December 26, 2005

Holiday Hiatus

Please do not email any more forum questions until January 6.
Thanks.

Rust Build-Up in Toilet

I started noticing some rust streaks in my toilet bowl recently, and I decided to take a look inside the tank. As expected, there was significant rust build-up inside the tank, and I tried to scrape as much off with a sponge as possible. I made some progress, but the rust streaks still appear in the bowl-- almost every day I have to scrub them off. Is there any sort of treatment that I could add to the water in the tank that would help break down the rust? About a year ago I bought one of those toilet kits from a hardware store and replaced all of the little parts (because they were covered in rust) so I am not sure how to keep this from happening...

Any suggestions on cleaning the tank and/or preventing this kind of thing in the future is much appreciated!

Relocating a Staircase

Does anyone have any experience on relocating an entire staircase from the 4th floor to the 2nd floor of a brownstone? If so, how much should I expect to pay,etc.? Any advice?

This relocation is to allow privacy between our tenant's apartment and our duplex apartment.

Decreasing C of O

Has anybody ever revised their c of o downwards? I have a "legal 4" but will be living in as a one family. thanks for insights on tax, fire escapes,insurance, etc!

Gold Leaf Address Painting

I'm interested in finding someone who can paint our street number in gold leaf in the glass transom above the front door.

December 23, 2005

Shutter Knobs

I recently had my parlor shutters dipped. They came out great (props to Michael and Jennifer at Big Apple Stripping), but I want to replace the knobs and I’ve had trouble finding new ones. The original knobs are “males”, meaning the screw is already attached to the knob (kind of like a giant thumbtack) so the screw part doesn’t go all the way through the shutter and doesn’t have to be fastened on the other side of the wood. It seems that today all knobs are 2-piece “females” so I’d have to drill through the shutter. I’ve looked at Home Depot, Ikea, on-line, etc. but no one knows where to get “male” knobs. Has anyone else found them?

December 19, 2005

Clinton Hill Sublet Near Pratt

SUBLET: January 15 til February 28, 2006
Large, sunny floor-through apartment available. 850-square feet, 1 bedroom, located in Clinton Hill/Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Modern Danish furnishings, great artwork, newly renovated kitchen, huge bathroom. Near DeKalb: all restaurants, shops, etc. Convenient to public transportation (A/C and G trains).

6 weeks: $1,000; 4 weeks: $750.

contact: bronwynkeenan@yahoo.com

Engineer Needed

I am considering purchasing a brownstone in Bed Stuy. I need to get an engineers inspection. I would appreciate any recommendations for a dependable, quality engineer in BK. Thank you.

DIY Instructor Needed

In February of 2006 and running once a month for four months, the Weeksville Heritage Center will begin a "Do it yourself/Home Improvement" Workshop Series for Adults. We are currently looking for one or more instructors to teach basic home improvement skills. We anticipate that the workshops will run approximately 4 hours and will cover the following topics: brownstone restoration, wiring, basic plumbing, basic woodworking. Instructors will be paid. Please contact me as soon as possible.
Sincerley,
Robin Cloud
Director of Preservation
The Weeksville Heritage Center
P.O. Box 130-120 St. Johns Station
Brooklyn, NY 11213
718.756.5250p. 718.756.5277f.
www.weeksvillesociety.org

Heatin Bill Sounds High?

We just moved into our 4 story brownstone this Fall and received our first winter heating bill. Do we have serious insulation problems or is this just the going rate for gas? For 50 days of hot showers, gas washer/dryer usage and 3 floors of heat (top floor unused) does $1300 sound reasonable? We've had a reality check.

Building Code on Wooden Beams

We're just moving into a co-op in a brownstone and planned to expose the beams with sheetrock and insulation between the beams. Unfortunately after we had already ripped up the ceiling, the board reversed their approval stating a firecode violation Since we're on the ground floor with more than 2 floors above us, we can only have sheetrock around the beams. Any contractors or homeowners out there who can confirm?

