April 30, 2006

Enjo Architectural Millwork

Does anyone have any experience working with Enjo for the production/installation of double hung wood windows?

Thank you.

new construction cost p sq foot what-if

The only past post on this subject I can find is here:

Sooo.. On a 25 foot wide lot in (for example) clinton hill, costing 600k, with buildable FAR being 4500 square foot max, what ALL-IN construction cost can I anticipate for a two family vrick 4 story home that I can be proud to live in? All-in means ... not doing any of the GCing onself, getting a good architect and quality finishes.

If one duplex were sold off (2000 sq foot), can I guess that might cover construction costs of $250 a square foot, leaving one with a custom designed 2500 sq foot home for $600k, and a total project delay of one year?

Is that terribly optimistic?

thanks for any sage advice.

Rolled Fences

Does anyone know where one can purchase a rolled bamboo or willow stick fence here in the city? I know I can order them online but would prefer to shop in person. Thanks!

% Down on Construction Agreement?

Can anyone inform me of the average % a construction firm should request down upon signing a construction agreement? Would you think 40% to be unreasonable? Thanks!

Skim-coating

I would appreciate if anyone can inform me of the different levels of skim-coating, and which type is recommended?

Cornice Repair

We have a metal/tin cornice that has a hole in it. Can anyone recommend a metalsmith? Our waterproofer patched it, but didn't use a metalworker to fabricate anything that matches. The entire cornice is about 24' wide and the patched area is about 4' at one end. We need to match the top horizontal area. Thanks.

April 29, 2006

High Quality Marble

Has anyone worked with High Quality Marble in Brooklyn? would appreciate your experience. I stumbled across a post here and wanted to know if anyone else has worked with them.

April 28, 2006

New Solid Wood and Glass Entry dDoors

I would like to have a new set of doors made for my townhouse. The outside doors are the real deal the inside are some cheapies from? Any reccomendations for a person or compnay that can make new doors?

Also should I move the original doors back into the entry and have new front doors made. The orginal doors are a bit leaky/funky. ANy advice greatly appreciated.

Bluestone quality

Does anyone know how you grade bluestone??
Are rusted piece's of more, equal or less value??

Thanks

Bookkeeper recommendations??

I need a part-time bookkeeper to help me set up quickbooks and also regularly input info (reconcile bank statements, etc..). I have 7 rental apts and have gone too long without having things really organized..ack! If you know someone (or wish to contact me directly), pls e-mail me at catherine.gattoverde@gmail.com

Reassemble Marble Mantle in pieces

Have a beautiful marble mantle that was saved from a Manhattan brownstone that was under a gut reno. Unfortunately it was removed in pieces. Any suggestions on who can re-assemble it and install? I have a photo of what it looked like originally assembled.

What price CG brownstone in good condition

yeah i know, flame for not being specific, but here is the thumbnail description:

union st around smith st, 4 floors, two rentals over owners duplex.

No work needed except cosmetic in one rental. Not wide at 17 foot by 40 foot on 100 foot lot, with top quality basement (dug out and proofed and sump pumped). Good garden and extras, celings not oppressive in garden level. Big windows lots of light good layout.

About 3000 sq feet.

Is 600/per sqft (almost $2m) common in carroll gardens, or is this spring madness and/or the last gasp of the bubble before rates hit 7% and freak everyone out?

Condop Nightmare

Our coop in Park Slope is above a commercial space (a Realtor, big surprise) so we are in a "Cond-Op" situation. The owner of the commercial space is, in technical terms, a complete a-hole. He hasn't paid his piddling maintenance regularly in years, and when I approach him about it, he says "You need to do this and that for me" before he
will pay. The coop got lawyers involved once already and put a lien on him for back maintenance of 6K, which he finally paid. With the legal fees however, it was basically a wash. Now we're in the same
situation with him in arrears, and us not knowing what to do. We still have the lien in place, but it doesn't seem to impact him at all.

Are you aware of any resources or muscle we could use to get him to pay up?

Thanks,

PS. Half kidding about the muscle

5 Tips for hiring a tile contractor

We've had so many problems with our bathroom tile that something positive has to come out of it, so here are some tips to help you all can avoid the same problems. Keep in mind that this info applies to tile for a tub/shower surround. A place less subject to moisture won't need as much water-proofing, obviously.

Before hiring a contractor to do your tub/shower tile, ask him/her the following:

1) What does s/he recommend for the wall? Concrete backerboard (CBU) (most pros say Wonderboard is better than Hardiboard) is strongly preferable to greenboard, which is essentially drywall.

2) Does s/he typically use some kind of waterproof membrane/vapor barrier, either under or on top of the backerboard? If not, find a new contractor.

3) What does s/he use to bridge the gaps between boards (and there should be small gaps)? Be suspicious if s/he says anything other than thinset mortar and CBU or fiberglass tape. A few pros use mastic because it's easier (stickier) for hanging tile but it's also less waterproof than thinset. That said, there may be certain high-end brands -- or particular applications -- where mastic is useful.

Continue reading "5 Tips for hiring a tile contractor"

mortgage rates on 3 families

Are there special conditions on obtaining mortgages on COO 3 family homes, even if it will be used as a 1 family, and is it normal to charge higher rates on that sort of mortgage? Is anyone aware of lenders who are flexible on that and willing to treat the mortage the same as for a 1-2 family? Are there strategies to get around the COO issue (other than not borrowing)?

Type of trade?

I am interested in having a spigot installed in my Brooklyn backyard. What type of trade handles this type of work? Does it have to be a plumber or can a regular handyman take it on? Thanks

April 27, 2006

Anonymous Postings

I was wondering how people on this site handle recommendations made by anonymous posters...I'm not sure if there's any other system possible, but it seems to undermine a recommendation. Of course you need to do your own vetting/interviewing, but I think half of a recommendation is being able to tell the service person you're calling who recommended you. And the obvious concern is that service people are "recommending" themselves. Any advice? Thank you!

stripping exterior door frame

My 1910 row still has the original wood frame around the outside of the door, but the detailing is mostly obscured by layer upon layer of cracked, horrible-looking paint. I chipped some of the paint away, and the wood is in very bad condition. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced person to strip and sand around the door--and access accurately whether it is even worth trying to restore??

Ceiling Murals

My townhouse in Park Slope has painted murals on the parlor and dining room ceilings. I am in the process of having them restored, and now that they are clean, it is clear that they are extremely well done. I am interested in finding out who might have been the original artist, but am not sure how to find out this information, or if it's even possible. The house was built around 1900. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Ave Home Gas Prices

What do you spend a month on natural gas bills to heat your home & hot water. I use natural gas for a hot water radiator system and for hot water - seems like I'm running about $2,200 a month during the winter, which seems like its almost double what prior owner paid last year. Thanks.

Recommendation: Repoint Back Wall

Appreciate recommendations for someone who will do a very good job repointing back brick wall of house. Back wall has black tar in several areas. Water comes through at certain points. Want someone good as am told for example that many guys just slap it on with their finger instead of using the tool the leaves the mortar in a concave shape with respect to the surface of the bricks.

skylight recommendations please

I need to replace the interior glass pane in my skylight (not the chickenwire glass on the roof). Does anyone have a recommendation, and a ballpark figure for price? Thanks.

Best place ot order glass door?

I need to order a glass door to replace a window. The door will be opening up unto our new deck. I'm looking for good/reasonably priced places to order the door...
Thanks!

April 26, 2006

need inspection and attorney

i had a bid accepted on a brownstone this week and need to have it inspected and have a contract drawn up. Called some reccommended inspectors and the lowest price was $750. can anyone suggest a good inspector that may be more reasonable. Also look ing for a good attorney.

old wood floors rehub - your opinions

We have an old wood floors on the second floor of our brownstone- some splits and some not really nice looking imperfections.
I had this idea to improve overhead noise situation to put plywood subfloor under this floor. Also, we will be able to put new floor in one of the smaller rooms and use this extra wood to replace the most damaged planks.

My brother in law did a lot of floors and he agreed to do this job for us. What do you think about this idea?
We are starting conversion process and will sell this apartment and we want to add value not reduce value as a result of this floor project.

Seeking a Gut Rehab General Contractor

Hi all,
I'm preparing to do a gut reno on a four story, three family townhouse and I was wondering if anyone can provide recommendations for a general contractor. Design is underway and it's time to start the bidding process. While my architect will bring some recommendations, I wanted to consult the experts on this site!
Thank you!

exterior lighting: at entrance, at back

In renovating our South Slope brownstone, it occurred to me that the 70s opaque glass ball lamp above the main entrance wasn't going to cut it anymore. Anyone have any ideas about good lighting fixtures for brownstone entrances? I've been looking for examples while walking around the neighborhood and haven't seen any keepers or inspiration yet. I'm also trying to go for something more anonymous or understated than oldy-timey.

Also, any suggestions for exterior lighting (for a deck off of the rear parlor kitchen) also welcome.

stripping shutters

What is the best way to strip paint off of shutters? They have one layer of white paint on one side the other is the original stain and varnish.

Baby Proof Sprial Staircase

Hello, We have the opportunity to rent a beautiful bi-level apartment in the Parlor Level of a Brownstone. The only hesitation is the that there is a wrought iron spiral staircase that leads to the second floor. Is there any way that this can be baby proofed? Gates at the top and bottom are not accpetable. Our daughter is 2 and we have another one on the way. Thanks, Lisa

Insurance help

We are being dropped by Allstate. Can anyone recommend an insurance company that will accept our application despite previous claims?

Is Park Slope annoying?

I would like an unruly debate about whether Park Slope has become a bastion of feckless yuppies or a sesame streetesque utopia...Any thoughts?

mansion tax- cap gains

capital gains i believe i have straight as up to 500k for joint filers living 2 years or more if the home is primary res- what is the rate that the rest of the money will be taxed? also, how does the mansion tax work? awaiting a call about all this but thought maybe i could ask here too. basically trying to estimate our costs if we decided to sell our house.

sash replacements vs new windows

Am getting estimates for new windows in landmarked district. They have to be wood. One company said I would need all new windows on the front of the house; another company said I might be able to get away with sash replacements and repairing the existing brick mold. Any thoughts about the pros and cons of each? New windows are obviously more expensive and require the removal of the iron grilles outside, both of which I'd rather avoid. Also the company offering sash replacements said that to put new windows in they would have to cut the interior molding, which is currently in good shape and I'd rather not see damaged. What would be the negatives of sticking with sash replacements, if Landmarks will approve them? Thoughts please...

