundations, the floor zone, the cellar and the attic have to be looked at, not just the visible patch. See mould removal and treatment of a private house.

Office and commercial premises

In an office the task is different. The structure is usually not the problem — the problem is air exchange, the kitchen corner, washrooms shut up for long periods, or a smell that has soaked into soft furniture and carpets.

✓ When ozone treatment is right

The smell has soaked into textiles, carpets and soft furniture.
The source has already been dealt with but the odour remains.
The space can be left empty during treatment and airing.
Before handing the space over to a new tenant.

✗ When it will not help

While the source — a leak, a dried-out trap, a blockage — is still active.
If people have to work in the space during treatment.
If the smell comes from inside the ventilation system.
If there is a wet structure under the finishes.

Ozone treatment is €1.20/m² with a minimum of €60; other commercial work is priced by area: up to 100 m² €1.20/m², 100–300 m² €0.90/m², 300–1000 m² €0.70/m². We plan the work outside working hours, because after treatment the space has to stay empty for a while. See office treatment and ozone treatment.

Parking and access

Teika is close to the centre, the blocks are dense, and traffic along Brivibas and Gustava Zemgala gatve is heavy. The practical question before a visit is usually not the address but where we can stop with the equipment.

Say whether the courtyard or the office has a permit system or a barrier.
At a detached house, say whether the gate is locked and whether there are animals on the property.
In an office, agree who lets us in and who reopens the space for use afterwards.
Before treatment, clear access to the walls and remove sensitive equipment.

We work the same way in the neighbouring district: Purvciems. If there are several properties close together on the same day, we combine them into one call-out.

Low-rise and multi-storey blocks in between

Between the old private house and the modern office, Teika has a third group: low-rise and multi-storey blocks of flats, where the task is narrower and clearer. There the first thing we check is the draught at the ventilation grille and whether any air supply has survived the window replacement.

The second question is the floor. On the top floor a patch at the junction of ceiling and external wall can mean a roof or parapet question, and that is the building manager's responsibility. On the ground floor there is an unheated space below, and the moisture appears in the floor and skirting zone rather than at the ceiling.

On the middle floors the cause is almost always within the flat: air exchange, the amount of everyday moisture and cold external wall surfaces — in corners, behind furniture and at the window reveals. The solution is within the flat too, and the work usually takes one visit.

What to prepare before the work

In Teika the preparation differs by property as much as the building stock does. In an old house rooms that are not used day to day usually have to be unlocked; in an office, access has to be arranged and a time window agreed.

In an old house or a flat

Clear access to the walls and the skirting zone.
Unlock the cellar, the attic and the plant room.
Say which rooms are not heated in winter.
Take plants and pets out before treatment.

In an office

Agree who lets us in and who reopens the space afterwards.
Remove sensitive equipment and uncovered food.
Give the area in square metres, not the number of rooms.
Plan for the time when the space cannot be used.

There must be nobody in the space during treatment. How long it cannot be used and how long it has to be aired we tell you on site — in an old house with bricked-up flues the airing is slower than in an office with mechanical ventilation.

Where our work ends

We work with the space, not with the structure. We do not do waterproofing, drainage, roof and gutter repairs, restoring chimney flues or installing ventilation, and we do not assess the condition of load-bearing structures.

Rising damp in an old house — the answer is waterproofing, not treatment.
A bricked-up flue with no alternative draught — a question for a specialist, not for us.
In an office, a smell from inside the ventilation system — cleaning the system first.
In a flat, a communal stack that does not work — a question for the building manager.

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

In an old timber house the mould is at the skirting. Can that be treated without repairs?

It can be treated, but if the moisture is coming from the ground through the foundations it will come back. Before the work we say what we can see and suggest what to sort out: rainwater drainage, ventilation or drying the floor zone. We treat timber structures more gently than concrete.

There is a smell in the office but no visible patch. Where do we start?

By looking for the source, not with ozone treatment. The commonest are a dried-out trap in a rarely used drain, a blockage, damp under the finishes, or a smell coming from the ventilation. Ozone treatment only helps once the source is gone — otherwise the result disappears within days.

Can you work in an office in the evening or at weekends?

Yes, and that is usually the only sensible option: after treatment the space has to stay empty for a while and then be aired. We give the time in advance so you can plan for it. The price is by area, from €1.20/m².