Kitchen Contractor

I'm looking for a reliable Kitchen Contractor or Kitchen business whocan replace an older laminate countertop with a solid surface counter, an under-mount sink and 3 floor cabinets. I have a small kitchen with an L-shape counter. Located in Cobble Hill. I haven't been to Home Depot yet, but did visit a local Kitchen & Bath business, also a local handyman type. I feel like the 2 quotes I've gotten are high - maybe because this is not a large job. Any suggestions.

Interior Iron Railing

My apartment has a substantial loft balcony overlooking the main living area and the second bedroom. I'm looking for someone who can create and install an elegant yet simple iron railing. Can anyone recommed someone for this kind of work?

Wooden (non-landmark) Windows

We're going to be replacing the windows in our brownstone. We're not in a landmarked area, but we'd like nice wooden replacements. Our GC is recommending WeatherShield; they're supposedly about 20% less than Marvin. Are there any good comparisons between the two windows, or other brands we should at?

December 16, 2005

Chimney Flue Liners

So I've been reading alot about scams with chimney businesses. But what should a flue liner cost (installed) for a 3- story brownstone?

Natural Gas Water Heater

I'm looking to buy a natural gas water heater for a 3 family, four story brownstone with 4 bathrooms. Any thoughts on what capacity I need? I've heard conflicting information. One plumber told me an efficient 40 gallon heater would be enough, while another told me I shoul buy an 80 gallon tank. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Contractor Recommendation

I checked with my contractor and he was ok with me giving him some free advertising, so here goes:
His name is Teddy Karpowicz, and his number is 917-770-0300. Based on my first hand experience, I can say the following: First, he's got a hard-working, reliable crew. My job was a major renovation of a three story in Park Slope. They worked from September to February, pretty much straight, 6 days a week, 8am to 5pm. He usually had 5 guys there, and they showed up like clockwork. Secondly, he has licensed plumbers, electricians, and A/C people to recommend for the job. I paid those people directly, but they worked well together. I was fairly hands-on, in terms of talking to each of those sub-contractors on a regular basis, but that wasn't a problem. For smaller jobs, he can do the electrical/plumbing work himself, but consider the trade offs. Thirdly, his prices were very competitive, and even though there were some changes along the way, he didn't raise his price at the end. It was mainly a "pay as you go" system, where I paid in approx 5k increments, every week or two for the labor. As for materials, he paid for all "rough" materials, and I reimbursed him for that. For things like bathroom fixtures, lights, cabinets, I bought it myself, and the relevant people did the installation. Lastly, the quality of the work was very good. For things like skim coating, tiling, sanding, casing it was excellent. He also was able to repair some ceiling moldings where there was old damage. Some caveats: expect to be very specific in terms of how you want things done with as many details as possible. He will usually have good ideas, but you may not agree with all of them. I also had a licensed architect, which helped, though I had done a smaller job with Teddy once before where I didn't use an architect. If you get to the point of following up on references with him, I'd be happy to provide more details.
OE - oren2600@yahoo.com

Wood Restoration

I'm interested in having all the woodwork in a three story brownstone restored in bed stuy, e.g. door frames, doors, lower wall panels, stair banister etc. If anyone can suggest someone known to do real quality work at a reasonable price, I would appreciate it. Also, any suggestions or indications as to pricing would be appreciated, i.e, what would it cost to restore each detail??

December 15, 2005

Fireplace Material

Here's a picture of the fireplace that was discussed on December 11. Does this help identify the material?

