BROWNSTONER DIRECTORY LAUNCHES! The new Brownstoner Directory, a search-driven resource for everything from contractors to architects to brokers to lawyers, is now up and running. For more info, click here.

Forum Rules and Regs

Here's what's allowed on the Forum: Questions from readers about renovation, gardening, real estate and quality-of-life issues relating to home ownership; readers (not businesses) are also encouraged to post architectural salvage items for sale. Here's what's not allowed: Self-promotional posts by businesses of any kind, events postings, off-topic rants and cut-and-paste articles. Contractors and other service providers may respond to general reader questions or to specific negative reviews. Thank you. Update: Going forward, posts will now be reviewed by a moderator before getting posted to the Forum.

November 24, 2009

Sterling Place Buyers

My husband and I are looking for others who are buying at 122 Sterling Pl, a new condo conversion. We figured it would be beneficial to all of us if we could chat and learn a bit about each other. I read an old post from someone who was buying into this building so some of you are out there... If you want to connect, please email me at dawnk_333 at yahoo dot com.

It's Time To Par-tay!

Hey, you! Do you read Brownstoner.com? Do you like to party? Do you like to meet new people? Want to get a ridiculous X-mas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Winter Solstice gift? Wanna laugh at people's goofy childhood pics? Well, have we got the event for you! CobbleSnaps Productions proudly (ahem) announces the 2009 Brownstoner Holiday Party! The shindig will be held on Thursday, DECEMBER 3 from 6pm 'til we drop at The Bell House - 149 7th Street, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues, in Gowanus (or West Park Slope if you are a broker).

For this party, we ask that all attendees bring along one or two ridiculous/funny/useless gag gifts for our B'Stoner Holiday Grab Bag. Please do not spend more than one dollar per gag item. Get yourself on down to your local dollar store and pick out the silliest thing you see! Use your imagination and we are sure to have a grab bag full of fun/funny stuff!

We also ask that all attendees bring a goofy childhood photo of themselves to show around. We know that we aren't the only ones with embarrassing pics of big, fuzzy hair and glittery outfits! Give a laugh, get a laugh! Fear not, we won't be keeping your photos...we just want to laugh at you while you laugh at us :-)

Again, we will be getting down with our bad selves at The Bell House, located at 149 7th Street, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues. http://www.thebellhouseny.com/info.php To get there:
F, G or R TRAIN
9th Street & 4th Avenue stop. Walk down one block down to 3rd Avenue and turn right. Walk 2 blocks to 7th Street and turn left. We are down the block on the right side.
BUS LINES
The B37 stops on 6th Street and 3rd Avenue. The B77 and B75 stop on the corner of 9th Street and 3rd Avenue. The B71 stops on the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue."

No Elevator for a Week

The elevator in our rental building has been out of service for more than a week. As a result, we have had to climb 5 flights of stairs every day to walk the dog, go to work, go shopping etc. The building keeps promising that it will be be fixed "tomorrow" but it hasn't happened.

What rights do we have because of this? Can we withold rent or negotiate a reduction? Or does the building have no obligation to provide an elevator?

Thanks.

Painting/floors

I recommend roberto from H&E Painting He did some work for me and he is a knowledgable, good pricing and does quality work also he is in the sunset park area.

Button Identification?

I recently moved into a ~1900 rowhouse and found this oversized "button" near our old dumb waiter shaft. It extends through the wall to the other side. A friend who lives in a similar building has the same button, but it is not near any (extant) dumb waiter.

Can someone help us to identify this? Is it a call button for the dumb waiter, or for a servant? It's been painted over so many times at this point, it's hard to identify. Originally I thought it was an old, sawed off post!

Custom Glass Bottle 2.5 Liters

My girlfriend's mother had been holding a 3 liter bottle of cognac from Patras Greece for 25 years "until the day my daughter gets married". This bottle is well over 50 years old though. Over the weekend my girlfriend and I moved into our own place. That same day she also bought an Android phone with a rebate. I asked her mom to pass me an envelope to mail in the rebate. As she grabbed the envelope a small workout weight fell on the bottle and cracked it open spilling 0.5 liter of the cognac. She quickly grabbed the bottle and turned it upside down to prevent any more loss. I was wondering if I can find a place where they can create a custom 2.5 liter glass container to store the salvaged cognac.