Landscaper Suggestions for Park Slope?

Hello - I need to completely redo my backyard in park slope townhouse - and have no idea who is good, what it'll cost, etc. Can anyone help me?

How much money

I purchased my 3 story frame house plus full basement last year. I paid 800,000 for it- which considering how much work it needs, was top dollar for my neighborhood(I am in the landmark district of Greenpoint but my block is not landmarked-but the block is beautiful)- My question is, how to think about the practicality of sinking several hundred thousand dollars into it. I don't plan to move for a long time, so this is my home, but, I don't want to end up feeling like I've spent my money too unwisely- Houses in this neigborhood are primarily fixer uppers, and you just don't see the numbers here, that you see in south Brooklyn. Thanks for any opinions.

April 25, 2006

what about Bracci fence?

Brownstoner- Don't leave us hanging! What about Bracci Fence? Good price/product or no?

restoring stairs

The interior stairwell of our house has been painted thousands of times, and then covered with linoluem that when peeled reveals thick dried glue (and thick paint under)
How do I get back to the wood? Is that even possible?

Iron Gate ? - now with comments enabled (sorry)

Old Iron Gate -- worth any $ ?

During my recent renovation, my iron gate disappeared. The contractor says his workers threw it away. I'm trying to decide how much of an issue to make of this. My house is 100+ years old and though I don't know if the gate was original to the house, it was an old gate, and the same style as other gates on my block. I can't imagine why it was thrown away -- it was supposedly being repaired. Do old iron gates, decorative but not especially elaborate, have any monetary value?

FALLING WALL

Sorry for the double post, forgot to allow for comments
My neighbors adjoining wall has a huge bulge at the top of it (about 6 w x 3 h and 20 feet up the wall) that developed last October. I talked to the super of the building, who said he would notify the owner but as of today, there has been no work done on it despite repeated requests. I've already called the DOB to lodge a complaint, but they seem in no hurry to send out an inspector, despite the fact that the building seems to have 48 open violations dating back to the 80's. As the wall in question overlooks my garden, where my wife and child frequently sit, I'm pertrified that this wall might come down all at once on them. Does anyone think that I might have better luck with the Dept of Housing Preservation?

Skimming coating

What is avg per day cost for skimming coating and plastering an apt(600 sq ft)? Is $10,000 a high estimate? No damage to walls or ceilings, just need to get smooth finish.

NEIGHBORS WALL ABOUT TO FALL

My neighbors adjoining wall has a huge bulge at the top of it (about 6 w x 3 h and 20 feet up the wall) that developed last October. I talked to the super of the building, who said he would notify the owner but as of today, there has been no work done on it despite repeated requests. I've already called the DOB to lodge a complaint, but they seem in no hurry to send out an inspector, despite the fact that the building seems to have 48 open violations dating back to the 80's. As the wall in question overlooks my garden, where my wife and child frequently sit, I'm pertrified that this wall might come down all at once on them. Does anyone think that I might have better luck with the Dept of Housing Preservation?

Mantel tops for sale

Selling two Victorian mirrored mantel tops circa 1900 light varnish not painted. Excellent condition. Located Clinton Hill make offer 917-499-5858

Disposing of an old sink and toilet

Hi there,
I am about to replace the sink and the toilet in my new Carroll Gardens Co-op...can I just dispose of the old ones on bulk trash night or do I need to hire someone to take it away?

stripping by dipping

Has anyone made their own dipping vat to strip wood? If so how ?

roof insulation

what sort of energy savings have people been getting after insulating their brownstone roof especially for a 4 unit coop with forced hot air and no insulation in the top floor ceiling assembly? i just got a quote from federal conservation, and it seems very reasonable. i gather the top floor will be impacted the most, but is there a trickle down, since all our units are controlled by the parlor floor thermostat? however, i would rather not insulate on a floor by floor basis (between joists = $$$$). all our windows were replaced with insulated igus, and we could re-weatherstrip all exterior doors too. in the end given recent spikes in cost for heat, we are looking to conserve any way we can. anyone else with similar experiences? all comments welcome.

Respirator recommendation?

I need a quality respirator to do paint stripping, to clean our moldy basement, and to remove some old insulation. Any recommendations? I bought one that has solid respirator parts (AO Safety: Professional Respirator - 95050) but the damn head strap feels like it came out of a gumball machine. It broke when I put it on.

April 24, 2006

Forming a Block Association

I'm looking into forming a block association for my block. Does anyone have any tips or pros/cons they would like to share?

any experience positive or negative with Verazano or Advantage Flooring?

trying to pick a flooring company to either refinish very intricate parquet floors that barely have enough wood or possibly put in new floors. any feedback on either company would be great. thx!

Flashing Repair

Hi there Brownstoners,
I have a question. I am new to Bed-Stuy and have a 2 family. I have a rubber roof and when the home was inspected, I was told to hae the flashing around the skylights and chimmeny done again. We closed in March and with the rain we had this weekend and today, I have leaks around 2 skylights! YIKES! I am in the middle of renovation the upper apartment and the seiling is open to the rafters and the floor is open to the joists so we were ablr to see it and catch it before we closed everything up and got someone in.

My question is does anyone have any idea what flashing repair/maintanence costs? I am tapped out of money and based on some of the orums I've seen for costs of rubber roofs, I am gathering $500 or so for 3 sklylights and the chimmeny? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Loving Brooklyn!

Proper Etiquette For Dumpster Diving?

I recently came across a dumpster in P.S. that had many useful things like unopened boxes of tile, hardware, recessed light fixtures ect: a pretty big score as these were "highend" building materials that were most likely left over from a big restoration. Can someone, not the contractor nor the homeowner "claim" the entire dumpster with out physically touching the item in question. I pulled out something that was of interest to me but a gentleman standing near but not in the dumpster said "that's mine". I say if he is not holding it in his hand it's not his to claim. Sadly, I walked away from the find. The tile alone was worth several hundred dollars.

Problems with the 88th Precinct?

I have had a few experiences with the 88th precinct over the past 2 years that have left much to be desired. Is anyone else concerned or having issues with them? Thanks.

Land Use Attorney

I am in search of a land use attorney, ideally familiar with Brooklyn, to help me with a property I'm considering buying that has outstanding violations, no C of O, illegal modifications, the whole works! Thanks!

Soil for Backyard

Hi-
After doing some demolition in our backyard - we are now in need of a whole lot of soil to fill in the holes. Does anyone have any recommendations for having soil delivered? We can't bring it through the garden rental apartment - so will need someone to bring it up the stoop - through the parlor floor - and then down the deck stairs to the backyard.

Thanks-

Flooded basement in Park Slope

We just (three months ago) had our basement waterproofed. It was formerly damp and dank, and water came up from the floor and in from the front and back every time it rained. The contractor dug the basement deeper, put in a waterproof barrier, and poured new concrete (or cement, not sure of the difference). A waterproofing coating was applied to the walls. It stayed dry until this past weekend, when it flooded to about 2" deep, as bad or worse than before the "waterproofing".

My contractor now says that this is just inevitable in a heavy rain because the city's "clay pipes" cannot handle a big rainstorm and the excess water has nowhere to go but into the basements. So, he says, there is nothing he could have done differently, and we should just expect the basement to flood when there's a big storm.

Is this true? Did every basement in Park Slope really flood yesterday? Is there really nothing that can be done to keep the basement dry?

How to remove linoleum glue from old tiles?

I discovered an original encaustic tile mosaic under linoleum in the entry way of my recently purchased 2-fam. I have pulled up the linoleum, but the tiles underneath are very sticky. What is the best way to remove the old glue?

Any advice is much appreciated!

Stabbing in Park Slope?!?!?

I just read this scary article regarding a stabbing in Prospect Park in Park Slope. Does anyone know anything more about this???

http://1010wins.com/pages/28036.php

April 23, 2006

recent sales data

Hi, does anyone know of a website or blog that tracks recently sold condos and/or co-ops in Brooklyn? I'm looking to buy a co-op in Clinton Hill and am looking for recent sales tp get price per sq ft comparisons. Property shark only seems to give full building data.
Thank you

easy to condo a brownstone (comment redux)?

Argh the "allow comments" checkbox bit me.

repeat:
If a residential corner brownstone has two different entrances already, is it easy (cost, time, and few if any risks) to purchase, condo it into two, and sell one off on the open market?

My basic quandry is I love half of a property, but don't need another hunk of equity tied up in the other half. This seems like a solution to me. Time-scale? costs?

etched glass for brownstone doors

Can anybody advise as to a good source for etched glass to be used in a set of parlor floor entry doors? Thanks

Dormer

I have a frame house with a flat roof that slopes to 5.5' in the back. Although I was told we cannot raise the height of our building as per the DOB by raising the entire roof, we are allowed to build a large dormer. Has anyone done this sort of thing? Who do I hire for this sort of work, a general contractor and then a roofer, or just a roofer?

Exterior Brownstone Stair Repair

I need to have my stairs redone on the brownstone and was wondering if anyone has had anyone do the work for them. Any good contractors? Anyone to stay away from? Some of the iron balisrads were stolen before I moved in, the insurance company will replace them but they need an estimate for the stairs as well. Any info?

Thanks, Dan in Bedford Stuyvestant

Parlor and Pocket Doors For Sale

I have 2 sets of doors:

1) round top parlor doors
- width is 56inches
- ht at hinges is 94 inches
- ht at center is 100 inches
2) pocket doors
- each door 8' x 3'
- track/hardware included

Both are painted. Email me for photos.

daroogle@gmail.com

April 22, 2006

Construction Estimate Overkill

I just received an estimate for the cost of renovating a 1910 brick row house. I can’t believe the cost? 30 times more than when the house was purchased in 1958.