Prospect Heights Brownstone Rental Unit

We are moving to a brownstone in Prospect Heights in February and hope to have the rental unit ready for tenants by March 1. Given that the house is gorgeous, 1.5 blocks from the Bergen Street subway (2/3), on a tree-lined brownstone block, and in top condition, and the unit has fireplace, skylight in bathroom, as well as a nice-sized kitchen and living space, do folks have any feedback on what we can ask for (and get) in rent? We were thinking around $1700. The unit does not have a private entrance -- tenants will have to pass through our parlor and second floor, so the privacy is somewhat comromised but we think the original details make up for it. In terms of pricing, we want to rent this right away -- we would rather ask for less and get a tenant than hold out for the person willing to pay more. So, question 1: Is $1700 too much? Question 2: We are planning to furnish the unit (likely with Ikea basics) as we don't want people trudging through the house with furniture. Thoughts on that?

December 14, 2005

Handyman & Snow Removal

Help Fort Greene/Clinton Hill....I am looking for 2 things. I need a handy man to help around the house and desperately need to find someone to shovel snow and de-ice sidewalk when I am away....Thanks in advance!

December 13, 2005

Tips for Parking Attendants

We park our car at the Love Lane garage in Brooklyn Heights and are faced with the prospect of Christmas gifts for all the employees - at least the guys that park and bring down our car whenever we need it. This is our first Christmas at this garage. Any advice on tip amounts? Thanks.

Snow Removal

Anyone know of any service that removes snow in Park Slope? Looking for someone to come shovel and de-ice the steps, entry paths and sidewalk in front of my house while I’m away.

Getting Screwed by a Contractor

My contractor recently walked off my job (partial but substantial reno). I had paid him $20k of a projected $33k job ($10k upfront, $10 after 1 week). He only did 4 days of work on a projected 3-week job; mostly demo and the world’s worst paint job in one room. He’s claiming he is entitled to keep $15k. His side of the story is I had too many change orders; some truth to that (I’m a newbie) but overall not really. We didn’t have a formal contract; just a skimpy printed estimate and receipts for payment. I know this all sounds shaky but he’d done a big job for a friend so I figured that’s how they operate and that would be fine.

I’d appreciate any advice on (1) our relative legal positions and (2) my options. Would appreciate any info on: (1) good sources of free info (websites, govt), (2) name and # of a lawyer who handles this type and size of dispute regularly & how much such a lawyer would charge, (3) is any NYC agency of any use (I think there’s complaint board against contractors). Does the contractor’s position depend on whether he’s properly licensed or not?

Thanks in advance.

December 12, 2005

All Borough Chimney and Fireplace

We're about to hire All Borough Chimney & Fireplace to repair our two fireplaces (as well as repair the chimney) in our Victorian Flatbush home. Has anyone used them (the guy's name is Johnny)? Thanks.

Demolition Company

I'm looking for a reputable company, large or small, to haul away some demolition debris. I'd rather take this route than container rental, but I don't want to use some guy who will throw it in an empty lot. Any recommendations and how much should I expect to pay?

Best Roofing Technique?

We are looking to have a new roof installed on our brownstone and have met with a number of roofers. All the lower quotes use the torch down method as opposed to the adhesive method. We've heard about torching down on wood frame houses are now illegal but are confused as to why most roofers we've had come out bid on torching down a rubber roof. In terms of effectiveness and durability, do torched down roofs work just as well as adhesive based roofs? Has anyone else gone through a similar dilemma?

Vintage Stove for Sale

I have a funky, vintage stove for sale. Best offer takes it.
Contact: joecharupakorn@earthlink.net

Painter Rec needed

Can anyone please recommend a reasonably priced NEAT painter for my Park Slope parlor floor. Someone who removes switch plates, covers light fixtures and woodwork, puts down drop cloths and doesn't disappear for days at a time in the middle of the job? I have been having a terrible time finding a good painter.

Forced Air

We've had our brownstone in BedStuy since last winter. It has a forced air furnace from the late sixties that seems to be working fine. There is a Skuttle 600-B humidifier system with it's own water line mounted on the side of the furnace. The fibrous wafers (I forget the real term)* that stand in the tray have long disintegrated. Anybody know how to find replacements for these? And should we bother? Do central humidifiers really work? Thanks.

