We fit window film to the timber houses of Āgenskalns, its pre-war masonry buildings, its low-rise housing, the flats in newer blocks and the shops around the market. Old windows with small panes are measured and glazed one pane at a time. Measuring and quoting are free, and prices start from €25/m² - film and labour together.
A single window in a timber house in Āgenskalns can hold eight panes, and not one of them is exactly the same as the one beside it. The difference is a matter of millimetres, but for film that is quite enough. So here we don't look at a window as one sheet of glass - we look at it pane by pane: each is measured separately, cleaned separately and cut to its own edge rather than to the template of its neighbour. The old glass is thin as well, and wavy in places, so even the light falls through it a little differently.
That is what sets both the rhythm of the work and the price. It is the number of panes, not the square metres, that decides how long we will stand at a single window, and that is built into the quote from the outset. The frames stay where they are - we apply film to the glass that is already there, windows are not removed and nothing is unscrewed. The care is needed more for the old, soft paint along the edges of the frame: we work with less fluid and dry the edges immediately. The typical result is a cooler room, less glare or no view in from the pavement, but in older flats a fourth benefit often matters more - timber joinery, parquet and fabrics stop fading so quickly.
We visit flats in timber and masonry houses, low-rise homes, flats in newer buildings, and the small shops, cafés, salons and consulting rooms around the market - 15 years of experience and more than 400 completed properties in Riga and within a 50 km radius. Measuring and quoting are free, prices start from €25/m² with film and labour together, excl. VAT, with a €75 minimum order. We have no branch in the neighbourhood; we travel in from another part of Riga, and within the city limits the call-out is not charged separately. If there is already old film on the panes that has yellowed or bubbled, removing it is separate work - in older buildings that comes up often.
Āgenskalns is the historic part of Pārdaugava, and one street there can hold a timber house, a pre-war masonry building and a much later block of flats. For each of them it is the window itself that dictates the choice of film and the pace of the work.
Timber housing is the most characteristic part of the neighbourhood. There the window is often tall and divided into many small panes, the frame narrow, the glazing bead shallow, and the glass thin and in places slightly uneven. A window like that isn't technically difficult, but it is slow: every pane has to be measured separately and the film cut to that specific pane rather than to a template, because two panes in the same frame are rarely exactly identical.
The second thing we allow for in these windows is the paint along the edges of the frame. Old paint tends to be soft and flaking in places, and water with cleaning fluid must not soak into the timber or sit against the glazing bead. So we work with less fluid, dry the edges immediately and protect sills and floors. It takes longer than in a new window, and that is precisely why the quote here is built up pane by pane rather than as a rough figure for the total area.
If a pane has a hairline crack or the glass moves in the frame, we say so during the survey and offer either to leave that particular pane out or to have the window put right first.
In masonry buildings the windows are usually larger and taller, but still divided, and often with double frames. Here the question of which pane the film goes on becomes important - the inner face of the inner frame is the standard solution, but it isn't the most accessible or the most appropriate place in every window. We decide that on site, after looking at both frames.
In historic quarters the appearance of the façade matters too. A strongly reflective mirror film on the street-facing windows of an old house stands out and alters the overall look of the building, so on the street side we generally advise against it. It is more practical to use a lighter solar control film where it is seen from the street, and a stronger or frosted film on the courtyard side. If the building has a manager or an owners' association, changes to the appearance of the façade are worth approving before the work - we can explain how the film will look from the outside.
On the top floors under the roof and in attic rooms the summer heat builds up most, and that is where heat rejection film makes the most noticeable difference.
Around the market and along the main streets there are plenty of small shops, cafés, salons and consulting rooms on the ground floors of buildings. There the brief is usually twofold: in the afternoon the storefront overheats and the stock in the display window fades, while at the same time privacy is wanted in the working area or at the till. The most common solution is frosted film in a band at eye level, solar control film for the rest of the storefront and UV protection where the stock stands. Storefront work can be done before opening or after closing.
Among the old houses there are also later blocks of flats with ordinary, large double-glazed windows. There the work is technically the simplest and quickest, and the choice of film is decided by which way the windows face and which floor they are on. On the first and second floors, in both old and new stock, the main reason is privacy - the windows look out onto the pavement, a courtyard path or the neighbour's house across a narrow gap. Here people usually choose frosted film for specific panes or reflective film on the courtyard side, leaving the remaining windows clear.
The most versatile option for south- and west-facing windows. In old houses we usually choose a lighter film, so that tall but divided panes don't make the room gloomy.
For top floors, attic rooms and roof windows, where the summer heat builds up most but the view out has to be kept.
For ground-floor windows beside the pavement, bathrooms, stairwell panes and shop storefronts in a band at eye level. The light stays, the view through does not.
For timber joinery, parquet, furniture and stock in the display window. In old interiors, restoring a faded surface costs more than protecting it.
Where a window looks straight at the neighbour's wall or into the stairwell of the building next door and there is no need to see through at all.
For ground-floor storefronts, glazed entrance doors and premises that stand empty overnight. Holds the shards together if the glass is broken.
If it isn't clear which option suits your window, there is no need to decide in advance. We bring samples to the survey and hold them against the actual glass - on old glass with a slightly uneven surface the same film looks a little different from how it looks on a new double-glazed unit, and that is better seen on site. Mirror film in this neighbourhood we more often fit on the courtyard side rather than facing the street. Prices for every type are set out on the prices page.
1. Enquiry. Fill in the form with the street, the type of property and the main problem. If the building is a timber house or an old masonry one with divided windows, mention it straight away - it changes both the timing and the pricing.