What’s good about this firm is that they break down each service charge, so you can see exactly what you’re paying for. Now this estimate doesn’t include tile, grout, glass shower doors, bathroom vanities, toilets, sinks, and lighting. Several things estimated are 8 new Marvin windows, knocking down several walls, skim-coating, complete renovation of cellar, yet the change of the positioning of the pipes weren’t included in this estimate, 100 points & 2 sub-panels of electricity, 12 points of plumbing, very low end kitchen. Painting alone cost $12,000 for 2 coats of Benjamin more + labor. Tile installation is completely over charged at $ 18,000 for 2 bathrooms with 7’ high at shower area, 4’ at walls, a 3’x 4’ floor, plus 430 sq. ft basement. This is a straight tile no special cuts. The demo and cart charges are so ridiculous that I would like to take a sledgehammer myself to knock down the walls and then hire someone to carry it off. Then upon all the charges they charge a General Condition charge of 10 % and a Provide Overhead charge of 10%.

This is a very reputable construction company, which has completed satisfying construction to many, yet $348,000 so far too expensive.

Can anyone recommend a licensed, reputable construction company that is reasonable priced?

Electrician / Plumber per Point

Can anyone inform me of the average price per point an electrician and plumber charge?

Prospect/Crown Heights

I live in Prospect Heights now- St Marks Ave & Carlton, what are people's thoughts on the nabe deeper in? Say around Sterling Place & Franklin? Is it safe?

SRO conversion

I have just made a decision to renovate a brownstone owned by family member. The existing C of O is as a Single Room Ocuupancy (SRO). I want to change the C of O so that I will be able to convert the property into a Condo building. Can anyone explain what the first steps should be? Can anyone provide a step by step process for this conversion?

PVC Piping

Does anybody know if pvc piping can be used as the waist line for a sink? How about pvc as the waist line for a washing machine? How about pvc used to vent a sink/tub/toilet? Are any or all of these applications up to NYC code?

April 21, 2006

sink value

How much are old marble sinks worth (such as in the following link)?

http://tinyurl.com/n64r6

If we wanted to sell one, what is the best way?

Tin Ceiling Installer

Would anyone know the average cost to install a 15'x 12' tin ceiling? Also any recommendations would be appreciated.

Experienced Tiler

Seeking recommendations for reliable, reasonably priced, creative and experienced tiler for 3 bathrooms and small hall.

Interior Painter Needed

Seeking reliable, neat & reasonably priced interior painter for 7 rooms & 3 flights of hall.

Brownstone Architect

It's been a while since someone posted looking for an architect so...anyone out there have an architect they'd recommend? I'm looking to renovate my owner's duplex in a 4-story 2-family which has original detail and layout to maintain. I've done construction before but never on a brownstone. I'm looking for someone who knows brownstones, respects detail and won't just go modern and would be willing to take a relatively small job.

Brownstone standard Window size

Can anyone help me out and give me the dimensions of the standard size of windows in Brownstones in Brooklyn. Is there even such a thing? Thanks.

Flood Insurance

I own a multi-fam (over 4 units) building in a flood hazard section of Brooklyn. Anyone have flood insurance? I'm thinking of getting it as it's not currently a part of my insurance package.

How much do you pay?
Who did you use?
Is there any traps I should avoid?

Thank you for your time.

April 20, 2006

Architect's fees

After meeting with a number of interior designers and architects, we chose someone who we have been extremely happy with in every way. However, we just received another bill which came as a bit of surprise. We initially paid $2K which will be deducted from the final amount. We will pay 20% of the total cost of the project which is anticipated to be approx $200K. In addition, we've received bills each month during the planning phase which has covered various drafts, visits to our home and to previous clients to view their places for ideas, and a fantastic model of the which had to updated. The total for this work over the past 4 mos has been about $8-9K. This amount will not be deducted from the final project cost. During the construction, he will be available as needed and on site (at least 2-3x per week).

Is this standard? He has a lot of experience, excellent credentials, etc. Obviously, I'm hoping to hear that while perhaps steep, that these are typical charges for top architects.

Thank you!

Property Shark has changed!

I am very disappointed to see that Property Shark has eliminated the section that tells who the current and previous owners are, the recorded mortgages, deeds, sales etc. As a buyer, I find that section to be the most interesting and informative! And it no longer tells how much the most recent sales on the property were.

Any idea why? Is there somewhere else to get that info?

hazard insurance (avec comments)

closing soon on a two family house in Bedford Stuyvesant. I need to secure hazard insurance. who is good to go with? what sort of rates/premiums can we expect?

on-line home design program?

A friend of mine who just renovated her home told me about a site called plan3d.com that she used to design her kitchen/dining/living rooms. I checked it out and it looked like exactly what i've been looking for to help me plot my own renovation—essentially it allows you to create blueprints and then view your plans in 3-D, drop in furniture, etc.. But unluckily for me, it only works with PCs. Does anyone know of a similar site that works with Macs? Thanks.

Clinton Hill Community Organizations in Clinton Hill/Bed Stuy

My husband and I just bought and moved into a brownstone on Classson Avenue between Gates and Putnam. We are very excited to be in the area, and would like to get involved in some local community organizations -- neighborhood/block associations etc. We're in Clinton Hill, but right on the border of Bed-Stuy, so outreach in either neighborhood would be of interest. Can anyone give us info on community orgs/meetings?

Thanks so much!

April 19, 2006

Mini Mansion on New York Avenue

Hey. . .
Just drove by a mini Mansion I have had my eye on for some time on the corner of New York & Pacific Avenue. It is for sale by Century 21. Anyone know anything about it? I think it is worth a drive by by Brownstoner.

How to get a rough idea of what a renovation will cost?

I'm looking for a home. I found a small brownstone that needs complete renovation. It's not liveable right now, but it's not a total wreck either.

I'm a complete newbie to this. How do I go about figuring out how much it will cost me to renovate the place, to see how much I can afford to bid on it? Do I bring in an architect, or an engineer? Do these professionals ordinarily make quick house assessments like that?

Thanks for your guidance. I'm the kind of person who thought I needed a house in move-in condition, but I can't find one of those in my price range (under $900K)

Structural Engineer

I am trying to change the certificate of occupancy on an existing property. I need a structural engineer who will do a comprehensive assessment and complete a full report. Does any one have any suggestions? Has anyone used a structural engineer who they can recommend? The referral is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Rachel

Buyer's Broker

What's the consensus regarding employing a "Buyer's Broker" when looking for a condo? Is it worth it for the listings they can pass onto you or is it a hindrance because the seller's broker's will want to keep all 6%?

Also, same question for a mortgage broker? Is the internet (e.g. bankrate.com) enough these days or can they still do something for you? And do most or only some charge fees?

Thanks.

architect to help plan a new construction in FL

We are looking into buying a vacant lot in FL on which to build a house. Wasn't sure if any architects out there have connections down there to refer someone who would be able to help with planning for this kind of project. Or possibly a good resource to search for someone. We are trying to find someone who can help design green and make lots and lots of cement look attractive.

Free Boiler - You Pick It Up

I am renovating a building and need to get rid of the boiler in the basement. It was bought new a couple of years ago and still looks brand new. It is a Burnham Model IN9N Steam Boiler rated at 280,000 BTU. It is free to whomever wants it, as long as you come pick it up and take it away. You can email me at scaproperties@aol.com.

April 18, 2006

Architect wanted!

We are in contract for a brownstone on the Upper West Side - it's a
4-family in reasonable shape which we're planning to make into a
triplex & garden rental. We've gotten scary quotes of 300+/sqft from
architects for the reno (just the triplex part) and are wondering if you (and
readers of brownstoner) have any recommendations for architects & general
contractors. We're thinking 100 - 200/sqft.

contractor referral

can anyone provide a reference for 'men at work' contracting?

Schaefer Landing Status?

Just wanted to see if anybody knows the status of a move in date for Schaefer Landing? I bought in the second phase and would love to connect with anyone else who bought into Schaefer to exchange information.

Gardener/Landscape Architect needed

Hi;
We are looking for a gardener/ landscape architect to help us design and plant some things in our backyard garden (most urgently vines to cover a large unattractive back wall, and a front hedge). As we just are finishing an expensive renovation, we'll probably do it in phases. Any recommendations? Also, does anyone know a reputable plant supply store in Brooklyn, a place with a good selection of perennials and shrubs, in addition to annuals? Thanks.

Corner of Atlantic & St. James

Could anyone share thoughts on the neighborhood near the corner of Atlantic and St. James in terms of both safety and things to do in the neighborhood?

My wife and I are looking at a condo there (which is quite beautiful) but the neighborhood is making us hesitate.

It's a ground-floor apartment right on the corner of Atlantic and St. James. We'd feel a lot better if it was further down St. James away from Atlantic but unfortunately, it's not.

Any thoughts you could share would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Valuing "details"?

I keep looking at 1 family, 2 family, 3 family brownstones and limestones. What I find most tricky is the market value of original "detail".

Take three typical 3 or 4 floor 20x40 foot places on the same block:
1. needs gut renovation, but details exist
2. has a modern, or (yuk) generic, renovation but lacks detail
3. is highly finished and detailed

How do they compare price per square foot? Does that reflect the costs of making (1) or (2) into (3)?

is restored detail usually "cheap" to buy vs putting it back when it doesn't exist? For a place that lacks most detail is the only sane way forward a modern renovation (bust out windows, add light, open walls)?

container gardening

I know absolutely nothing about growing plants. I would like to start a container garden in my backyard. Any suggestions on where to get started, kinds of plants that are easier to grow or containers to use will be greatly appreciated.

stone contractor? (again BUT posted correctly this time)

I've read a bunch of your (helpful) recommendations about where to buy bluestone/flagstone for brownstone backyard's but I'm wondering if this is a job most folks do themselves (hauling stone through the house and then setting it in the appropriate stone dust or gravel w/ drainage, etc.) OR if this is a contractor job? I'm not so interested in a landscaper (as I'm looking forward to the trial and error of being a new gardener in some raised beds) but I would like to know of people have the name of a good stone contractor. Thanks. (again)

Suggestion On Comments

Just a quick suggestion from a newbie- it seems like most people want comments, and that forgetting to check that box causes a lot of double-posting and confusion. Is it possible to allow comments as the default mode?

stone contractor?

