2013: First Apartment
Our first priority was to prepare an apartment for ourselves so that we could have a comfortable stay. This apartment had to be on the ground floor, in the former youth club. At first glance, this space, which was largely painted green, looked quite decent, with a lot of paneling to hide the moisture and a linoleum floor – as is common in East Germany. However, after stripping the space, it turned out to be in much worse condition than we initially thought – something we would experience more often later... Behind the paneling, where moisture had been trapped for years, the plaster simply crumbled and fell off the walls.
In the end, we started by removing all the ‘soft’ materials (wood, carpet, wallpaper). All the plumbing was replaced, the door to the bedroom was moved to the hallway, and then all the walls were plastered (with the help of our neighbor). We also laid a slate floor in the living room and, of course, built a bathroom. The photos speak for themselves.
During this first year of renovations, I quickly became familiar with the world of lime. Modern building materials are based on cement or gypsum, but in buildings like this, where moisture is a given, you should avoid using them. They trap moisture or hold it for too long, which leads to all sorts of problems and creates a very unpleasant atmosphere. Lime-based products regulate moisture much better.
By now, the world of Denkmalschutz (monument conservation) holds few secrets for me. Many people are afraid of Denkmalschutz, but in my experience, they are quite approachable – especially when they see that you genuinely care about the building and are not just looking for a quick renovation.
The Jugendclub, which was meant to become the living room of our first apartment.
Another corner of the room: the drywall partition is still visible.
The wooden floor (which was on top of a concrete floor) has been removed.
Everything stripped.
The space has been stripped, and the door to the bedroom has been closed off.
The first layer of plaster has been applied.
Painter Allard at work.
The lower parts of the walls have been replastered.
The top layer of plaster has been applied. The wall on the left has already been painted with Geleimte Wandfarbe.
The floor is being laid.
The walls have been fully plastered, and the slate floor is (mostly) in place.
The floor is finished (including baseboards), and the painting is done.
The hallway/utility room: this is where the bathroom will be.
An indication has been made of where the wall between the bathroom and the hallway will be.
The corner of the bathroom where the shower will be.
The sewage and water pipes have been installed.
The piping is in, and the walls have been smoothed.
Die Vorwand wurde installiert.
The bathroom has been tiled.
The ceiling is in place, and the walls have been plastered.
The bathroom is finished.
The shower has been tiled.
The bedroom: on the left, the original door that has been sealed, on the right, the new door that leads to the hallway.
The space has been stripped.
The walls have been plastered, and the floor has been leveled.
Piping in the utility room.
The fuse box and the instantaneous water heater have been installed.
The sewage system for the upper floor is in place.