November 23, 2009

Marble Fireplace

It'll be the death of me...

I am halfway through stripping an old marble firplace and cast-iron fire of the, who knows how many layers of paint.

Does anybody know how parts superglue to parts toxic lead paint they mixed back in the day?

Yours,

consumed by fumes.

One Brooklyn Litigation

Im looking for a recommendation for a top notch real estate litigation attorney. After several months of dealing with Spandrel Management, the company that runs, One Brooklyn, I've been unable to get any answer what so ever to a big issue I have. I bought a great apartment with an amazing manhattan view on the 4th floor. Unfortunately for me, the sponsor planted trees in the 3rd floor courtyard that are now blocking my view. I'd like to get a really great attorney and get this resolved as quickly as possible. Any reco's???

Need a Good RE Lawyer

Hello - can anyone recommend a good Real Estate Attorney? Our previous experience (on a now dead deal) was not great. Preferably someone who is familiar with deals that involve PMI or FHA financing.

Chores in Self-Managed Co-ops?

As part of our due diligence on a self-managed co-op, we learned that all tenants must do chores or be fined.

Chores ranged from taking out the garbage to sweeping the basement and boiler room to vacuuming the walk-up bldg, and are assigned on a rotating schedule. All required weekly work.

I've never heard of this before. I've heard of sharing taking-out-the-garbage duties, but nothing at this level. (To make it even more enticing: the maintenance is not exactly low.)

Is requiring tenants to do chores in co-ops common? I've researched it a bit and can't really find an answer. Would appreciate any insight; not sure if we are being naive or just bad citizens. Thanks.

Wood vs. Laminate Flooring?

We need to redo the floor for a v. large bedroom in our brownstone duplex which will be a rental for at least a few years, maybe permanently. Huge price difference between pergo and wood flooring, not sure it's worth it to do the wood for a rental -- what think? Do renters hate wood laminate, too? How much would it hurt if we decide to sell?

Buying a Used Apartment

Sorry if someone has already posted a link to this gem from the WSJ: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703683804574533633596413714.html#articleTabs%3Darticle

Quote: "There's nothing wrong with buying a condominium in a building that once housed rental apartments, as long as you keep two ideas uppermost in mind: First, you're buying a used unit, and second, you probably won't get a full picture of the building's defects until after you move in."

As opposed to buying in a new development...

House History

I've been doing a lot of research (on and off) on the history of our house. Most recently I went to the library to look up the original occupants of the house in the directories and on the census. The first owner of the house's occupation is listed in the directory first as a carver, then later as a designer (1899-1910). On the 1905 state census his occupation is listed as "shell carver". I think this must have been to do with woodworking, especially since his sons were carpenters, but does anyone know exactly what this means? I wondered if it might be to do with inlays in furniture? If anyone has any insight I'd be very interested in hearing it!

Wood Shutters

We've got a 1907 Renaissance Revival style house with a lovely bay. I would love to have
those old shutters put in, but I'm being discouraged by my contractor, who has pointed out
that the deep space in which the window is set (can't recall the proper word for this) is
quite irregular, and that I'm in for a heap of trouble getting them to fit properly. If anyone has
ever put salvaged shutters in, I'd love to hear about the trails and tribulations.

Toto Toilet Problem

I have three Toto toilets in my house - two of which are having the exact same problem. The toilets continue to run after I flush because the pink flapper doesn't completely cover the hole that the water exits the tank from. I have to reach into the tank and manually position the flapper over the hole to get it to stop running. Both toilets having this problem worked perfectly for the first year I owned them. Anyone have a fix for this or know whats causing it? I don't really want to have to pay a plumber hundreds of dollars if its something I can fix easily. Thanks.

Shellac on Brick Walls?

We want to finish the exposed brick walls and columns in our basement so that it is a cleaner and less dusty place. The brick was painted white a long time ago and there is dust that now accumulates at the bottom of each wall. Also, once in a while, a brick is totally exposed in places where it looks like the facing of the brick is completely gone (the brick is really crumbly and the dust is red there). We have had our handyman look at it and his suggestion was to scrub the brick down and then shellac it. That is what he did in our upstairs and it looks great. However, I'm concerned that the environment in our basement might be different. It's not that damp or humid, BUT for some reason the old paint did not stay on the walls. Any suggestions? Has anyone had bad/good experiences with "shellacking' brick walls? Can the brick breathe through it?