*Oh yeah, they're called plenums, I'm pretty sure.

December 11, 2005

Fireplace Material?

We just finished removing about 100 layers of paint from one of the fireplaces in our home. It revealed a fireplace made of a medium green stone/slate which is not marbled in appearance. Can anybody venture a guess as to what type of material this may be? Also, how should it be maintained? Thanks.

Architect Fees for Extension

I am planning on adding an 3 story extension on to my 3 story brownstone. My architect works with an expediter who has quoted us 10K to file the paperwork and permits. I also understand he will be dealing with the changes needed to be done to the C of O. Does anybody know if this sounds reasonable or crazy expensive? Thanks.

Flat Screen Hung on Wall

I'm looking to have flat screen hung on the wall, as well as have all the necessary wiring run out of sight and all that. Anybody have experience with anyone who has done this kind of work? Mostly, I'm interested in someone who is familiar with the delicate qualities of hundred year old plaster walls, but also can do a nice neat A/V wiring job. Thanks.

Garden Floor Kitchen Layout

I would love to hear your ideas for your favorite garden floor kitchen layout. I know, I know lots of people put it on the parlor floor these days, but we want to keep it on the garden level. We hope to put in a pantry of some sort and get in as much light as possible in the rear of the bldg. Thanks in advance for any advice you may have.

December 9, 2005

Garden Prep

When's a good time to start thinking about working on my garden? I've been in my house about a year and haven't done anything in the back yard. I was thinking about doing something in the spring, but wasn't sure if it made sense to start looking for a landscaper, etc. in the winter when they may have more time to draw up plans, etc. Additionally, if people have specific references, that would be great. I want to do something nice, but not spend an outrageous amount. Any guidelines on range of costs I might expect?

Amount for a Gut Reno?

I remember reading in the ny times on the 2 men that bought a Bedford stuy brownstone and totally gutted it (and it was in such bad condition) and they only did it for about $300k. I’ve been seeing some brownstone houses on the market that do need work (some more than others) but people are telling me about more like $400-500k is needed. If it’s a 17x35 brownstone with 3 floors similar to the 2 men’s house… with rewiring needed, floors redone and probably total renovation of kitchen and bathrooms… can all this be done with $300k or less? I know it depends on the company and also the materials too but just wanted to get some opinions out there.

Do I Need an Architect?

I'm looking to do a gut renovation of an 1,100 s.f. apartment in an 1870s building. I have ideas to change the layout a bit, maybe even try to move the kitchen, but nothing major structurally. The place is in bad shape - sloping floors, sketchy electricals, no right angles anywhere. An architect quoted me $5,000 to do plans and help with design elements and $1,500 to file papers and expedite. Does this sound like the type of job that requires an architect?

Tin Pipe in Fireplace?

A small emergency. I opened up our closed living room fireplace during this year. Inside were bricks cemented together and a rusty tin/ metal pipe on the left side of the fireplace that goes up presumably into the chimney. I am not sure what this pipe does, but I went ahead and assumed it was the exhaust flue from the heating boiler and water heater that is right below in the basement and decided not to touch it but to just chip the bricks around it so as to have a better view and more space in the fireplace to light candles, etc. The first brick that I removed this am, revealed that the front of the tin pipe was cut away at the bottom and not whole as I had assumed. I am also not sure if the pipe actually connects with the boiler downstairs, since it appears that the boiler flue goes back into the chimney from the basement/ ground floor and that this pipe is in the fireplace which is in front of the chimney in the parlor floor. I also turned on the boiler and lit incense sticks near the flue to see if the incense found its way through the boiler flue into the pipe upstairs (assuming still that they might be connected in some way), but they did not. No fumes, heat or exhaust escaped this (now open/ cut away) pipe, neither did the carbon monoxide detector go off. What is this pipe? Can I safely remove the bricks around it (maybe that could expose more of the cutaway section of this pipe)? Is this some kind of stove pipe/ exhaust? Has anyone had this sort of thing sitting in their fireplace? By the way, the fireplace has a flue at the back that goes into the chimney, so this seems unlikely to be the flue for the fireplace (it is also to one side and runs the full height of the fireplace).