I've read a bunch of your (helpful) recommendations about where to buy bluestone/flagstone for brownstone backyard's but I'm wondering if this is a job most folks do themselves (hauling stone through the house and then setting it in the appropriate stone dust or gravel w/ drainage, etc.) OR if this is a contractor job? I'm not so interested in a landscaper (as I'm looking forward to the trial and error of being a new gardener in some raised beds) but I would like to know of people have the name of a good stone contractor. Thanks.

April 17, 2006

Big beautiful Victorian in Ditmas Park area

Does anyone know anything about this house on 2325 Glenwood? It is huge and gorgeous and has been on the market for months and months. Is there something wrong with it, or is it the location? The price is amazing.

http://www.brooklynproperties.com/house135.htm

I'm thinking about it. It's much too big for me, but what else can I afford for that price!

Exterior Paintor

I'm looking for reccomendations for an exterior paintor to paint the facade of my 3-story wood frame house? Anyone have a good referral.

property taxes and transitional values

The city has assessed most average park slope brownstones at over a million, at least from property shark.

Following thru the tax calc implies the city desires over $10,000 a year in taxes each!

Transitional values limit how fast taxes can reach that mark, but if my reading of transitional value is correct then property tax will still rise pretty fast and within 5 years or so, will reach full rate.

Does this mean park slope brownstones are a property tax bomb waiting to go off? Over $10,000 a year per small brownstone is a whole bunch of tax! A garden rental might take half a year to collect this much in income.

Is there any hope? by 2010, will all slope owners be cutting checks for 1% of the market value of their place, year in year out? if market values drop, will taxes overhang and drive the market down further?

Granite slab

I have a 28"x 24"x 2" thick slab of granite that I'd like to use as an insert in my butcher block counters. Can anyone recommend an affordable stone cutter that can cut a rectangle out of this, round the corners and polish the surface?

Paint and Carpentry for Porch

I have a 26ft-wide wooden porch that needs a few boards and column pieces repaired or replaced. The porch also needs scraping and painting.

Any recommendations for a good exterior carpenter/painter.

Ceiling height in garden apartment up to building codes?

Hi, I've read that cellars in NYC need to have ceilings 7'6" to meet code. I'm looking at a 4-story 4-uni recently converted condo where the ceiling in the garden apartment in Brooklyn measured 7'4" ceiling, at the one point i measured. The building was built in the 1880s but the conversion was just completed.

The engineer didn't mention ceiling height but now I'm concerned it doesn't meet code.

Anyone here know the code or resources? My search efforts only turn up 7'6".

Thanks,
Wendy

Buy 1BR Coop for Daughter

Hi, I would like to buy a coop (studio or 1 BR) for daughter. I have seen adds for Tapscott Street. Where is that located? Where would you recommend she live? Thanks (VA Mother)

south slope RE brokers

i'm selling my townhouse in south slope in the next couple of months and was wondering who everyone thinks has the best reach in south slope.
here's my take:
corcoran
warren lewis
a/h
brooklyn properties
definitely not:
halstead or corcoran.
anyone else have suggestions?

Which comes first

Its time for us to invest in the exterior of our Brownstone, which means all new windows (not landmark) and having the Brownstone replaced. We can probably only afford one this year, one the next. Which do we do first? Does it matter? Also, is there a better time of year to do Brownstone work, given the heat and humidity we are in for the next few months?

Cost of Building an Extension

I'm interested in buidling a one story extension (approximately 15-20 feet long and 17 feet wide. I'd like to use the extension as a new kitchen. The roof of the extension would serve as deck off the parlor floor. Does anyone have a ballbark idea about what this type of project would cost?

Follow-up: conversion of three family to two/one family

To follow up on Friday's post (re making a 3 family brownstone useable as a one family), it seems that taking out apartments/opening up walls should not raise the DOB's interest like putting in apartments would. Does anyone have experience with these issues that they could share and suggestions about the proper approach, and whether it is advantageous to update the CofO?

BBQ grills permitted?

Are natural gas grills (or propane tanks) allowed in Brooklyn backyards? Tried doing a search on forums but nothing came up.

Exterminator: Mice

We have an ongoing mouse problem. Can anyone reccommend an exterminator who really knows mice and can help us prevent any future infestation?

15th st park slope - shooting

There was a mugging/gunfire in the last few days on this block, 15th between 8th and PPW (last week it was an open house pick at brownstoner).

http://www.dailyslope.com/2006/03/
update_gunplay_south_of_the_pa.html

I was about to pull the trigger on a rental here, but now I'm wondering.. what with the shelter down the road, the traffic, the feckless teens laying around opposite the pavilion. Does "safe" park slope stop at 14th st?

April 16, 2006

Buying a FSBO

I am trying to buy a house from a FSBO, that is turning into a headache. They accepted my offer several weeks ago, but continued to hold open houses. I did the inspection immediately, signed the contract, handed over the downpayment check, and .... they still haven't signed the contract, even though they deposited my check. They are stalling, because they are entertaining a higher offer. Is this normal behavior?! I've bought several houses before, and have never encountered this, and am feeling put out. I've put $$ into the inspection, mortgage application, appraisal, on their representation that they accepted my offer. I love this house, but almost a month later, I resent being dangled along.

Opinions?

Plain Wooden Floors

I have a 1900 frame/brick house. Lots of pretty plaster molding, ceiling medalions, but plain wooden floors.

a) I've been thinking of sanding these and either using tung oil or painting them (I've seen examples with painted patterns). Some of the floors squeak. Does anyone know of a company that does excellent work to sand/minor repair floors? Any other thoughts??

b) Has anyone installed tile kitchen floors? What kinds of tile have you used? I know about Bergen Tile; any other good places?

Thanks!

windows --what would you do differently?

I have to replace a houseful of windows on a landmarked block, and have been reading the past postings on windows. EZ-Tilt and Bay Ridge Windows seem to be favored. Will these companies send a rep to my house to measure in order to give me a quote? Will they offer me a range of different brands? Will they provide the necessary drawings etc to get the application through Landmarks? Are there other companies I should be considering? And are there specific window-related issues you wish you'd known before installing yours and could pass along?

Changing Roof Access

I live on the top floor of a four-story brownstone. The top two units share roof rights, and our current means of access is a ladder up to a roof hatch. I'm interesting in replacing ladder access with stair access. Has anyone ever done this? Any tips or thoughts on how much it would cost?

Ductless Air Conditioning

We live in a 3 unit brownstone in Prospect heights. It's a beautiful old building (@1910) and the most spectacular feature is our shared large roof & roof deck with great views & peace & quiet. Our top floor neighbors want to get rid of their largest window a/c unit and put in a ductless a/c with an outside compressor weighing about 75 pounds. We are extremely concerned about a few things: a) the noise level on our very peaceful deck, b) having to bore thru the roof with the necessary cables etc, and c) the possible damage the weight & vibrations such a unit would cause on our sensitive building. Anyone have any experience or thoughts on the subject? Thanks!

Painter Rec?

seeking reliable & reasonable interior painter

Tree Trimmer

Looking for a rec to trim back a huge tree in our yard. What is the best time of year to do this and how much approximately will it cost? Thanks in advance.

back of the house

Does anyone know what to paint the brick on the back of my house its a brownestone in front red brick in back

April 15, 2006

lead paint tester

moving into aptmt with newborn and toddler and 10 coats of old paint on all surfaces - looking for a rec of someone who can test for lead paint.

detailed parquet floor repair & refinishing

moving into a new aptmt that needs lots of work. seeking a good rec for someone who repairs and refinishes detailed parquet floors. much thx!

Landlord Rights

OK, don't laugh. A tenant installed a door lock without my knowledge. It's a second lock, therefore created a new hole in the door etc. What are my options? Thank you

Re: Granite Kitchen Counters

Has anyone used Super Stone at 89 14th St between 2nd & 3rd Ave?

Thinking of installing a granite counter top in my kitchen. Looking for mid to high quality granite with an oggi edge.
What’s a good price per sq ft and should that included cost of installation?
Appreciate any feedback. Thanks.

Basement stairs

I need someone to rebuild the completely decrepit stairs leading down into my basement, and also to build a small level platform for me to put a new washer/dryer on down there. I'm literally afraid to have major appliances delivered until the stairs are fixed. They do not have to be pretty, just functional. Any referrals would be greatly appreciated.

wood stripping

Price for Stripping Moldings

My wife and I are in the process of buying a brownstone and want to start planning renovation projects. One of things we want to do is strip the painted moldings - almost all have been painted and we a certain there is nice stain-grade wood underneath. Can anyone recommned someone to do this? More importantly can you tell me how they charged for the work? Did they charge by the foot, by the hour, by the entire job..? We realize that someone would have to see the work to give a real estimate, but am hoping I can find a away to get a ballpark price so we can do a little prioritizing and planning before we close on the house. thanks.

April 14, 2006

Heating pipe banging

Sorry, posted this before but forgot to check to allow comments. Does anyone know about soundproofing heating pipes? I have a pipe the runs from my floor to ceiling, I guess it connects the boiler to the radiators in our building (a brownstone in Ft. Greene). Anyway, every time the heat cycles through the building (once an hour) this pipe makes the loudest banging noises for about 30 seconds to a minute. Wakes me up every time. Gateway plumbing has come out five times, but can't isolate the problem to fix it. I was thinking of building a small soundproof wall around this pipe (it's against one wall in my bedroom)...has anyone done this? Have any idea who could do a job like this for me? If it would work?
Thanks! This problem is really ruining my life and I want to get it fixed before the fall.

Brownstone on 6th avenue at Carroll

We wanted to know what the deal was with the house on 6th avenue and Carroll Street. We saw the house, both inside and outside, and it's perplexing to us that a house in pretty good condition has been out on the market for 6+ months. The house is quite large and generates pretty lucrative rentals. So what is the deal? Is it really the avenue factor or is there something else that we are not seeing?
Click on link below to see details of
the house:

http://brooklynproperties.com/house89.htm

Vintage Tub and Shower Handle Assembly

I'm hoping someone can advise as to whether replacement is possible for my faulty, old-fashioned tub and shower assembly or whether I should just cave in and replace the old with a completely modern new unit.