Pocket Door Hardware

We have original parlour pocket doors in need of hardware. Should installation be performed by a carpenter or a locksmith? Both the doors and the hardware are antiques and I want to make sure it is done properly. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Hard to Find Leak in Ceiling

I have a small leak in the ceiling of my dining room that is located in the extension of the brownstone. Above that ceiling is the extension's roof. My neighbor’s deck is located on top of that roof.

So far we have had two roofers in and they have been unable to determine the source of the leak. One roofer suggested pulling up part of the deck and patching the roof that is right over the leak. The other just looked at us and said “i have no idea, it could be anywhere. Pull up the deck and replace the whole roof “. Yikes. The roof is 16 years old and rubber. I don't know that either of these guys really know what they are talking about. Any ideas on what to do next? Is a roofer the right choice? Help...

Thanks

Bell House, Thursday, Dec. 3

IT'S A HOLIDAY PAR-TAY! Come on down to The Bell House and party with the posters and lurkers on Brownstoner.com!!!

Thursday, DECEMBER 3 — 6pm 'til whenever!

Come out and get a jump on celebrating the holidays! Don't be shy — we're hoping to see some new faces at this event!

Just to add to the fun—We're asking everyone to bring a gag or silly dollar store gift or two for the grab bag, and a funny picture from your childhood!

There is a 2-for-1 Happy Hour from 5 to 7 PM

149 7th Street, between 2nd & 3rd Avenues, in Gowanus.

http://www.thebellhouseny.com/info.php

From their website: "The Front(ier) Room is a comfortable 150-capacity lounge that is open seven days a week. Come on down and try one of our 12 draft beers, our refreshing cocktails or just sip down something from our large bourbon selection. Our food menu includes Dub Pies and our own delicious Kentucky Beer Cheese. The lounge is also home to our monthly events - "Flight Club" (craft beer & cheese pairings), triva/game shows and vinyl clubs (to name a few) and DJ dance parties. Don't forget to hit the photobooth and PacMan game!

F, G or R TRAIN
9th Street & 4th Avenue stop. Walk down one block down to 3rd Avenue and turn right. Walk 2 blocks to 7th Street and turn left. We are down the block on the right side.

BUS LINES
The B37 stops on 6th Street and 3rd Avenue. The B77 and B75 stop on the corner of 9th Street and 3rd Avenue. The B71 stops on the corner of 3rd Street and 3rd Avenue."

Seller is Missing in Action

We have a contract to buy a rowhouse in South Brooklyn, however, the seller has diappeared off the face of the earth. The seller has not returned calls or responded to notes left at the house by their own attorney or broker in over a month and they do not know what to do. Our interest rate lock is about to expire and it has been about 90-days since we signed the contract. Everything is in place to make the sale happen, we just need to locate the seller. To make matters worse, the seller's attorney claims he will not be able to return our deposit without the seller's permission. So, if the seller never turns up, we have to fight the court system to get our money back. Any thoughts, insights, or suggestions you might have would be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Our Closing Experience

We closed recently and there were some things that bothered me during the process. I’m wondering if anyone experienced similar things and have any comments.

Firstly, the actual closing event was like a zoo. People were talking over each other. It was super hard to hear whenever our lawyer was trying to summarize the gist of each document we were signing. What came through my mind was how could anyone concentrate on what they were doing. Is this the norm?

I had no idea the role of the title closer. I wish I had known about this and done a little more research. From what I can gather, the title closer is selected by our lawyer? At least our title closer seemed infinitely chummy with our lawyer. Ours kept getting my name wrong. They made a big deal about my husband’s name, penning in his middle initial as that got left off. Well, we have the official deed now and my name is incorrect. The last part of the first name is now listed as part of my lastname. I kept telling the title guy over and over that the hyphen meant the first two words were my firstname but I guess he still didn’t get it. How hard is this to correct and will there be implications later on when we go to sell? The mortgage is only in my husband’s name.

After all this mix up, we were told to write the closing guy $250…

The bank has the wrong escrow amounted listed for our real estate taxes. I found out later this number is given to them by the Title guy. Somehow the bank interpreted a quarterly tax amount to be an annual tax amount. That is a HUGE under-estimate. For some reason, our lawyer’s answer to this was to tell us to write a check for the upcoming Jan’10 payment to the Title guy and pay him an extra $30 to open this escrow account. I’ve since tried to alert the bank but no one seems overtly concerned. Telling me, the computer will self-adjust when it discovers this issue.

