Stove and chimney cleaning in Grīziņkalns - tiled stoves in pre-war buildings

Why there are so many stoves in Grīziņkalns, even though heating networks are nearby

The Riga air quality action programme 2026–2030 names Grīziņkalns among the neighbourhoods where, by number of buildings, individual heating prevails, although district heating networks are available in most of the area. As early as 2022 the Riga Energy Agency stated that pre-war buildings without district heating are mostly in Āgenskalns and Grīziņkalns.

The same programme names Grīziņkalns among the residential areas where individual heating causes a significant share of fine particle pollution. For a chimney sweep this means something simple: there are many wood stoves here that are lit every winter, and many old brick chimneys with several channels.

A tiled stove and wood-burning cooker in a tenement: how they are cleaned

1. Channel map In an old building the channels have often been rebuilt bit by bit. First we find out which chimney channel runs from your stove and which from the neighbour's cooker.
2. From above or from the attic The channel is cleaned with a brush and a weight from the roof or attic. If the roof is steep and there is no access, the flue is cleaned from below with flexible rods.
3. Inside the stove In a tiled stove soot collects at the bottom of the bends. The soot is removed through the cleaning doors, and afterwards the doors must be sealed again.
4. Certificate The certificate states the property, the location and description of the channel, and a statement on the result of the work.

A stove with masonry mass is cleaned once a year, by 1 November. A wood-burning cooker without masonry mass and a metal stove are cleaned once more during the heating season, between 1 November and 1 March. Because this is an apartment building, a certificate is needed after every cleaning. More on the stove itself: tiled stove cleaning.

Replacing a stove in a flat and Riga heat supply zones

Riga rules on heat supply divide the city into three zones. In zone I, when the type of heating changes, no new solid fuel or gas appliances may be installed, and in zone II no new solid fuel appliances may be fitted. Which zone your building is in can be seen on the municipal zoning map and in the GeoRiga layer.

In all zones an old appliance in a flat may be replaced with a new ecodesign appliance of up to 50 kW without changing the fuel. To get this approved, the application to the municipal Heat Supply Commission must include a technical condition inspection certificate for the existing appliance, the flues and the natural ventilation ducts. Photos or video and a drawing of the flue locations are attached to the technical condition inspection certificate. The appliance must then be registered with the Riga Energy Agency.

What is found most often in old buildings

• Cracks in the chimney in the attic, where the masonry has been heated and cooled for decades.
• Old bricked-up channels with soot left inside.
• A stove connected to the same channel as a gas water heater; this is not allowed.
• A crumbled chimney head and a missing crown slab, through which water runs into the channel.

Such damage is recorded in the certificate, and a damaged flue must not be used until it has been repaired. We assess repairs, such as rebuilding the chimney head, separately, and they are done only with your agreement and, if needed, the building manager's. Burning waste in a stove is banned in Riga in all zones. Painted pallets and construction waste wood also leave a lot of tar in the channel, so it is advisable to burn dry wood.

Courtyards, archways and parking

Grīziņkalns has dense courtyards, courtyard buildings and limited parking. Often the chimney can only be reached through an archway and the stairwell, and a courtyard building's roof is lower than that of the street-front building. In the request, write whether the flat is in the street-front or the courtyard building and whether the attic is accessible.