The current assembly has 5-handles in a box-like configuration. 2 "hot" and "cold" for the shower on top, with 2 of the same for the tub directly below. In the center, there is handle for the tub drain. The spout for the tub is seated within the tub itself (meaning not situated on the wall.) Of course, the shower body proper is behind a tiled wall and only the stems, eschutcheons and handles are visible. The maker of the shower body is unknown.

My plumber insists that it is "impossible" to find this kind of shower body today because "they don't make those anymore." He also tells me that if I choose to update the tub and shower body, I will have to live with a hole in my tub (with a cover, of course), that will result when the tub spout is removed. Again, he predicts I won't be able to a modern tub assembly with an in-tub spout. Am I making any sense here? If so, can you suggest a plumbing source in NYC for this specific type of vintage shower body assembly as well as handles and tub spout(especially where the maker of the original is unknown)?

And, btw, he tells me that George Taylor doesn't have it.

Thanks!

conversion of three family to two/one family

We are considering purchasing a three family brownston in Park Slope, for use as a one family. Is there any requirement or substantive advantage to converting the CofO to reflect its actual use? The renovation would involve removing two kitchens and moving some walls. Do we need any other permits, really?
Also, does anyone have feedback about the merits and process of digging out the basement (which is unfinished, and about 6 feet high) for day-to-day use (e.g., playroom). Would that require permits?

Need thoughts on this flooring estimate

Just got a flooring estimate from Precision and am wondering if it seems high: $2.75 per square foot to sand, stain and refinish, plus 2 coats of poly. For same job but no stain, the estimate was $1.75 per square foot. The total job will be 435 sqft. Thoughts?

Heating pipes banging

Does anyone know about soundproofing heating pipes? I have a pipe the runs from my floor to ceiling, I guess it connects the boiler to the radiators in our building (a brownstone in Ft. Greene). Anyway, every time the heat cycles through the building (once an hour) this pipe makes the loudest banging noises for about 30 seconds to a minute. Wakes me up every time. Gateway plumbing has come out five times, but can't isolate the problem to fix it. I was thinking of building a small soundproof wall around this pipe (it's against one wall in my bedroom)...has anyone done this? Have any idea who could do a job like this for me? If it would work?
Thanks! This problem is really ruining my life and I want to get it fixed before the fall.

April 13, 2006

Egress Ladder

Any help on the egress ladder? I forgot to allow comments.

sloping floors/windows

We're thinking seriously about buying an old wood frame bldg in north Brooklyn. We're curious what people think about the re-sale value of a bldg that has pretty seriously slanted floors and windows. The windows even have a bit of a fun-house effect. We want to stay here forever, but don't want to make a stupid investment in case we have to move out of NYC (I'm an academic). Assuming it's not a structural problem, do you think this is the sort of thing that scares away most buyers, or is it no big deal? The bldg otherwise has a great deal of character and detail. Would love to hear your thoughts. THANKS!

safety of Bed-Stuy?

Can someone please weigh-in on the safety of Bed-Stuy currently, particularly from the point of view of a white couple moving in with no car?

I have heard of muggings at the Utica Ave station stop - can anyone offer any insight?

Facade Resurfacing

We are trying to decide whether to patch/paint our facade or resurface. Can someone explain the resurfacing process -- after the surface is sandblasted, what material is it replaced with? If you want to keep the original brownstone material, are you better off patching and painting instead of sandblasting the entire facade? Thanks!

April 12, 2006

Radiant heating under wood floors

I recall reading somewhere (couldn't find it in the archives, so I guess it wasn't here) that you shouldn't put radiant heating under wood floors, because they can become dried out and crack. However, I found this online:

"If the building is reasonably energy efficient, underfloor heat will not harm wooden floors. Much of the engineering data about underfloor heat was generated years ago when buildings were poorly insulated. As a result, floors needed to be maintained at temperatures of 90 degrees F or higher to keep the building comfortable, a temperature which caused wooden floors to split and crack. In an energy efficient building of today with R-19 insulation in the walls and quality thermopane windows, the floor need only be four degrees warmer than room temperature to heat the building to the mid-seventies when it is zero degrees F outside. The more stable humidity in an energy efficient building and the even temperatures that radiant heating maintains are actually good for wooden floors."

This is from the website of a company that sells radiant heat systems, so I'm suspicious. Any reason I should be?

Thanks!

Upholstery CLEANING?

Can any one recommend a good contact for an upholstery cleaner? I'm afraid to just grab anyone off Craigslist for this couch. Thanks!

Front brownstone stairs sloping left

The brownstone stairs at my townhouse in Windsor Terrace is sloping to the left. After the 2nd stair from the top it begins to slope down on the left side. The pointing underneath my stairs is old and falling apart and the stucture needs to be stabilized or place straight again. Has anyone had this problem before? Could someone recommend a mason who they have used before with fair pricing? Thank You.

U.S. Stairs

Has anyone ever heard of U.S. Stairs (they're located in the Dean Street & Utica Avenue vicinity)? I need to replace a staircase from the garden level to the parlor. My contractor met with a rep from this company and before I commit I would like to know if anyone has ever done business with U.S. Stairs or if anyone knows of any other company that specializes in stairs and are some what reasonably priced. We're on a very tight budget. Your feedback would be appreciated.

Brownstone Facade Restoration

The brownstone facade of our house is all but falling off. Can anyone share the details of their good experiences with contractors who do brownstone facades? Also we are in the conservation area in Park Slope so details of how we get the necessary permissions would be appreciated.

Brownstone Facade Renovation

Our Brownstone facade is all but falling off. We know it needs replacing but the only name we hear is A Malek along with news of how expensive it will be. Can anyone let me know of their good experience with a reputable contractor.

Ditmas Park Guest House

Go to the link even if you think my idea sucks...I have a fantasty of knocking down my garage in Ditmas Park and putting up this tiny house that some guy in Califonia is making...They're amazing. Trust me, you will weep when you go to this link and see how cute it is. I sense this will be a beaurocratic nightmare. My garage has its own C or O and I thought, maybe if I save a wall of the garage, I could call this little guy an "addition" then call the new structure a "studio" and then secretly rent it out to a friend and make some extra income. How unrealistically bad of an idea is that? In the mean time, its fun to fantastize...

http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/information.htm

To tongue and groove or not??

We are putting in a deck -- getting someone to do the steel, and a friend to help with the ipe decking. My question is-- should we put the planks together with tongue and grooves (like hardwood floors) or is this not necessary? we don't have the machinery to make the tongue/groove and so would have to order it (more expensive, more time, etc..)

SIDEWALK REPAIR

The sidewalk in front of our two family brownstone has gotten increasingly bad over the years due to a growing tree. It has completely buckled and cracked and we worry about people hurting themselves. I hear the city is supposed to repair it if its in front of a private home. If so, how long does it take to get the city to fix it?

April 11, 2006

cleaning old tiles

We just uncovered the old tiles in our foyer -- a mosaic of unglazed ceramic squares, the type found in so many turn-of-the-century building around here. I tried cleaning them with ajax and even straight bleach, but there are still some dingy gray areas I can't get clean. Any suggestions on how to clean and brighten old tiles of this type?

Disaster Cleanup

Some guys repointing brick outside my building vented something into my window well and my apartment looks like the day after. You can write your name on the thick dust in every room, covering every surface, in all my shoes, etc. etc.

Does anyone know of a reputable cleaning service that can handle a job like this? And quickly?

FAR and Cellar/Basement

If a 3 floor townhouse with a total sq ft of maybe 2800 has a FAR of 1.45 and is a lot of 20x100, then the building floor area is 2900 sq feet max.

If the cellar/basement is below the curb and largely unfinished, then does this make it impossible to renovate to a rec room, or home office space or nice storage space/laundry with lights and finished walls and ceiling?

signed, confused.

Recommendations for Mold Expert

We are hoping to find a reputable mold expert to come evaluate a damp entry way to our brownstone. Any recommendations?

ipe deck builder?

anyone know of a good deck builder to build a small ipe deck (approx. 15 sf)over an extension. thanks in advance.

Squirrels

As long as we are on animal problems, any ideas how to eliminate squirrels? They are digging up everything, eating my plants and burying peanuts everywhere.

Suggestions on good bank for a home equity loan?

I need to do some renovations and am looking for suggestions. i spoke to one bank but they only appraised my largely renovated crown heghts 4 family (nr. children's museum) for 480k --and said i didn't have enough equity. I bought it for 425k in 2003...

tree cutting

besides Prospect Tree, can anyone recommend a company for cutting down a tree in our back yard? we got an estimate from Prospect Tree already and would like to get a few others.

thanks!

Backyard Stairs

Need some stairs to the backyard...

We are redoing our backyard (mostly bluestone) and need some "modern" stairs from the house.....maybe industrial or metal framed with hardwood steps.....something nice.....please help

neighbors dog crap

I live in Crown Heights. I am now laying pavers in my backyard and planting a garden. Basically getting ready for the summer and getting ready to enjoy my refuge. The problem I have is with my neighbors pit bull who craps in their backyard and they take their sweet time cleaning it up resulting in horrible odors. We have had previous problems with these people. What other recourse do I have? Is there some kind of chemical I could spray to deter the dog from crapping near my side of the fence.

Am I allowed to kill a cat?

Or maybe there are suggestions to make a neighbor's cat feel less at home in my backyard. I wasn't too happy when he started to get real comfy on the two fabric chairs i have out there but I wasn't going to go crazy shooing him out of the yard. I can just vacuum and Fabreeze the chairs. But when i found out he was shitting in my herb garden I was not too happy. I have the hose at the ready by the door and i think he knows he's not welcome but he still comes around and I still find gifts in my thyme. The red pepper flakes didn't work. Any other suggestions? (can't wait to hear from cat-lovers)

April 10, 2006

Difficult Sewer Gas Problem!!

We have been living in our home for approx. 3 years and have periodically experienced odors of sewer gases (originates in the basement & quickly movinging thru the house because it an open system of forced air heat) We have had a couple of circumstances where our home filled with the smell of gasoline (called the fire dept. for that one!)

We have addressed many possibl.many of the traditional causes have been ruled out like: dry drains; uncaped lines; is our main ine properly pitched, etc.
We had a reputable plumber come and he said that he could see know reason why this would be happening. He believes that it could be a problem with my neighbors plumbing.