I HATED not getting the HUD statement until I asked for it from my lawyer. Even then, the document I got was half filled out and it was hard for me to check to be sure there weren’t any bogus amounts. He kept telling me I wouldn’t understand the amounts and that things were not finalized yet.

The bank’s lawyer. At the closing I asked why there was a charge of $150 for wire transfers that did not show up in the GFE the bank had give me. The bank’s lawyer told me they were “allowed” to charge up to that amount for that service. My lawyer looked at me and told me that a GFE was only an estimate. I was so frazzled that I didn’t think to call up the bank’s loan officer to double check. Afterwards, I did call the bank and they said, the bank’s lawyers weren’t suppose to charge that. When I asked about getting the $150 back, the bank said they couldn’t take any responsibility for that since the dealings were directly between us and the bank’s lawyer. I found this really odd since THEY picked the lawyer and THEY made us deal with him. Does this sound right?

Aside from my incorrect name on the title, I realize these might be little things but this house was a huge deal for us. I wish I had found better guidance about closing day… Its bothered me a bit since and I’m eager to hear your thoughts on this stuff..

Woodworking tool shop in NYC

Does anyone know any woodworking tool shops in NYC? I need a Japanese saw, some good quality countersink bits and some specialty screws for this weekend, so I can't order over the internet. I've already checked out the hardware stores like Homedepot, and they don't sell these kinds of things. Any ideas? I'm in Manhattan.

handyman/electrical

can any reccommend a handyman who can do small electrical jobs? i need a lighted bathroom cabinet replaced, ceiling fan replaced, and overhead kitchen lighting.

i can probably buy the products myself but need someone to put them in.

thanks.

Painting Contractors

I am also looking for a contractor to paint my new apartment. It's not huge, but a decent size apartment, the current paint is in good shape but I want some color. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Moving Companies in Brooklyn

Hi! I will be needing to hire a moving company for my upcoming move from Park Slope to Sunset Park. I will pack my own things and get my own boxes. Don't have too many large or delicate items but I don't want to move myself. Any recommendations or companies to avoid? Thanks.

Need to Refinish Wood Floors

Hi! I am moving soon into my first owned apartment (Sunset Park) and will need to refinish the wood floors in three rooms. They are in good condition but have been covered by carpet for some time. Any suggestions?
Thanks.

November 22, 2009

Federal-Style Brick Townhouse

I'm looking at buying a federal-style townhouse in Cobble Hill that has a brick front facade and was built in the late 1800's. As part of the renovation I would do, I'd like to have exposed brick on the interior of the party walls but the current walls have a plaster interior surface and I don't know what is behind the plaster. The seller doesn't know either. Does anybody know if the perimeter walls of buildings of that style/vintage were normally constructed of brick? If yes, does that normally mean that I could strip the plaster off the interior of the party walls and have exposed brick?

Sunset Park Pier

i was just taking photos of the sunset at 52nd st and the water (lovely). There is a pier there that was unlocked, and a man was wandering around on it. He informed me that this was all "private land" owned by the sanitation department, and that I was not allowed on it. I was actually standing on a public road. This man, who looked in his early 50s and who, presumably, worked for the sanitation department, was wearing a very clean leisure suit and sunglasses. I was a little surprised that the sanitation department employed guys like this who were sort of working on Sunday afternoon making sure that no one was taking photos of sanitation department property. Anyone else had similar anecdotal experiences? Like, still, in 2009?

Bed Bugs!

With all the threads about bed bugs lately…. I wanted everyone to know that Dr. Oz devoted ½ of his Friday show to preventing, detecting, & disposing of those annoying creatures. Perhaps you can view his show on-line?

Yellow Pine Double Doors

Original yellow pine double wooden doors (107”high x 60”wide). In great condition, removed from renovated brownstone. $3000 or best offer for both. Contact Paul at prlegendre@hotmail.com or 718 864 0799.

Co-op with Noisy Boiler

My friend bought a coop, and has discovered that the boiler the floor below is extremely noisy, with a loud buzzing sound which happens every hour or so. The owner who sold the coop signed a clause stating that there were no noises and such. Does my friend have legal recourse? And if not, how should he troubleshoot this problem?

