Instead of plasterboard, they have stretched films. They completed the reconstruction in 3 weeks

The story of our apartment and its transformation, which we would like to share, began in 2006. After several years spent in dormitories and subletting, my wife and I bought a 3+1 apartment in Brno Bohunice with a size of approx. 70 m².

Original kitchen with dining area

Our requirements for future housing were determined by the financial possibilities of the time. Our only specific request was new windows. Fortunately, it was already installed in the apartment several years before our purchase.

Otherwise, it was an unreconstructed, albeit well-preserved, apartment on the 4th floor of a block of flats from 1980. During the first four years of use, we furnished it to the best of our ability and carried out partial, rather cosmetic modifications. We didn't plan any major reconstruction, also because we dreamed (and we still don't give up on this dream these days) of living in a house with a garden somewhere near Brno.

Bathroom and house reconstruction decided

In 2009, however, the poor condition of the bathroom and toilet forced us to undertake the first major renovation. In the end, in addition to the bathroom and toilet, it also included the adjacent corridor.

I carried out all the demolition and subsequent construction work myself, but I left the professional activities (electrical installation, plumbing, tiling, plasterboard ceilings, etc.) to craftsmen, the selection was on the recommendation of acquaintances and friends.

It should be added that the community of unit owners also contributed to the improvement of the environment in the building at that time, because shortly before our construction event, the exterior shell of the panel house was reconstructed (insulation, new facade, replacement of balconies) and a few years later the replacement of the elevator .

At the same time, the whole housing estate has fundamentally changed its face over the course of several years compared to 2006: children's playgrounds and sports fields have been added, the greenery has undergone major changes and recultivation, and the Bohunice district's indisputable advantage is its excellent civic amenities and accessibility to the center of Brno.

All this, combined with the fact that a daughter joined the family in 2012 and we managed to buy out the cooperative share and transfer the apartment into personal ownership, contributed to the fact that we became so attached to the apartment and its surroundings that its possible sale and moving to a house is no longer relevant. But the question of reconstructing the rest of the apartment became even more urgent.

How to persuade my wife

My wife didn't even want to hear about the reconstruction for a long time, but a plan was slowly forming in my head. I saw thirty year old aluminum electrical wiring as the biggest problem.

The new kitchen is U-shaped, with cabinets up to the ceiling.

I knew that their replacement was necessary in case of our continued long-term use of the apartment. But how to replace the wiring in a fully equipped, partially repaired apartment, without the need for extreme demolition, drilling and cutting? I decided that we will run the wiring in the baseboards.

But what about lights? The only option seemed to be plasterboard ceilings, which would also solve the unsightly panel ceilings. But after the experience with bathroom renovation, I was clear: I don't want to go down this path. Anyone who has once experienced sanding after the installation of plasterboard ceilings will surely confirm that dust is absolutely everywhere and in a fully furnished apartment without the possibility of moving most of the furniture (there was nowhere) it is a major problem.

But then I accidentally came across stretched ceiling foils (sometimes referred to as stretch ceilings) on the Internet and I had a hunch that this could be the solution to our situation. All that remained was to convince his wife.

I was "helped" by a burnt-out socket in the kitchen (there was a short circuit due to a "burnt" aluminum cable), the promise of a simultaneous renovation of the kitchen, and also the fact that our ten-year mortgage fixation was just coming to an end. It was therefore easy to solve the financing of the reconstruction by refinancing the mortgage. And so we got to work in August of this year.

Despite terrifying expectations, everything went unexpectedly smoothly. The electrical installation was replaced without any major problems, all wiring is carried out in two-chamber plastic white strips, which, in combination with the white wall and light floor, look unexpectedly elegant and look completely natural, just like the strip sockets.

Tensioning of the ceiling film

The suspended ceilings, which cover all the electrical installation on the ceiling, also look elegant. Their installation was quick and, above all, practically pollution-free compared to plasterboard ceilings, which I consider to be a major benefit. At the same time, the price is comparable.

I can say from my own experience that even in a furnished apartment (all the furniture and equipment of the apartment remained in the apartment during the renovation, they were just moved mainly to the center of the room, we only moved out the kitchen equipment and the library) it is possible to replace the electrical installation without dramatic construction modifications, large-scale demolition, chopping or cutting into panels.

A new kitchen as a bonus

To the wife's satisfaction, the kitchen was also renovated. The kitchen line was made to measure and is designed in such a way that in a small space (the kitchen is just over 8 m²) it provides as much storage space as possible (cupboards almost to the ceiling) and work surfaces , there was also a place for a dining table for four people.

Bathroom with toilet after reconstruction

Renovation of the bedroom (wallpaper, new painting) went hand in hand with the installation of ceiling foil and completed the renovation of the entire apartment. We are extremely satisfied with the current appearance and condition of the apartment and we believe that the reconstruction succeeded according to our ideas and possibilities. Although we are still not giving up on the dream of living in a house with a garden, if it ever happens, it will be difficult for us to leave our current apartment.

More detailed price specifications:

Nuvolo bed and bedside tables - the collection was designed by the well-known design studio Vrtiška&Zák, the dominant element is the legs made of beech logs, seated on an MDF board. Price of the set: 50,874 CZK

The Sanela SLU 37B mixer tap, worth CZK 8,020, works on the principle of an infrared sensor, which starts the water as soon as the user places his hands in the sensing zone and turns it off when his hands leave the area. The battery also allows you to set the water shut-off delay, the safety function automatically shuts off the running water after 5 minutes.

Kärcher K 4 Full Control high pressure cleaner priced at CZK 6,990 is equipped with a gun with an LED display and a storage position in the middle of the device.

Multifunctional juicer G21 Gourmet horizontal worth CZK 5,499 - slow pressing takes place at a significantly lower temperature, so the juice does not lose vitamins or enzymes. Thanks to the replaceable attachments, the device can be used to grind meat, make homemade noodles and sausages.