2. A call within 5 minutes. We get in touch and talk the situation through. Often the conversation alone makes it clear how many panes there are in one window and which type of film is the right one.
3. Free on-site measuring. We come out, measure every pane separately, look at the condition of the frames, the paint along the edges and which side is better to work from. We show you samples against the actual window.
4. A fixed price. The quote covers film and labour together, excl. VAT. The price doesn't change afterwards as long as the scope of work doesn't.
5. Installation. A typical flat is finished in a day; a house with many small panes can take longer, and we say so in the quote. We protect sills and floors, clean the glass, dry the edges and clear everything away afterwards. The film takes a few days to dry out fully - during that time you may see slight haziness on the glass, and that is normal.
Tell us the address, the type of property and the main problem - heat, glare or privacy. We'll call you and talk you through the quote.
Āgenskalns lies on the left bank of the Daugava, and Kalnciema iela, Slokas iela, Raņķa dambis and public transport tie it closely to the centre. For us that simply means the drive is short and a property can be surveyed the same day or the next. We still agree the exact arrival time on the phone, because driving times in Riga depend on the hour, on roadworks and on whether there is anywhere at all to pull up at the address in question.
In the older streets the roads are narrow and space to unload is often scarce. We carry materials and tools by hand, so the most useful information in your enquiry is whether there is a courtyard or a gate, how long we may stop at the entrance, and whether the stairwell has a lift. We work without a lift perfectly happily - we just need to know in advance to plan the time properly.
If the building has a key code or an entryphone, or the manager opens the door, we arrange that before setting off. The same applies when the flat is let and the keys are with someone else.
In old houses there usually aren't many flats in a single stairwell, which in practice means that neighbours hear about the work quickly. If two or three flats in one building want film, it is worth booking it together: we measure everything in one go, make one visit, and the street-facing windows end up with one and the same shade of film. The façade then looks uniform rather than patched, and the €75 minimum order is cleared without a second thought.
In a historic building it is also easier to get approval - the manager or the association is asked one question about the whole building rather than three separate ones. If the building is in mixed use, with a shop on the ground floor and flats above, that too can be planned as one job in several stages.
See also the main Riga page, the list of areas we cover and our window film services.
The most typical jobs in older timber and masonry stock and in premises around the market, with starting prices.
The price includes both the film and the labour. Prices are excl. VAT, with a €75 minimum order. Measuring and quoting in Āgenskalns are free. On windows with many small panes the final figure is set by the number of panes, not just the total area. The full price list is on the prices page.
Āgenskalns borders several neighbourhoods where the building stock carries on in a similar vein, so one trip out often takes in more than one property. In neighbouring Klīversala, Torņakalns, Zasulauks and Dzirciems we work exactly as we do here - pane by pane in the older houses, more quickly in the newer ones. We have no office or branch in any of these neighbourhoods; we travel out to all of them from a single base.
If you have several properties in different parts of Riga - a flat here and business premises elsewhere, say - you can submit them in one form and we'll plan it as one job with two visits. The other neighbourhoods and towns are listed on the service area page and on the Riga page.
In most cases it can, but every window has to be looked at on its own. In old timber frames the glass tends to be thin and slightly uneven, the glazing bead narrow, and the paint along the edges of the frame old and soft. During the survey we check whether there are hairline cracks in the glass, how freely the pane sits in the frame and how much room there is out to the edge. We work with less fluid and wipe it up straight away, so no water is left standing on the timber. If film isn't advisable on a particular window, we tell you before the work, not after it.
Because the work is priced by time and complexity, not by square metres alone. A single old window in Āgenskalns can hold six, eight or more separate panes, and each of them has to be measured, cleaned, cut and applied separately. In old buildings the panes are rarely exactly identical, so a template is of no use. The total area may be modest, but the time involved is considerably greater than in a new building with the same square metreage. All of that is built into the quote at the survey stage.
On the street side we generally advise against strongly reflective film. On the façade of an old masonry or timber house the mirror effect stands out and alters the look of the building, and in historic quarters changes to the appearance of a façade often have to be approved. The practical solution is more often a lighter solar control film on the street-facing windows and a stronger or frosted film on the courtyard side, where it isn't seen from the street. At your particular address it is worth discussing this with the building manager or the owners' association before the work.
Yes. A small shop, café, salon or consulting-room storefront is a typical job in this neighbourhood. The usual reasons are a storefront that overheats in the afternoon, stock fading in the display window, and the need for privacy in the working area or at the till. Frosted film in a band at eye level, UV protection for the stock and solar control film across the whole storefront are often ordered together. Storefront work can be done before opening or after closing so that customers aren't disturbed.
We carry materials and tools by hand, so any floor suits us, lift or no lift - it is simply worth mentioning in your enquiry so that we can plan the time. On the old streets of Āgenskalns there is often little room to pull up and unload, so it helps to know whether there is a courtyard, a gate or a spot where we can stop for a moment. If the building has a key code, or a neighbour has to open the door, that too needs arranging in advance. In practice none of it complicates anything, provided we know before we set off.
Prices start from €25/m², and that includes both the film and the labour. Prices are excl. VAT, with a €75 minimum order. Measuring and quoting are free, and the call-out is not charged separately, because the neighbourhood is within Riga. The final figure depends most of all on the number and size of the panes - an old house with small panes and a new flat with two large windows can cost quite differently even at a similar total area.
Describe the situation in the form - we'll recommend the most suitable film, get in touch and give you a quote.
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