Roofer Needed

can anyone recommend a quality roofer with as cheap rates for a 20' X
38' building in clinton hill. thanks for any info.

December 8, 2005

Tenant Who Doesn't Want to Leave

I recently purchased a three story limestone in BedStuy and against my lawyers advice, I allowed the existing tenant to stay. To further highlight my stupidity, I do not have a lease with the the tenant. I have given her a 60 Day notice but she does not want to move.

I am renovating the building and I do not see it as habitable during renovation and once the renovation is complete, I would like to occupy the entire home. I no longer have the desire to be a landlord.

Can anyone let me know what my rights are in this situation? Does anyone know a good attorney who can help me?

Painting Heat Risers?

Many of my heat risers (steam heat) have pealing paint and whenever try to repaint does not last more than year without problem occurring again. Anyone have suggestions - should they be stripped of paint? any bonding agent before painting? or special type of paint? I certainly don't want to paint the silver seen in many old apartment buildings.

Contractor Fraud

Susan Lee of Alpha Carpenting or LGC lists her details under the Plaster section of the Forum page on brownstoner. She is is not a real contractor. She recently tried to rip us off to the tune of $16,750 for skim coating and panting. She got away with $2,500 after pretending to work on our house for five weeks. We checked out her licence number when we became suspicious of her motives and discovered it belonged to a bankrupt second hand tire dealer. This can be verified with the Department of Consumer Affairs. We ended up calling the police to escort her and her equipment from the premises. Only after pointing out the illegality of trading under a fake license did she give us back half the $5k we gave her as a downpayment -- BEWARE.

December 7, 2005

Waterproof Membrane?

I've read in the Stanley "Complete Tiling" book that if you are going to tile in areas likely to get wet, like shower enclosures and bathroom floors, you need to install a waterproof membrane. The gentleman who is going to do my bathroom renovation seems to think this is newfangled nonsense, not needed if the tiles are well grouted. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Stove Restoration

Does anyone know where to get an old stove restored? The outside is chipped in places and it has the old light with a match (which scares me) no automatic pilot light. Would like to get it updated on the inside.

Most places are out of state, I live in Brooklyn, NY. Need a professional restorer in Brooklyn.

December 6, 2005

De-Icing Limestone and Brownstone

Given the inclement weather conditions, I'm curious about resources or thoughts on what de-icing chemicals to use on a lime/brownstone staris / stoop?

Repointing

We are attempting to repoint interior exposed brick ourselves. Any pointers on making this an easier or more effective process? We are finding it painstaking so far!

Changing C of O

I am in the midst of a gut renovation of 2 two stories of a 5 story brownstone. The C of O is 4 family, but it was and will be used as a three family (two duplexes and one floor-thru.) I am seeking advice as to whether it makes sense to apply to have the O of O changed from 4 to 3 family. My concern is that the renovation will trigger a new tax assessment, and the tax rate on 4 families is much higher than on 3 families. There was an article in the NY Times last year about people in brownstones getting annual tax bills of $25,000 or more after renovations. I am interested in advice on how difficult/expensive it is to make the change, whether there are other downsides I should consider (lower resale value?), or whether anyone knows if those new tax assessments are still happening (there was a lot of outrage at the time when it became more prevalent). I have also been told that there is a procedure to legalize the lower number of units with the buildings department, without actually changing the C of O. Does anyone know if legalizing the lower number of units would change the tax status, or is the tax category based strictly on C of O? And lastly, does anyone know of a real property/tax attorney who might know the definitive answer of this last question?

Geothermal Heating and AC

Hasanybody tried to install geothermal heating & ac in Brooklyn brownstone ?

