What to keep
Timber windows and doors, patterned parquet, cornices and ceiling roses, stoves, old staircases: the signs that tell you a detail is worth protecting.
a magazine about careful renovation of old houses
Nrfmir — careful renovation of old houses
An old house rarely needs to be rebuilt from scratch. More often it needs attention: understanding what was designed sensibly, what has suffered from time and careless repairs, and what can be brought back to life without losing its character. We write about flats and houses in old buildings — timber windows, parquet, plaster mouldings, stoves, lime-plastered walls — and about renovating them so that years later you won't regret what was thrown away.
You can buy a new window at any time, but a century-old sash, once it has gone to the skip, never comes back. That is why the first decision in an old house is always the same: understand first, replace later.
Where to start
Old house materials
Why a lime-plastered wall shouldn't be covered with dense cement, how plaster mouldings differ from polystyrene ones and how old timber behaves.
Safety
Old paints can contain lead, and some materials contain asbestos. We explain what you must not do yourself and when the work goes to specialists.
Care
How to extend the life of timber windows, parquet, mouldings and a decorative stove, what to check every season and when it is time to call a conservator.
Magazine sections
- Materials
Timber windows and doors, parquet, lime, plaster mouldings, stove tiles and old paints in general terms. The article catalogue is here too.
- Ideas
Ideas for an old flat: keep the windows, bring parquet back to life, keep the stove, fit a kitchen and bathroom with care.
- How-to
How to get a timber window ready for winter and how to look after old parquet. And what you should never do yourself in an old house.
- Planning
How to plan a renovation in an old building: its status, a survey, approvals, choosing a team and signing off the work.
- Tools
What helps you inspect and gently look after an old house, with no brands, plus protective equipment.
- Care
Caring for timber windows, parquet, mouldings, stoves, old doors and lime-plastered walls, plus a seasonal check.
- Questions
Answers about the magazine, preparing for a renovation, the safety of old materials and approvals.
How to inspect a flat in an old building before renovating, in five steps
Windows and doors
Open and close every sash and look at the bottom rails of the frames and the sill boards: that is where timber suffers most from moisture. Note where the paint is thick and where the frame has simply dried out and shrunk. Check panelled interior doors for warping and cracks.
Floors
Walk slowly through the rooms and listen: creaks, springy patches and loose parquet blocks show where the subfloor needs attention. Look under old carpets and linoleum — a perfectly sound patterned floor is sometimes hiding underneath.
Ceilings and mouldings
Inspect cornices, running mouldings and ceiling roses in raking light. Cracks along the edge of a moulding, flaking and dark stains often point to old leaks. Don't tap suspicious areas or try to pick off loose fragments.
Stoves and ventilation
If the flat still has a stove or fireplace, check whether the tiles and doors are intact and whether the flue has been sealed. Check that the ventilation ducts in the kitchen and bathroom work: in old buildings they were often blocked during earlier renovations.
Signs of damp
Look for salt efflorescence, blistered paint and dark stains low on the walls, in corners and under windows. Write down and photograph everything you find. This list will be useful when you talk to the building's management and to the specialist who surveys the building.
Common questions in brief
Are you restorers?
No. Nrfmir is an independent magazine. We don't restore, renovate, visit properties or take requests; we only explain the general principles of treating an old house with care.
Can you recommend a workshop or tell me what the work will cost?
No. We don't recommend workshops or contractors and we don't quote prices. But we do explain the signs that a team has experience with old buildings and which questions to ask them.
Can I replace the windows in an old house?
First find out the building's status. If it is a protected heritage building, replacing windows or changing the facade in any way needs approval from the heritage authority. But even in an ordinary building it is often wiser to repair the old frames than to fit new ones.
What should I do about old paint on doors and frames?
Don't sand or burn it off yourself: old coatings may contain lead, and the dust from such paint is dangerous. If the paint is sound, it can be left and carefully refreshed on top; removal is a job for specialists.
About the project
This domain used to host the website of a company that worked on historic buildings, and later it was taken over by unrelated advertising. Nrfmir has no connection with either and does not restore their content; all the magazine inherited from the domain is the name.
We write for people who live in an old house or are planning to move into one: what is valuable in a flat in an old building, how to treat traditional materials, where safe DIY work ends and how to plan a renovation without losses. We provide no services, name no brands or prices, don't invent statistics and don't give instructions for work that requires permission or special training.
Related sections
- Ideas
Ideas for an old flat: keep the windows, bring parquet back to life, keep the stove, fit a kitchen and bathroom with care.
- Materials
Timber windows and doors, parquet, lime, plaster mouldings, stove tiles and old paints in general terms. The article catalogue is here too.
- Planning
How to plan a renovation in an old building: its status, a survey, approvals, choosing a team and signing off the work.
Sources
- Russian Federal Law No. 73-FZ "On Cultural Heritage Sites (Monuments of History and Culture) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation"
- Guidance materials on the preservation of cultural heritage sites
- Safety recommendations for working with old coatings
This information is given in general terms, based on the text of Russian Federal Law No. 73-FZ, guidance materials on the preservation of cultural heritage sites and safety recommendations for working with old coatings. Other countries have their own rules for listed or protected buildings. The status of your building and the work allowed are decided by the heritage authority, and the condition of the structure is assessed by survey specialists.