I get the feeling this is going to be one of those problems that will not be easily solved. Has anyone had to deal with a problem like this and/or could you recommend a plumber who has had extensive experience in this area?

RE: Reply to Renovations & Property Taxes

Thank you for the information! The house is actually a 3 family (garden level apt, duplex, top floor apt). Does this change things?

Brownstone Condos in FG or CH

Hi - anyone aware of any Brownstone condo conversions in Fort Greene or Clinton Hill? I am looking to buy.

Blue Stone

Sorry forgot to open comments too.

Does anyone have recommendations on where to purchase slabs of bluestone for our backyard? We are looking for larger pieces, maybe 1 1/2' x 3' to create a patio. Thank you.

Simon

Rent in Fort Greene brownstones

Reposted because I forgot to open comments:
I'm looking for an apartment in Brooklyn and have fallen in love with a beautiful two-bedroom unit, about 800 square feet, on the upper floors of a historic brownstone in Fort Greene, near the park and the C-train. The rent is $2150. I'm new to New York, and would appreciate any thoughts that you might have on whether this seems about right for a unit of this nature. We plan on a May 15 move-in date--should we jump on this now or wait and see if more options spring up later in the month?

Rent in Fort Greene brownstones

I'm looking for an apartment in Brooklyn and have fallen in love with a beautiful two-bedroom unit, about 800 square feet, on the upper floors of a historic brownstone in Fort Greene, near the park and the C-train. The rent is $2150. I'm new to New York, and would appreciate any thoughts that you might have on whether this seems about right for a unit of this nature. We plan on a May 15 move-in date--should we jump on this now or wait and see if more options spring up later in the month?

Renovations & Property Taxes

In Oct '05 my husband and I sold our Park Slope co-op in order to move into my mother-in-law's Boerum Hill townhouse duplex (she lives overseas). Unfortunately, we were unable to buy the property due to the capital gains tax she would incur.

We plan to spend quite a bit on renovations this summer ($200K), and have no choice but to file notice with the Bldgs Dept. While this situation is not typical (renovating a rental to such an extent), I wonder if anyone could share their stories regarding renovations' tax implications? Does the city move quickly on assessing a property's increased value as it relates to renovation changes?

Those interested in this topic may want to take a look at the following report: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=testimony+
sam+miller+assessments+of+renovated+properties&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

Thank you!

Need Some Garden Ideas

Do any of you gardeners out there have any ideas on what to plant in a long, narrow bed that is approx 1 ft wide by 15 feet long. The bed runs along my backyard fence, and it's an ultra-sunny southern exposure. I'm at a loss. Trial and error has resulted in mostly errors. Thanks!

Wood frame Facade Renovation Restoration

We recently were told that our new wood frame house might need the facade to be reframed and then fully restored (wood siding, cornice, etc.) Water damage has apparently warped the front and it is likely most the wood underneath is rotten. We got a quote from T & A Carpentry for about 30k, which sounds reasonable considering the scope of the job. We'd like to get in another few bids, but don't know where else to turn? Any recommendations? The house is in the Ft. Greene area.

Roofdeck Reno

I am in an 8 unit condo conversion in a limestone in Clinton Hill. The sponsors did an OK job (in that they didn't change the original layout or existing details. But their idea of a promised roof deck was throwing down astro-turf(I kid you not). Our problem is the astro-turf is not only glued, but stapled down through the roof membrane for good measure. If we pull it up, do we need to re-tar the roof? Also, do we go to roofer or do we need an engineer? Thanks in advance for your help.

cost of lolly columns to support center beam?

I'm in the process of negotiating through a real estate transaction and need some help quickly! The property needs about 5 or 6 lolly columns added to support the frame due to some beam fractures. I have no idea how much this type of work costs and would appreciate any ballpark estimates you can offer. The columns would require a cement footing to be installed into the dirt floor. Also, who do I need to do this work? a GC? a structural engineer? Any advice would be greatly appreciated....

I need a contractor recommendation

Can anyone recommend a good general contractor? I need someone to scrape popcorn from the ceilings and paint, replace a windowsill and put in a bathroom vanity cabinet. I got an estimate for $6475 and that seems a little high to me so i need another estimate. Unless someone can tell me that its not a high estimate, the apartment is roughly 700 sq ft and one of the rooms has already been scraped. thanks!!

April 9, 2006

Long on Credit, Short on Money

I would like advice on purchasing a house/home with little or no money down. I know these loans exist but there are so many horror stories of shady mortgage brokers it is very hit or miss finding a good broker, loan -- or plain advice.

I have excellent credit, but little funds.

Thanks in advance for any information you can send.

Rug pad discoloration on parquet floor

We have just removed our rug pad which was sitting between our wood parquet floors and our rug for a couple of years. We've noticed that the rug pad has left waffle marks/discoloration on the floors. Been searching on the web but haven't found any information on how to remove. We've read about re-finishing and stripping the finish but not sure what's the proper approach. Any advice would be great. thx

Process of Obtaining Roof Rights?

Hello all. My wife and I own one of two top floor units in a condo building in the Fort Greene/Clinton Hill area. We have been discussing the possibility of adding an additional floor/room/deck above our unit. It is especially a thought as we need the space for our growing family and we'd like to stay in the neighborhood. I would like to know if anyone can pass on their experience and any additional information in regards to obtaining roof rights. It seems like the task of obtaining the actual roof rights (i.e. other condo owners) would be a thousand times more complicated than having the unit constructed. Any thoughts, views, comments and or reflections will be gladly appreciated.

NYC Sunday Work Regulations

We are having waterproofing done on our coop building. Our workers showed up today (Sunday) and I told them I didn't think it was a good idea to be working on Sunday. They are in the beginning stages of work and it's been noisy. We are located in Cobble Hill and I noticed the other waterproofer on our block was not working today. Does anyone know if the city has regulations for Sunday's being a work day or not for this type of thing. Our waterproofer understood and left.

April 8, 2006

Maintenance costs

I'm new to looking at houses. I'm looking at buying my first house after owning a CoOp. I have a couple of newbie questions. I've found resources to answer these questions, but they don't seem to be that relevant to NYC.

Continue reading "Maintenance costs"

Stadium economic affect

Any thoughts on the economic impact to commercial and residential rentals in the surrounding area of the stadium. I'm looking at the Bergen area close to Flatbush on the Prospect Heights side specifically. I know there are many opposed to the stadium, but I'm interested in objective assessments on what might happen to rents and values of residential and commercial spaces in that area? It doesn't look like there's any affect thus far. Any thoughts?

how are the public schools in ditmas park?? really.

So my wife and i love the houses in Ditmas Park (inclusive of Fiske Terrace, Midwood Park...). I'm wondering if any of these communities have good public schools, or if one neighborhood is better than another. I'd rather send my impending child to public school than private school and although 321 or 29 would be nice, something a little lower on the totem pole would still be acceptable. Any thoughts from people living in Ditmas Park area would be much appreciated.

salvage needed badly

here's one for the ages, guys...

my nam,e is a robert holly. i am a designer/ builder located in brooklyn. i was recently brought into a brownstone conversion to act as a client's rep. the short story: brownstone is owned by a little old man who has lived there for thirty years. last year his life partner died leaving him absolutely alone in this world with nothing but the brownstone and a meager life insurance policy. sweet little old man has a leak in his roof and calls a roofing company. roofing company shows up and seeing an easy mark, offers to "convert his building into condos and make him a millionaire. little old man speaks little english, sees dollar signs and takes the bait. does anyone wanna take a guess at where this is going??? not realizing that these guys are going to ENTIRELY DEMO A %100 ORIGINAL BROWNSTONE TO THE JOISTS, the work begins. Contractor represents himself as the owner of the building to an architectural salvage firm and sells approx. $100,000 worth of salvage for pennies on the dollar. The man is in tears as he sees his home being raped and does not understand what's going on. Fast forward three weeks to today where I am now involved. This man has been systematically and thoroughly screwd. I have been charged with the prospect of seeing this project through and trying to restore some modicum of what once was. I am trying to find any reusable dooes that folks may have lying around in there basement or cellar. Any period salvage would be considered. At this point, I would be happy to just procure some doors that are good enough to be cleaned up and repainted. To say that a pillaging took place would be an understatement. This house was original in almost every way and the amount of damage that was done goes beyond criminal in my mind. I am taking a very personal hand in this project due to the disgusting nature of waht has happened and I intend to get the most finished product for this client for as inexpensive as possible. At this point I am not interested in naming names or pointing fingers, but once the attorneys get this sorted out I will be happy to warn other potential consumers of this company's name and how to avoid them. Again, I am looking primarily for 7'-0" tall doors in vary widths. THey don't need to even match, Any long lengths of reusable moldings would also be very helpful. Please, please, please see what you might have that you would be willing to sell inexpensively. I would be happy to share pictures with any of you all to show you what has happened. I would also be interested in re-usable bathroom sinks, fixtures, etc. I can be reached @ 646.418.8325 or @ realtimenewyork@hotmail.com. Please help me do the right thing for this guy. Thanks in advance.

-Robert

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Proper Ventilation of Cellar

anyone out there specifically knowledgeable about what ventilation should be allotted the cellar. i have a standard attached brownstone with a cellar that (knock on wood) does not leak. however, it's time to switch the plywood covers to metal hatches at the front and rear entries. i would like to limit airflow to create a drier cellar for storage of tools & musical equipment... but i've heard anecdotally of concerns with proper ventilation in work of this sort.

all suggestions would be very appreciated.

sidewalk repair

I'm looking to get the sidewalk in front of my house repaired or redone. Does anyone know of a good contractor for this type of work?

April 7, 2006

ECB Violation

Hello all, we're in contract to buy a brownstone, and according to the dept. of buildings website, there is one outstanding violation on the building. However, according to the same website, a fine of $800 was imposed and paid. The seller called the dept. of buildings and all they could tell him was that, even though it was satisfied, it is still in their system (5 years later) and there is nothing that they can/will do about it.

What's the deal here? Is someone waiting for a bribe? Should we just buy with the violation still active, since we can point to the dept. of buildings own website for proof that the fine was paid? We need to do a complete renovation of the place - will we run into trouble filing permits because of this?