Smelling Gas fr Riser Heat Pipe

i wouldn't expect to be smelling gas emanating from a riser heat pipe (from a steam heat system), but I do. is there, in fact, trace amounts of gas in a steam heat pipe? and perhaps there's a leak? my land lady is horrible and before issue a complaint, i want to know what i'm taking about.

November 21, 2009

No Water in Apt

Ok, I am here looking for some urgent help in regards to my situation before I make my next move. I am a single mother with living with a 12 y/o old in Bklyn. Our apt has been without any water since Friday morning. The landlord did not give any notice whatsoever that the water would be turned off for repairs. There are three other tenants besides myself. The apt has steam/radiator heating and since the water is turned off, there's now no heat.

The mgmt company has no emergency number and I have sent them several emails and left several msgs. They will not be back in until Monday for business. At this point, I am at a loss and trying to decide if I should go to a hotel and deduct the cost from next month's rent. I asked the other tenants and no-one received noticed that the water would be turned off all week end. What are my options?

I've called 311 and was very surprised to see an code enforcement inspector the same night (friday night). They are unable to make contact with the mgmt co.

No Insulation in Walls?

Me again, related question. I just drilled a hole in one of the exterior walls of my extension (which is about 10 degrees colder than the rest of my house) and didn't see or feel (when I poked my finger in) anything fluffy or fuzzy like insulation. Instead, I felt a breeze on my hand and saw a metalic reflective material about an inch away from the sheetrock-- this can't be some sort of insulation, can it? Is insulation always soft and near the sheetrock? If the metallic material is insulation, would I have felt the draft when I made a hold in the sheetrock?

For context, I just bought a house that was newly rehabbed, but have already seen some shoddy work and am slightly wary...

Thanks!

Roofmate - Exterior Insulation?

While researching for relatively painless methods of insulating my freeeeezing extension, I came across the following product, available at a supplier in LIC: http://building.dow.com/na/en/products/insulation/roofmate.htm

Basically, it's exterior insulation that's placed upon existing roof membranes and weighted down with ballasts or pavers. Seems kind of too good to be true, given that getting a professional to blow in insulation seems to be the standard. Anyone have any thoughts or experience?

PS Internet/Cable Providers

Moving to Park Slope in a few weeks and wanted to get the lowdown on the best way to go for high-speed internet and cable TV providers... got any reccomendations? I have seen the competing Verizon Fios and Opt Online Triple Play ads, but not sure if those are even available in the 11th St/5th Ave area. Any advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Bed Bug Update

I posted last week about a possible bed bug problem. I had found one bed bug but no other signs and wasn't sure whether to treat, or wait. I got very conflicting responses as to whether it was one long bug, or whether I should definitely treat.

Anyway, I had "Killer Queen" (recommended by another poster) come to inspect. And I can proudly say that (much to his surprise) he declared us bed bug free! So it was actually just one lone bug crawling on my couch. It cost $300 for the inspection, but for the peace of mind, it was definitely worth it! Thanks for all the advice.

Cost to Install New Thermostat

I have a steam heated 3 family. The heat works fine when it's on but the thermostat doesn't seem at all sensitive. Either I put it up over 70 and it comes on, or I have to drop it below 60 to turn off--regardless of what the temp is outside. I may want a programable one. What does this cost to install? Thanks.

Manufactured Home Laws

I was wondering if anyone knows what the laws are for manufactured homes/trailers in Brooklyn?
I have the opportunity to rent an empty lot next to my business and I was wondering if it would be possible to put a trailer on the lot? The area is zoned M1 right now but in the process of changing over to R6.

November 20, 2009

Department of Consumer Affairs

Anyone file a complaint against a contractor with the department of Consumer affairs and go through the hearing process? Anyone know what to expect? have any tips? Greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Plaster Cornice Molding

I have about 200 feet of plaster cornice molding. Available for $5 a square foot.

Cherry Library $3000

This is a custom built Library. It is made of Cherry Wood. It was commissioned but never installed. It is ready to be installed and finished.

Great Electrician

I wanted to recommend an electrician that we used to rewire our 4 story 2 family brownstone. His name is Sal, and he's at LB Electric. His cell is 917-627-9903.

