We fit window film to Ķīpsala's new residential developments with panoramic glazing, its historic wooden houses, detached houses, offices, and educational and exhibition spaces. The brief here is usually to take away the heat and the glare without spoiling the view across the Daugava to the city centre. Measuring and quoting are free, and prices start from €25/m² - film and labour together.
Most flats in Ķīpsala were bought for the view. Floor-to-ceiling glazing, the river and the city-centre skyline opposite - that is what the price was paid for, and it governs the choice of film more than any technical figure. A dark or mirrored film works well against heat, but here it is the wrong recommendation no matter how well it works: the view turns heavier on the very first evening, and you don't get it back. So our work in Ķīpsala usually starts from the opposite question - how light a film can we get away with while still removing the heat and the glare?
And the glare comes from an unexpected direction. An island means water on several sides, and the surface of the Daugava throws light upwards - into the window from below and at low angles, exactly where neither the balcony slab nor the roof overhang blocks anything. The film goes onto the existing glass: windows aren't replaced, glazing units aren't dismantled, and a typical flat with panoramic glazing is finished in a day. The other end of the island is technically the opposite - in the old wooden houses with their small panes every pane is measured and cut separately, and that takes considerably longer.
Before anything is applied, we come out to measure free of charge and hold samples against the glass itself, so you see the view through the film in your own window rather than judging it from a swatch on the table. Prices start from €25/m², covering both film and labour; prices are excl. VAT, with a €75 minimum order. Behind us are 15 years and more than 400 completed properties in Riga and within a 50 km radius - flats in new developments, wooden houses, detached houses, offices, exhibition and event spaces, teaching and working spaces. We have no office or branch in Ķīpsala; the drive across the Vanšu Bridge is one of the shortest we have anywhere in Riga. If there is already old, yellowed or bubbling film on the glass, we remove it as separate work.
In Ķīpsala, contemporary glass architecture and old wooden houses stand side by side within one small area. The choice of film and the work itself differ in almost every respect between the two.
This is where film makes the biggest measurable difference. When the entire external wall is effectively glass, heat and light enter the room with nothing in between - no mass of masonry, no narrow opening, no deep reveal to hold anything back. So it is precisely in flats like these that the result is felt immediately after the film goes on, not only on the hottest day of the year.
The other side of it is technical: a large, unbroken plane of glass is the easiest work we do. Fewer cuts, fewer edges, fewer separate parts - the film goes on as a single sheet and the result is flawless. Per square metre, work like this is better value than the same area split into twenty small panes. The one condition is room: on tall spans we work in pairs, and there needs to be a clear strip the depth of a piece of furniture beside the window.
On very large glazing we always check the type of glazing unit too, and whether the glass is already toughened or carries a factory-applied low-emissivity coating. That affects the choice of film, and it is better established on the day of the survey than later.
The main value of a Ķīpsala flat is the view. The windows look across the Daugava at the city-centre skyline, and that is precisely what people paid for when they chose the building. A dark or strongly mirrored film makes that view heavier - most of all in the evening, on an overcast day and in winter, when there is little light outside anyway. The client notices on the first evening.
So our standard recommendation for windows like these is a light, almost clear solar control film with high light transmission. It substantially reduces the amount of heat and ultraviolet radiation while leaving the panorama all but unchanged. That is a different way of thinking from a standard block of flats, where privacy is the priority and nobody is especially troubled by the tone of the film.
If the façade reads as a single composition and the glazing is visible from a distance, it is also worth checking what the building's rules say about altering the look of the façade. In several new developments the tone and reflectivity of the film have to be agreed so the building doesn't start to look patchy. The most practical solution is to agree with the neighbours and fit the same film to the whole vertical stack at once - that settles both the appearance and the price.
Being an island means water lies in several directions, and that changes how the light behaves. The surface of the Daugava reflects the sun upwards - light enters the window from below and at low angles, not only from above. Nothing normally built against the sun helps: not the balcony slab above the window, not the roof overhang, not an awning. They are all designed for a high summer sun.
In practice that means even a window that looks entirely unproblematic on a compass can glare. In spring and autumn, when the sun sits low and the water glares hard, the reflection on a screen or a television is more of a nuisance than the temperature itself. Film works on the plane of the glass, which makes it one of the very few things that stops this reflected light at all.
The surviving wooden buildings are Ķīpsala's other face, and there everything is the other way round. The panes are small and numerous, the frames narrow, the glass thin and in places slightly rippled, the paint on the edges old and soft. A window like that isn't difficult, but it takes time: every pane is measured and cut separately, and water with cleaning fluid mustn't run into the timber.
So in a wooden house we work more slowly, secure coverings over sills and floors, and calculate the price pane by pane rather than roughly by total area. We say so at the survey, so there are no surprises later.
The choice of film differs too. On a historic timber façade a strongly mirrored film looks alien, so what usually goes on is a light solar control film or UV protection - the latter because it is exactly these older interiors that have timber joinery, parquet and fabrics that fade in the sun.
The most common choice for panoramic glazing. In a light grade it reduces heat and glare while leaving the view of the Daugava and the city centre practically unchanged.
For upper-floor flats and glazed corridor or roof-extension sections, where the problem is temperature rather than being seen from outside.
For parquet, timber joinery, furniture and fabrics - in the old houses as much as in new flats, where a glazed wall keeps a whole room in direct sun.
For bathrooms, stairwell windows and glass partitions in offices and workspaces. The light stays, the view through does not.
For ground-floor windows along footpaths and for plant rooms. In flats with a panoramic view we recommend it less often - tone matters more here than usual.
For large planes of glass in public spaces and for ground-floor glazing. Holds the shards together if the glass is broken.