Thanks for all thoughts and advice.

Infant Daycare

Good infant daycare in brownstone brooklyn and Williamsburg? Any recommendations for daycare centers that have programs for babies from 3 mos or 6 mos on?

chimney issues

So keyspan came this morning and said my chimney is blocked and CO2 is leaking. Now a chimney guy has come out and says my chimney is too narrow and if he can't clear it wider I may need a new chimney. Anyone got some advice on this? A new chinmney sounds terrible..
looking for any advice on this including chimney companies, alternatives...words of encouragement.

Is Bensonhurst Scary?

I'm looking for a good deal on a 2BR (>1400)in a sweet neighborhood...One realtor I spoke with suggested--to my shock--Bensonhurst. Is he just desperate for a commission or was he telling the truth? Can anyone enlighten me?

structural engineer

My renovation will require a structural engineer ( we're extending the footprint of the fist floor unit). Does anyone have a recommendation/ advice for good Structural engineer? We live in the Park slope vic. Thanks.

80 Roebling? Williamsburg

Has there been any discussion online regarding the new bldg on Roebling In Wmsburg? Does anyone have feedback about the bldg, developer etc.

Cracks in Facade

I have cracks in my brownstone facade in Brooklyn. I need someone good (and not too expensive) who will fill in the cracks with material which will match my stone. Any suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

Soundproofing hallway

Anyone know what the best way to soundproof a wooden hallway staircase? I was thinking carpeting vs some rubber mats. And how have people cut down on noise from upstairs besides asking tenants to use carpets in every room? would there be any point to installing pergo over the hardwood floors in tenant units?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Wooden Cornice Restoration

I finally got my 1940's tax photo - really neat. But sad too. It seems as if my house had a beautiful wooden cornice. Probably was never maintained, cause the roof line is completely without one (as are the sister houses adjacent to mine.

Anyone have any recommendations for a company or restorer? It is not a brownstone, but a brick and wooden house...

April 6, 2006

Typical Garden Level Floorplan?

My fiancee and I are about to close on a Bed-Stuy brownstone who was agressed in the 1970's big time. Especially the parlor and garden levels. In terms of restoring back to "original" layouts, I don't think the parlor will be a challenge. But I am really curious to know what a typical garden level floorplan looked like when these houses were first built.(Concerning your fairly standard, 3-story, 1899 brownstone)

Would anyone be able to post something like this?

Pineapple St Co-op

Love to hear thoughts about choice between a 2 br in BH (60 Pineapple), FG (Roanoke at 69 So Oxford), ...or something else in PS or PH or CH or a house...for under 850.

wood floor refinishing

I began sanding the stairway and upper hall, and decided it's not a job for me. I want to have it done professionally and done right. Does anybody know a quality wood floor refinisher? Need a full sanding (oak floor) some minor repair, stain and topocoat. There are plenty of folks out there who 'can' do the job, but I want it done well.

Custom Crown Molding for Sale

development
For sale (cheap) 120 linear feet of custom crown molding perfect for 1840-1870 era house. Needs a good home; we don’t want to store it and have finished our construction. Contact: meredith@meredithhamilton.com.

problems with sanitation dept.

We are getting between 2-3 violations a month from the sanitation dept. We live in our building and are trying to strictly inforce reclycling in our 4 family, but sometimes a little cardboard slips in with the recycling, etc --with three tenants this can happen. We have also been given fines for our sidewalk in front of our house not being clean. We live in crown heights, and at times people not living in our house have left trash on the ground which has led to a violation. We have noted that none of our neighbors (whose trash is often far from sorted correctly) never get violations, while we are getting them constantly. What can we do?

April 5, 2006

Stone Fabricator

We've gotten quotes from a few stone fabricators for new granite counter tops. The best prices are from Stone Decor in Bay Ridge and Marmaro in Long Island City. Has anyone worked with either one of these companies? If so, we'd love to hear about your experience.

ScaranoLove

Whats all the fuss about this Mr Scarano?? all i see is negative reports and comments about a man that is simply trying to do his job. a client walks in the door and says i have a lot and i need an new building design- POOF- Mr Scarano does as his job title specifies- he draws it according to all the rules and regulations allowed by the great city of New York!!!! now what i need to understand is how does he get blames for the incompetance of say a contractor or an intoxicated employee that a developer choses to put on a job that lil Mr Scarano only drew on paper! he never killed anyone with any siet of plans in his office- maybe a papercut or two but it jus seeems to me that the world is out to get a man that is single-handly improving Brooklyn and nationalizing its Renassaince! LOOK AT THE BUILDINGS - THEY ARE GORGEOUS\ INOVATIVE\ LUXURIOUS and even enviormentally sound (with the requests of more green buildings) Please people think beforeyou read and dont go about life mindlessly without imagination and ask yourselves - how can a man with a pencil, paper and a little AutoCAD cause so much destruction??? think people

Single to Multi Family

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with converting a single family into a legal 2 unit -- or even making the second unit into a condo. Thanks.

Closet Systems - Self Install or Installed ?

I have two narrow poorly configured reach in closets and one oddly shaped closet, under the eaves, that I want to redo.

I want to redo the closets once and only once, so vetoed cheap wire or low priced particle board systems.
I'm now looking at the Self Install or Installed Systems.

The Installed System will be a few hundred dollars per closest but I'm thinking it may be worth it to save myself the trouble of putting together all the bits and bobs myself.

Any recommendation on doing Self Install or Installed ?

Any companies recommended, or any to steer clear of?

Whats up w/price of 574 11th St, south slope?

So, um, 574 11th Street, which is completely gutted, is asking for $1.699MM.

Uh, so, thoughts?

Sure, its a minute to the park, but it has a small yard, and needs a total fitout.

Anyone seen this ?

http://www.elliman.com # 761115

There are only THREE stories to this house now, and yes, the basement was (illegally without permits) dug out and set up for renovation. But my goodness, is this priced right?

Cheap Deck Furniture

I'm looking for some very inexpensive deck furniture (yes, the cheap plastic kind) to get me through this summer til I can afford something nicer. Any ideas where to go and price range? I'd also consider some used furniture if the price was right.

Brooklyn neighborhoods and real estate

Hello. I currently live in manhattan and am considering moving to brooklyn. Can someone send me a map clearly indicating various neighborhoods (not based on real estate agents' exaggerations). Also, let me know which neighborhoods and which specific areas within I should look for. Any recommendations on honest and ethical real estate agents around those areas? What are the prices for multi-family homes these days? Thanks for your help!

Sewage backup

I just purchased a 2 family home and the basement is flooding, due to a leak from the adjoining house's basment. I checked with the tenants in the house to investigate with a plumber and found their basement completely flooded with sewage water. I called 311 and had them come out to investigate the city line which was flushed out and deemed "okay". I had a plumber come back and suggests that their sewage line is cracked and that they must repair the problem, not the city. Here's the problem. The tenants are uncooperative, and my lawyer has tried contacting the absentee home owner many times with no luck, and response. The city says there is nothing they can do. Can anybody out there give me advice as too what the next step might be? Can I have my plumber fix the problem and then sue the home owner for the cost? It's ruining my home foundation, and I cannot proceed with any renovations until this problem is resolved.

So pissed at Time Warner Cable

Time Warner Cable is claiming that there are 4 different cable accounts in my 3-family brownstone which I'm currently using as a 1-family. No matter how many times I tell them that only 1 family lives here now, they say it was surveyed (probably over 20 years ago) as having 4 apartments. Apparently some of the past tenants never returned their cable boxes so now they won't come out to the house to re-install unless I do construction to REMOVE bathrooms so the other floors can't be used as separate apartments. The house has a center staircase and feels like a 1-family. I suspect it was a boarding house at one time so individual rooms may have had separate accounts.

Continue reading "So pissed at Time Warner Cable"

Central Vac

Has anyone installed one of these? If so, who does it? Not finding suppliers with links to installers on the web

April 4, 2006

Siding

Being my own GC, I have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle. We redesigned our parlor floor, and built openings for new construction windows, without considering what we would do about the siding, which has been pulled back and bent etc.. It was ugly old vinyl to begin with, but now we just have a mess. Furthermore, we were just told by a siding contractor, that if we are planning on residing our house, that should come before the windows are installed. But we dont have 50-70 thousand to do this (front and back of house, and the back has an extension so its a lot larger that a facade surface area. Any ideas?

recent sale prices?

I am looking at a house in PArk Slope where there are a number of houses on the block that look exactly the same. I want to find a record of previous sale prices on that block. Can anyone tell me where I can find that info? thanks,

Animals and the pets

As a long time resident of the Hill I am willing to coexist peacefully with all new comers. But what's up with the trend of letting your dogs crap ALL over the place? I am tired of having to hop-scotch all over Clinton Hill because people are so inconsiderate. Curb your damn dog (let them walk near and sh@# in the street for all you slow ones) it's the law. I don't have a pet and don't want to be reminded that you doo!

Bed-stuy Three family Brownstone For sale

This is a great purchase for someone that wants to own a brownstone on an amazing block.
Remember it is always about, location, location and location. legal three family three story brownstone circa 1901 16.5x45 lot is 100. Needs a lot of work, however lots of potential. asking 575K and it's vacant! The object is to buy an old house on a great block, and fix it yourself, versus, buying a gorgeous house on a ugly, unsafe block.
Serious buyer only. Call broker @ 718 398-5422 Good luck!
k corbette realty group llc

Advice on Topsoil?

Last year a work crew took out an old cement walk in our backyard, but they just took out the walk, leaving a fair amount of concrete (I may be mixing up cement/concrete -- if so, apologies) underneath.

I'm now interested in hiring folks to take the concrete out (it's about 4" deep) and bringing in topsoil to replace it. Our ambitions don't extend much beyond growing grass.

Any advice about how to proceed? Hire a nursery to do the whole job? Buy the topsoil and hire a work crew to remove the concrete and put down the topsoil? Any tips on getting topsoil, and from where? Any help much appreciated....

high end kitchen cabinets

has anyone replaced their kitchen cabinets with high-end european cabinets like poggenpohl, boffi, bulthaup or siematic?

i'm talking a galley kitchen or a chef's kitchen.

i'd like to know all estimates.

