August 31, 2006

New Central Air Issue

Any thought on my issue will be appreciated.

Before getting new tenants into my house, I discovered that although I have duct work, there was no aid conditioning. Since this was during the heat wave in July, it was super difficult to find someone and when I found someone willing to install it asap, I was very grateful but I realize now I made a mistake by not drawing a contract.

So now after virtually 2 months, the newly installed central air unit stopped working as it got frozen. The pipe connecting to the unit just froze. When I called the guy who installed it, he told me to thaw it off and dry it by turning off air conditioning and turning fan and then put it on 75 and it will work. I did that and it worked.

My questions are: why this happened in the first place, can I put it below 75 and how I can prevent this from happening again?. The contractor is not responding to my calls and I don't how what to do.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Kitchen ventilation problem, expert needed

I recently tried to install a range hood in my kitchen because the fan is broken and there is no air circulation. It appears that the pipe to the roof has been covered over by roofers, preventing me from installing any type of ventilation device. I am looking for recommemmdations for a roofer in inexpensive engineer to come over and give and expert opinion about how to fix the matter. I have gotten quotes in the $1000 range which is more than I want to spend to give a recommendation to the co-op board. It appears that at least 3 other units in the house have the same problem. Has anyone else had this issue with no ventilation? Is this a larger housing violation that the co-op needs to fix? Thanks.

looking for a sheetrock person

I have to replace a crappy dropped ceiling in the rental unit of my house, and the plaster above is basically gone. Anyone have a recommendation for a good, inexpensive drywall hanger who can put up a ceiling fast, and is good at painting as well? Doing real plaster here is not an option for financial reasons.

Question for landlords

I would like people's opinion of this situation.
My husband has been a renter from an owner/landlord for 9 years (in Boerem Hill,). He has had a very good relationship with the landlords (they came to our wedding, even) always paid rent on time and taken good care of the premises.
Over all these years the lease period ended in September, except for last year when the landlord delayed in giving a new lease until January. Now my husband and I are going to move out, and we were surprised that this landlord said he would hold us to this lease. I find this quite odd, and am under the impression that normally under such circumstances ( 9 years, good tenant) a landlord would allow 30 days notice.
In addition, the landlord has told us he is going to raise the rent for the new tenant, by at least $400 a month. So he will profit by our moving. (the area has boomed in the past 9 years and has now become desireable and pricey) But he wants us to find him a new tenant or else he expects us to continue to pay the rent. We need to move soon.
Any opinions on this, esp. from landlords? I am hoping to convince the landlord to just let us out of the lease. It is hard enought to find our own place without having to find new tenants (though it will be easy to rent- really great place) But the landlord needs to do some repairs and paint, doesn't even know when it will be available to rent after we leave.
Any suggestions on how to approach this landlord in the spirit of fairness?

Fixing wood floors

We left the original (pine?) sub-floors as floors in my parlor floor because of their warm color. Unfortunately, the wood is not very strong and, in some parts, needs replacing. This is scary - if my foot goes through the floor, it would end up going through the downstairs ceiling.

Is there any way to fix just a few floorboards? Who would I contact? Any issues I should consider? I am reluctant to put in a new wood floor on top of the floor because I would then have to readjust doors etc.

Great Painter

I just had MFO Production repair and repaint the walls in my duplex in Park Slope. Matt & Tony did a great job under a time crunch, and we are thrilled with the results. They definitely went the extra mile in providing a great service, and took great care to make sure that we were pleased with the results. I would definitely recommend them - let me know if you have questions about them (meganb@gmail.com).

basement reno: permit signoff needed?

So we obtained a permit to do basement work in our home, in brooklyn. we didn't go exactly by the architect's plans however, we did more work than permitted by the plans.

But, since our home doesn't have a C of O, will that matter? Say a few years from now I wish to sell the building, will the new buyers have problems getting a mortgage? No, right, since there's no C of O anyway?

The permit to do the reno expires in a few months. Should I have the architect sign off on the permit anyway, to keep the city from calling me and finding out that I did more work than allowed by the permit?

homeowner's insurance companies

so the previous post mentions a few insurance companies that no longer cover brownstones/townhouses (AllState, GEICO, AIG). what companies DO provide coverage? i'm getting quotes right now, State Farm will do it, Liberty Mutual won't due to the flat roof issue. who do you guys use?