If it isn't clear which option suits your window, there is nothing to decide in advance. We bring samples to the survey and hold them against the glass itself - in Ķīpsala that is particularly useful, because through the sample you see at once what a given film does to the view across the river. Prices for every type are collected on the prices page, and there are fuller descriptions in the services section.
1. Enquiry. Fill in the form with the type of property, the floor and the main problem. If it is a new development with a glazed wall or, conversely, an old wooden house, mention it straight away - it changes both the film we recommend and the time we allow.
2. A call within 5 minutes. We get in touch and talk the situation through. Often the conversation alone makes it clear whether you need a light solar film for the whole glazed wall or frosted film on a few specific panes.
3. Free on-site measuring. We come out, measure every pane, look at the frames, the type of glazing unit and the access, and show you samples at the window. This step usually also settles which windows need no film at all.
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 with panoramic glazing is finished in a day. We wash the glass thoroughly, cut the film on site, protect sills and floors, and clear everything away behind us. The film takes a few days to dry out fully - during that time you may see slight haziness or tiny water dots on the glass, and that is normal.
Tell us the type of property, the floor and the main problem - heat, glare or privacy. We'll call you and talk you through the quote.
Ķīpsala is an island, and in practice that means one thing: there are few ways on and off. The Vanšu Bridge and Ķīpsalas iela give quick access from the centre, but it is a concentrated flow that bunches up during the morning and evening peaks. We don't make a problem of it, we simply plan around it - visits to the island usually go in the middle of the day.
The second thing is stopping at the building. We carry materials and tools by hand, and a large roll of film is not something you want to lug a hundred metres. If the building has a gated courtyard, a barrier, an access-pass system or restricted parking, say so in the enquiry - we simply allow more time and agree where we can pull in briefly to unload.
New developments usually have a lift, which makes the job easier, but large sheets of film and a ladder don't always fit in the lift car - sometimes part of the material goes up the stairs. In the old wooden houses there is no lift at all, though they are rarely more than two storeys. In both cases it is useful to know the floor in advance.
Ķīpsala combines housing, education, exhibitions, offices and event spaces in one area, and the way the work is organised differs in each case. In a flat we agree one day with the owner and that is enough. In exhibition and event spaces we plan the work between events - there the calendar dictates everything. In teaching and working spaces the most practical times are usually the holidays, the evening hours or the weekend.
On larger properties we can work section by section or floor by floor so the space isn't closed for a whole day. That is a normal way of working, and it doesn't affect the price as long as the volume stays the same and the breaks are reasonable.
One vertical stack or one stairwell often contains several flats with identical glazing facing the same way. If the neighbours book together, we can do it in a single visit, the façade looks unified, and the €75 minimum order stops being a question for anyone.
See also all the Riga neighbourhoods and the full service area.
The most typical jobs in the island's building stock - from panoramic glazing to small panes in timber frames.
The price includes both the film and the labour. Prices are excl. VAT, with a €75 minimum order. Measuring and quoting in Ķīpsala are free. The full price list is on the prices page.
Ķīpsala lies on the left-bank side of the Daugava, but only a bridge separates it from the centre, so a single visit here often links properties on both banks. Next door are the Riga neighbourhoods of Klīversala and Āgenskalns, a little further Dzirciems, and on the other side of the bridge the Centre, with entirely different buildings and entirely different film requirements.
If you have two properties - a flat in Ķīpsala and an office in the centre, say - you can submit them in one form and we'll schedule them as a single job with two visits. The full list of areas we cover is on the service area page.
It is the first question in almost every Ķīpsala flat, and the answer depends on the film chosen. A dark film does make the view heavier, especially in the evenings and through the winter months when there is little light outside. So here we usually recommend a light, almost clear solar control film - it works against heat and ultraviolet radiation while leaving the panorama close to what it was. During the survey we hold samples against the glass itself, so you see the view through them rather than judging the film from a swatch on the table.
Ķīpsala is an island, and there is water on several sides. The surface of the Daugava reflects light upwards, so heat and glare arrive not only from above but also from below and at low angles. Nothing built for the purpose helps against that - not a roof overhang, not an awning, not the balcony slab above the window; they are all designed for a high sun. Film works on the glass itself, which makes it one of the very few things that stops this reflected light at all. In winter, when the sun sits low and the water glares hard, the difference is often even more noticeable than in summer.
Large, unbroken planes of glass are technically the simplest work we do - fewer cuts, fewer edges, fewer separate panes. A typical two- or three-room flat with floor-to-ceiling glazing is usually finished in a day. The preparation takes longer: the glass has to be washed completely, sills and floors protected, and on very tall spans we work in pairs, because a large sheet of film cannot be laid cleanly onto glass single-handed.
Often it can, but it is an entirely different job from a new development. In historic wooden houses the panes are small and numerous, the frames narrow, the glass thin and in places slightly rippled, and the paint on the frame edges old. Every pane has to be measured and cut separately, and cleaning fluid mustn't run into the timber. So a property like that takes more time than an equally large single glazed wall. During the survey we check the condition of the glass and tell you honestly if a particular window isn't worth filming.
In spaces like these the schedule matters more than the film. In exhibition and events buildings there are windows in the calendar between events, and that is when the work is most convenient to slot in; in teaching spaces the most practical times are usually the holidays or the evening hours. We can work section by section or floor by floor so the space isn't closed for a whole day. The most common briefs are glare on screens and projection surfaces, overheating in glazed corridor sections, and frosted or printed film on glass partitions.
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 - Ķīpsala is a Riga neighbourhood and falls within our core service area. The final figure depends on the number and size of the panes, the type of film, the floor and the access. Large unbroken spans usually work out better value per square metre than the same area divided into many small panes.
Describe the situation in the form - we'll recommend the lightest film that solves it and give you a quote.
We have received your enquiry and will prepare a quote. We will call you on the phone number you provided.