Fixing Bathroom Leak

We have a couple of water spots in our parlor room that we can only assume are coming from the bathroom that is located immediately above the parlor. The bath is in major need of a reno, but we have been putting it off for time and money. Does anyone know if leaks like this can be fixed without undergoing a thorough reno, or could recommend a plumber/handyperson to take a look? I’d love to renovatethis bathroom but have not had luck with any contractors, and worried that fixing the leak will just keep getting deferred.

Rear Extension Cost

I am considering in buying a 2 family frame house in edge of park slope/gowanus area and after seeing it with a gc, it is is very good condition. However, would like to put an extension in the back to with about 10-12’ back from existing house for an additional bedroom for ground floor rental. My gc advised it wouldn’t cost much more to build a full extension 2 more stories up. does anyone know if that’s true? building a single level foundation on garden floor (which probably means excavating in the back a little) vs. building a full 3 stories up?

Precision Flooring

Has anyone used Precision Flooring (409 E 57TH ST, BROOKLYN (718) 629-9589)? We got an estimate from them for some parquet floor repairs, and while we're fairly confident they'd do a good job, their estimate was MUCH lower than Verrazano.

Storm Window Replacements

We have the storm window frames but the actual storm panes/panels are
missing from our windows. Can anyone recommend a replacement company?
Thanks!

December 5, 2005

Building Underground Parking

Can anyone tell me what the zoning and building codes say about building an underground parking facility in Park Slope? If the land is zoned R6B, is it possible to dig three or more stories below ground to provide parking for cars? If new building developments must provide a percentage of off street parking spaces, is there a limit to the number of extra spaces a developer can build before it becomes a commercial parking facility/garage?

Looking for an Architect

My boyfreind and I are joining two apartments, we found an architect who did work on the apartment upstairs but he is not very responsive. We need an architect to draw up plans for a door between the apartments and file this job as well as capping off the gas in the kitchen.

Does anyone out there know any responsive and responsible architects they can recommend for this job?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Looking for a Contractor

I have three apartments in a nice brownstone with many details. Would like to know if anyone has worked with a contractor that has done similar work

December 2, 2005

Shower Question

We have a standard brownstone bathroom at the top of the stairs with a lovely old claw foot tub but no shower. As our kids are getting older, we need a second shower. Does anyone know the best way to put a shower in this tub while still keeping the open feeling of just having a tub? I really don't want a shower curtain that hangs in front of the tub. If it can be kept along the wall, that would be ok but I don't know how that would be done.

Townhouses in Midwood and Sheepshead Bay

Does anyone have experience with townhouses built in parts of Flatbush, Midwood, and Sheepshead Bay, areas not traditionally known for brownstones? We are considering making a bid on an Rennaisance Revival 20x38 house, one of 4 in a short "row" on a block in an area that does not have any other attached residences (all the others are semi-attached and detached). It's not being marketed to us as a brownstone per se, but the facade and the interior layout looks strikingly likethe floor plans of the brownstones in the Slope. I can tell that there are a few nice details (brass fixtures and heavy wood doors) from days of old, but it would be wonderful to hear insights from others who have knowledge about buying brownstones in neighborhoods where they are less common. Is there reason to think that a brownstone built in deep southern brooklyn in 1899 would have been built more cheaply or with less care and detail? And does it feel odd to live in a rowhome when most of your neighbors have a different style of house?

C of O Panic

I am in C of O panic mode- seems that it was never filed with my renovation and I am about to sell my house. And I need a C of O- right? I was told that I need to have 2 hour rated walls around my boiler and a firedoor. Problem is that the area for the door is shorter ( 79.5"!) than the standard 80" size- anyone have ideas?

Radiators Needed

I am looking for five or six radiators to match existing ones in our home. I have the feeling the best place to get them is locally; any suggestions? Ours are 37 ½ “ high by 9” deep, and we need models with between five and eight baffles. All steam.

Many thanks….

Forum: December 2005