August 30, 2006

Insurance Amount and Land Value

I read something in a landlording book, but I am not sure if it applies in the "real world" of Brooklyn.
House Price = 800 K
Mortgage = 700 K

The mortgage company is certainly interested in me getting enough fire insurance.
But land does not burn !
The book said if the house is worth 600K without the land, then I should only have to get 600K fire insurance.

But my mortgage company is not buying this they blindly insist on 700K .
Is this a battle I have a small chance of winning?
Should I be switching mortgage companies?

Many thanks!

New Bathtub

I'm renovating my brownstone now and i have brand new Americh Madison II bathtub for sale. Good deep tub 36"x60"x20". This tub cost $1000 but i'm willing to sell it for $750.

Empire Apartments is Great!!!!!

I agree with the person that just posted on a comment about Empire Apartments. They recently helped me find an apt in Brooklyn. They are not like anything out there. The staff is reliable and work with you as close as possibe. They make sure that you view apts. To anyone that looking for an apt with out the hefty broker's fees, check out empire apartments. Here is the website, www.empire-apartments.com

value of cleaning boiler and chimney?

We are seeking advice about annual cleaning of the boiler/chimney for our 5-story/20 unit brownstone. We have a cast-iron peerless boiler with a carlin oil burner.

It seems like the last time we cleaned the chimney was over 10 years ago. Our oil co says cleaning this is not necessary ("there's a sump that the debris drops into") while a chimney company is telling us this absolutely must be done annually.

Additionally, our boiler is very sooty and the water is filthy. Again, our current oil company says it is not an issue, while another recommends cleaning. The first bid we got was for $750, which would be a big hit to our annual budget. Our oil company charges $275 for a "vac" cleaning, but we're not sure how thorough this is. And the price difference is concerning.

Basically, we'd like to be sure the unit is running safely and efficiently without spending a ton of money on service that's nice but not necessary.

We're curious how important cleaning the boiler and/or chimney is, what sort of schedule we should look at, how much improvement we might see in efficiency, and if anyone has any companies to recommend.

thanks in advance!

Empire Apts is a great apt source!!!!!!!!
They helped me find an apt without the crazy broker's fees. Check the website
www.empire-apartments.com.

bathroom exhaust

i live in a frame house with pitched/shingle roof. i'm reshingling the roof with tear off and since the top floor bathroom has no exhaust fan i thought it would be the ideal time to install one. the bathroom is apprx about 10x20' and has a shower stall, jacuzzi, and toilet. i know that it's not required to have an exhaust fan in the bathroom if there is a window but i thought it would be nice to have one anyway especially since in the winter time we keep the window open to let out the exhaust. my electrician recommended that i should just exhaust it into the attic/crawl space because i don't have steam shower and the humidity from the shower is negligence. this is in lieu of exhausting it outside. does this seems right? i'm concern that his method may lead to moisture buildup or mold inside the crawl space. would love to hear your thoughts.

Homeowner's Insurance

I'm trying to become a Brownstoner, but I seem to be having a difficult time finding a homeowner's insurance company. So far, I've spoken with
AllState, GEICO and AIG, but none write policies anymore. Allstate and GEICO says they stopped writing for new policyholder for homes within the 5 boroughs as of a few months ago (not sure why); and AIG doesn't write policies for flat roofs (it is a brownstone rowhouse).
Any suggestions?
Thanks!

Gas Logs

I'm converting a fireplace to gas and am looking for a gas log set thats not cheesy looking (well - relatively un-cheesy looking). I've looked at alot on the web but would like to see some up close and personal. Does anyone know of a showroom in New York where I can check them out?

kitchen vent

I live in the front half of a 3rd floor brownstone co-op apartment. The kitchen is very small and windowless. There is a small vent in the ceiling of the kitchen which doesn't appear to do anything. I don’t know where the vent goes or how to locate the exit point. Whenever I cook the apartment gets smoky. Does anyone know how to fix this problem? Should we call in a roofer or someone who specializes is HVAC or a contractor? Any recommendations would be helpful.

recommendations of contractors?