NO appliances are being upgraded. just cabinets.

Grates to Cover Vents?

Hi -- We are missing some of the grates/air duct/return covers in our Prospect Heights brownstone. Anyone know where we could get reproduction ones made? Thanks, Rachel

How to paint outdoor concrete wall

What kind of paint can i use on a outdoor concrete wall?

we're looking to create a chalky milk paint look.

I found this water-based stain. What do you think? http://www.tricoat.com/whmnt/whitemoutain.htm#Color%20n'%20Seal

thanks!

Soxco Reference Please

I am impressed with meeting Anton at Soxco and will most likely hire Soxco to rebuild an interior staircase. My question is whether or not to have him do the cosmetic/finishing work after the structural work. Can anyone who

Continue reading "Soxco Reference Please"

Removing fire escape, repairing wall, and C of O, oh my!

The two-story brick wall on the back of our brownstone extension is in pretty bad shape. We're getting quotes on having it repaired.

The wall has a badly deteriorated fire escape on it that is clearly harming the wall. Plus it's a million years old and never painted and partially rusted through already.

We intend to have what's left of the fire escape cut off and tossed so that the masonry company can repair the wall.

Virtually all the damage (spalling, decayed brick, cracks) is above or below windows, which one masonry company explained means it's not in the load-bearing part, and therefore a less serious problem. (He traced the root cause to a rotten wooden lintel.)

My questions:

1. We have a 4-family C of O, but the building is just a 2-family - two entrances, two kitchens, etc. The downstairs apartment has a door into the backyard (~50' deep), and the upstairs apartment has an escape hatch up to the roof, so do we legally need a separate fire escape?

2. The brick wall was long ago stuccoed over. The masonry company we may hire (Xunco, who did a truly phenomenal job rebrownstoning us to make the building match our 1940 tax photo) said that the stucco is bad for the brick, as once it cracks it lets the water in, causing our current problems. He said it's much better in the long run to leave brick exposed and just repoint as necessary.

However, as I understand it, if the hard exterior of the brick is already damaged, exposing it will just subject it to accelerated wear, and stucco may in fact be the only thing you can do other than replace the wall. If they strip off the stucco, will that necessarily damage the brick such that it needs to be restuccoed? Or is there a way to tell if the brick is in okay enough shape to be exposed?

Or put simply, what questions or guidance should we have for the masonry company before they start fixing such a beat-up brick wall?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Joel

joelatzeptosoftdotyouknowwhat

Deck Problem

I am in the process of hiring a deck builder too (waiting for an estimate from Steve at Urban Exteriors). It just occurred to me that my current deck is covered with tar paper to keep water away from the exposed vents underneath, which allow my boiler to draw fresh air. The vents are essentially 2 2x2 grates in the floor. I know water will drain right into the basement because I've already had 2 floods when an outside pipe froze and cracked. I would like the nice wood slats for my deck, but is there any way to keep water from going underneath into the basement? Tar paper *under* the deck flooring? Has anyone else had this issue? Tricky.

Neigbors Laundry Line

HELP! My neigbor hangs her ugly laundry(underwear included) on a line about 30Ft high in the air (I move into my house last Sept so I wasn't dealing too much with my garden),
but now I am trying to figure out what on earth I can do to "soften" my view- her line is only about 8 ft from our property line so it feels like it's right in my yard. Any ideas???

April 3, 2006

Flagstones for Garden

we are looking into flagstone for our backyard. can anyone recommend a company to work with, what the prices should be, etc? any and all info on the topic of flagstones is welcome!

Lead Testing -- Paint and Soil

We have just purchased a brownstone in Clinton Hill. I am pregnant and want to get the house tested for lead. I'm especially concerned about paint (because we are renovating) and the soil in our yard (because we have a pear tree that tields wonderful fruit and want to know whether it's safe to eat).

Are the lead testing kits sold on the Internet, at Home Depot, Lowes etc. reliable? Should we invest in getting an abatement company to inspect, or just try and do some of this on our own? Anyone have experience with this?

Commercial Plumber

Looking for a commercial plumber who has worked on large scale heating systems in multiple buildings.

Removing Paint From Marble Mantlepiece

I believe that I have marble mantlepieces that have a few coats of paint on them. Does anyone knwo what the best (least damaging) way is to remove the paint??

Mantleman

Faux Brownstone -- Stucco-ing a Frame House?

We recently had some estimates done on re-finishing the stoop of our frame house. The masonry guys who looked at the job also suggested that we stucco the front of our frame house rather than restoring the clapboard siding. We hadn't considered this option before, but it would be 1/2 the price of wood or hardi-plank and about the same price as vinyl siding.

Right now our house is a real eyesore -- covered with faded gray aesbestos shingles. We are at the end of a row of vinyl-sided, not-too attractive frame houses in CH, not in a landmarked area.

Is this too weird? Will it end up looking really cheesy? Is there any other downside to consider on this?

Stair case from Parlor floor to next in an extension?

Does anyone know if it is possible to build an extension so we could have a spiral or other staircase to go up to the third floor?

We currently have a tenant on the 4th floor but are thinking of taking the third. We don't really want to have the third floor separated and have to use the main staircase used by the other tenant.

Any other cute alternatives people have done? Other than flipping the top tenant to the first floor (much more expensive I suspect).

Bathroom for the Disabled

I'm converting a one family to a three. I was told by my architect on Saturday that a "full" handicapped accessible bathroom needs to be installed on the first floor of our duplex according to the building code. I pointed out to him that the current entrance under the outer stairs are not wide enough to accomodate a wheelchair, so why would we need a bathroom for the disabled. He said that because we're making changes to the interior we have to have it, as far as the exterior, it's existing so it can remain the same without modification. Does anyone have any insight on this? I think some building codes are very contradicting. Please enlighten me.

Exposed brick in Living Room

Thinking about exposing brick along 12' wall in main living area, 150-sf room next to kicthen. Skim-coating the plaster in the rest of the room, for a clean look.

Never done this before, and never lived in a space with exposed brick. Any thoughts, pros and cons, etc?

Ductless AC systems/installers

I'm looking into installing a ductless (or miniduct, or whatever the right term is) AC system to cool the top floor of a three-story building. Can anyone recommend an installer? And can anyone share their experience with particular brands or models?

Brownstoner beware (??)

Someone called last week saying that he was from the Park Slope Civic Council and that he was organizing a House Tour. He told me that our brownstone was recommended by someone from the committee. The person could not provide the name of the person that referred him to us.

I asked that he would call back later, but never heard from him again.

Any thoughts?

Surrounded by construction... best ways to make sure I'm protected?

So I'm in Windsor Terrace near Green-wood Cemetery. For the past few months, the view from my backyard has been non-stop construction of "The Simone", a new 38 unit building going up on McDonald.

To complicate matters, they are about to begin construction of a new 3 family building on the empty lot next door to me. This new building will bump up against my building and the construction of this new building is going to require that my home be underpinned while they pour the foundation.

I've looked up all the paperwork online through nyc.gov and things seem to be progressing (though the architect is Bricolage Designs aka Henry Radusky so that makes me hesitant). And I also have read the "Know Your Rights" information from southsouthslope.com.

But does anyone have any additional advice on any precautionary steps I should take before construction begins? It's sad enough that the neighborhood is disappearing, it would suck even more if something bad happened to our place.

April 2, 2006

Custom wood doors

I am looking for a company to reproduce my wood front doors on a brownstone in Park Slope. We've been in touch with Heights Woodworking, but they are very unreliable. Suggestions?

1br available in new renovated garden floor apt. - NO FEE

$1850/month

Brand NEW renovated Large 1 bedroom in a beautiful Brownstone located in Windsor Terrace.
Located on a quiet, tree-lined residential street walking distance to all stores and supermarket.

Ground floor apt with GARDEN ACCESS
Wired for High speed internet/cable
Large EAT IN KITCHEN w/new hardwood floors + granite countertop
NEW STAINLESS STEEL APPLIANCES + DISHWASHER
NEW Renovated Bathroom
Large livingroom w/ parquet floors
5 minute walk to Prospect Park
1 block walk to (F) train - Ft. Hamilton Pkwy stop
Washer/Dryer is located on premises

To view more pictures click the link below
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=9AasmjNk2bsfU

Apartment is 750sq ft - Includes heat in price of rent. This is a non-smoking residence. Credit Check, References a must.

APARTMENT AVAILABLE APRIL 15TH.

Call 646-207-6940 for more information or viewing.

Can this crack house be saved?

When I went to repair a few cracks in the plaster above my kitchen door, I removed the plaster surface and discovered that the wall underneath the plaster appears to be cracked as well. We bought this house (a 1890s limestone) about a month ago and, naturally, I'm worried. What to do? I realize that cracks in plaster are common and nothing to get worked up about, but what if there are cracks beneath the surface? Should we call a structural engineer? (And if so, any recommendations?)

Images for reference: Crack 1 | Crack 2

Tipping Practices?

We just had a rubbish removal contractor give us an estimate on clearing out our basement. He quoted a price of $1k, which is right in the middle of 2 previous quotes. But he also stated that because his price is a particularly good deal (he is a friend of a friend), he expects us to give him a "nice tip." Can anybody share some wisdom about proper tipping policy with various contractors? Do you always tip? And, when you do tip, do you have a formula to determine how much and on what basis? All serious advice given will be greatly appreciated!

Fire Escape for Sale

I am converting my 3 family house into a single family and plan to remove my fire escape. If you are looking for one, or sections thereof, contact me at
daroogle@gmail.com.

April 1, 2006

basement access

i would like to put a bulkhead from my basement up to the back yard. there is a window there now that is half in the basement and half above floor level on the garden level. i was told i'd have to do this after my inspection, because that acts as ventilation to the basement. i have two windows in the front of the building going to the basement. i want all the tenents to have access to the back yard. is this true?

bath showrooms

We need to get a new bath. Where in NYC (ideally Brooklyn or Manhattan, perhaps Queens) is there a showroom that would stock a large range of baths?

Also, we are looking for a 2 person enamelled bath (5.5' to 6' long), deeper is better, without legs (set into tiles by wall given room is small), nice quality but lower cost is better. Any suggestions?

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