When deciding on an electrician, I believe I called between 10-15 of them and got quotes from at least 6 or 7. I called many of the recurring recommended electricians from this site, as well as a few other local electricians that I found through google searches or just from walking around my neighborhood. I wanted to go with someone who was local because the closer they are the better, in my mind.

I found LB Electric by googling online. Sal's quote was by far the most reasonable. For example, his quote was 30,000 less than the highest quote I got (from one of the electricians who was recommended on this website). He gave me some corporate references for building companies that he's done work for. They all checked out.

We are nearing the end of our project now - installing fixtures - and his work has been top notch, he has been reliable in showing up, and he's done a lot of arguably extra things for us, suffered through some contract changes, and had a wonderful attitude the whole time. There were a few mistakes in the way the switches were wired by his employees, but they are fixing those now. Some of the boxes weren't installed totally straight but he's also fixing those. (Happily and without attitude or anger, which is a big plus in my opinion). He is very friendly and spends a lot of time personally making sure the job is right. I am posting him today because we thought that one of the workers dislodged some electrical piece that made our boiler stop working. We then got power to the boiler, but it wasn't turning on. I called Sal who said he'd come over to fix it. It turns out it wasn't an electrical problem, but somehow, another person (don't know who) had turned off the water supply to the boiler. Sal fixed it for us, free of charge and happily and said "Hey, you don't need to call a handyman! I used to fix boilers." Last week, he took me to a lock wholesaler in the neighborhood because I had been having a hard time finding the right kind of electric lock for us. He waited at the store and helped me select one, and then got me a discount through his account with them. I have NEVER met a contractor who has been so nice, thorough, and reliable as Sal. I'd firmly recommend him to anyone.

If you have questions, I can try to respond to this post.

Dryer Venting Help

Hello, I live in a 24 unit converted to condo building where the sponsor did a dodgey job when installing our washer and dryers in the '80's. Half the units have gas and half have electric. NONE OF THEM ARE VENTED. Does anyone know the legal code for gas and electric? Right now, some units with electric have vent buckets, but I don't think that is enough. Obviously, gas is completely illegal, but we aren't sure who to fix the situation. WIll we have to put vents out into the fresh air on the roof? How are the self venting dryers? Are they up to code and will not pose a health risk or fire? Any help or websites would be greatly appreciated.

severe dammage by tenants

I need a bit of help. The 3rd floor tenants are rent controlled.They rigged up a shower back in the past with out the consent of the previous landlord. I asked them to put up a shower curtain they did not The water damage ran all the way down to the basement causing the repair of joist @ 14,000. We,incidentally thought the leak was from a toilet that the previous landlord...however it was from their rigged up shower. Appertly the leak has gotten even worse. I had closed of my kitchen cabinets when I opened one to get a glass I discovered the cabinets were filled with black Mold and the wood was totally destroyed. I am now facing having to gut my kitchen (which I don't have the money for and having to repair their bathroom and do mold containment. I frankly want them out or at least held accountable for their destruction. I figure another 10,000. bringing up the cost to 24,000. Can I do this with out a lawyer...our lawyer is fairly expensive and they are rent control. HELP!

metal fence patch work

Can someone recommend a local salvage yard where I may find several feet of metal fencing for a fence patch job?

The fence is nothing special. It was built in 1970. I share the fence with both neighbors. It need not match, but it should be similar.

I get the feeling that I'll need to go with new fabrication, but I'd rather recycle if possible.

thanks all

How to Paint Stoop?

The landing and steps on my stoop made out of concrete and painted in brown colour. It has a few minor leaks so I want to repaint and reseal the surface. What should I use to seal it?

thanks

Martin Brandwein?

Has anybody ever worked with architect Martin Brandwein? All feedback is appreciated.

Heating Issues

Hi all,

I have a question about my heating system. In the past couple of weeks or so, I've noticed that my gas heat randomly turns on and off despite my thermostat settings.

For example, last night it went on when my apartment was approaching 70 degrees and the thermostat was set at 50 or below. It's hard to hear it turn on, but I heard some bubbling and the radiators were warm to the touch and emitting heat.

What could be causing this? I have a very new boiler but an old thermostat. Do I need a new thermostat, or could it be a problem with the boiler and/or its connections to the radiators?

Also, any recommendations for a type of thermostat (and a good contractor to install it) if I were to get a new one?

Thanks for any help!!
-C

Gas Heat -- Random Start/Stop