So far we have gotten very high (for us) estimates from contractors for addition and renovation of a brownstone. Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonable contractor? We have an architect who will be the site manager. What would we expect per square foot?

recommendations of contractors?

So far we have gotten very high (for us) estimates from contractors for addition and renovation of a brownstone. Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonable contractor? We have an architect who will be the site manager. What would we expect per square foot?

Bathroom Remodeling

I seek a good contractor to renovate a small bathroom in my house. It's a 6x12 or so bathroom that could use a good workup down to the studs and floorboards. Anyone game, and anyone with a ballpark figure on cost? Expect new plumbing (behind the walls) some electrical, new tub, commode, sink. Not highest end, but not cheap white porcelain either.

August 29, 2006

frameless shower doors

Can anyone recommend a good supplier and installer for frameless shower doors

thanks

Anyone use Everlast Construction?

Hi -- we are considering them for some work finishing the back of our brownstone. Anyone have any experience with them? Good or Bad.
thanks

Oil Tank Conversion to Workbench

I've got two old oil tanks in my basement that have not been used in years. They are taking up the space where I would like to have my work room. So I was thinking, if possible, (and cost effective) I'd like to cut the upper half of the tanks completely off and then fasten some 1.5" wood beams on top to form a work bench. The problem is, while I am handy, cutting the tops off with a sawzall or torch is a bit beyond me. Does anyone know who can do this, or alternatively removing the tanks entirely? Any idea of cost?

Polished Cement Floors?

I am thinking of using 'polished cement' as the floor for our basement. I've seen it used in public spaces, and it looks gorgeous. Also, I am guessing that it

(i) is relatively impervious to water - the basement will include a laundry room and perhaps a bathroom;
(ii) does not add any thickness to the floor -- the ceiling is pretty low as it is;
and
(iii) is relatively cheap and uncomplicated to install.

I would appreciate any feedback I can get.

For instance, would I need to use a specialized cement? Am I wrong that it is a relatively inexpensive job?

Also, any recommendations for people who polish/install polished cement would be welcome...

Thanks.

Chimney repair/brick work

can anyone recommend a good, reliable, fairly-priced and trustworthy company or person to repair a chimney that's crumbled and do related brickwork? thanks!

August 28, 2006

Redo cement sidewalk

Any recommendations of a contractor to redo a cement sidewalk in Greenpoint? Looking for quality workmanship. Thanks!

Scrap Metal??

I have finished tearing out all my radiators and plumbing, heating and gas pipes from my current two story renovation. Are there any suggestions as to what to do with this scrap metal?? I do not have ability to bring to scrap dealer...(crown heights)

carpenter for closet work?

I need the insides of my closets rebuilt, and perhaps the outside wall of the closet torn down and rebuilt with different openings. I need carpenter who is handy with both wood and dry wall. But because most of the work is inside it's mostly practical, not decorative work. Does anyone know a carpenter that fits the bill?

Handy Person Referral

Good Afternoon. I am sure there have been other posts like this, but I can't seem to locate them!

My partner and I are renters. Our landlord is out of state and we have had bad experiences with handymen he has contracted with in the past. This month, we have decided to take over the management of all repairs that are necessary for the apartment.

We are looking for a reliable, budget concious, gay-friendly handyman or handywoman (female preferred considering past experiences) to do some plumbing, plastering, roof and basic electric repairs.

ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE APPRECIATED! Thanks!

replacing window with door

Hello. We're looking to put a door with glass panel and transom where there is now a window and the wall between it and the floor . Any suggestions on 1) door installers you have used and are happy with, and 2) how much installation should cost (assuming we pay about 1000 for door).

We will have to take out the wall below the window and would like to find reliable and good people that won't cost a fortune. I saw an earlier post on this subject but they were going with a higher end door (Marvin or Pella) the company would install with transom for around 5000. That's a bit out of our range.

Thanks in advance, Brownstoners.

House Cleaning Person

Can anyone recomend a good and trustworthy cleaning person who is also good around little dogs (we have two 8 lb chihuahuas who make a lot of noise initially, but then settle down once they know someone). We are located in park slope. Thanks

teepeeteee@yahoo.com

Common Area & Front Door Light

We recently purchased a brownstone with 3 units, one of which we are living in. We were thinking that instead of leaving the stairway lights on all the time of putting motion detector lights which will come on whenever the hallway is in use. Additionally, for the front door light, a light sensitive light to come on automatically around dusk (and off in the AM). Does anyone have any tips on this. Is this a simple task for a new homeonwer to install on their own?

WINDOWS WE ARE??? Any suggestions?

Has anyone used Windows We Are? Sounds like folks here are spending SERIOUS $$ on windows...I can't afford those options - We just moved into a beautiful 4 floor brownstone in Bedstuy. I KNOW I need to replace the drafty white vinyls before winter...

This place gave me a quote to install 100% theramally broken aluminum replacement windows - IS this enough? I mean - can I live with these and not the Marvin's and other name brands of the world...seriously - what is the difference? I mean - the quote was under $8,000 for all new windows and install.

Thanks for your feedback! Liani

Looking for someone to redo kitchen

Looking for someone to paint existing kitchen cabinets, replace countertops and offer advice.

Thanks in advance

ikea cabinet installer?

Any references for kitchen cabinet installers that work regularly with Ikea cabinets and could begin a job relatively soon would be appreciated. From what I hear it is important that installers are familar with the brand and quirks of the cabinets, so I would tend NOT to go with someone that hasn't assembled and installed Ikea cabinets before.

I have what seemed a reasonable quote from Traemond, the company Ikea offiically recommends, but if I go with them would have to wait longer than I was hoping to begin installation.

Thanks in advance!

August 27, 2006

Where to buy intercom plate/box for apt?

I have an intercom box (Talk/Listen/Door buttons) in my apt that is a bit old and large (sticks out from the wall a few inches). I would like to replace it with a new smaller one, which looks pretty simple to me, seems there are just 4 wires that need to be reconnected. But, I dont know where to buy one of these? The one I have now is a Lee Dan model. I am in Park Slope, anyone know where I can buy one of these replacement boxes for my apt? Thanks.

Looking for a carpenter/furniture maker

Does anyone have a recommendation for someone in the area who could build a bathroom vanity (using bamboo) for a reasonable price?
Thanks.

Engineer to find source of water damage

Could anyone recommend an engineer who could figure out why rain water dips down rear wall even tho new downspout seems adequate in diameter and gutter has mesh over to keep debris out? Rear rooms are damaged by moisture and problem persists after rear wall repointed.

Bed Stuy/Fort Greene for family with child

Could someone here tell me what are good Bed-Stuy/Fort Greene avenues for someone looking for a frowzy but livable (in other words, no uncontrollable rat problems) 2-bedroom apartment?

I have to commute to Hoboken, so I'd prefer to live within walking distance of a good 2-3 or A-line stop (e.g., Hoyt-Schermerhorn or Nostrand Avenue), and at least be able to use that stop in the morning and early in the evening.

Continue reading "Bed Stuy/Fort Greene for family with child"

retractable awning for back yard deck

Anyone know if they still make those old fashioned awnings made of some cloth-like material that can be retracted with some mechanical lever?
If not, any other suggestions for retractable awnings for a backyard deck?
Trying to find a way to grill during the rain!
THANKS

Sidewalk Tree Fence (with comments enabled)

Anyone know about how to get/install those iron fence things around a sidewalk tree? I know the hardware store has flimsy ones that I can do myself, but the more substantial iron ones? And what might they cost?
Also, I read once that the city might object. Are there guildelines on this?

Contract Lawyer for Gut Reno

Can anyone recommend an attorney to review a project contract? We're using an AIA template, but I want to make sure that the riders both the GC and I have added don't undermine anything in the contract & I'm as protected as possible. Thanks!

August 26, 2006

FLAT ROOF BUBBLES

I noticed several air bubbles on my flat roof in Park Slope.
Some of my neighbors roofs have them also.
Why is it that some roofs have them and some roofs don't?

Continue reading "FLAT ROOF BUBBLES"

6 Antique Victorian Porch Brackets

I have a set of six matching, antique, cast iron porch brackets for sale. All 6 for $450. All in great condition. These large fancy brackets were on the underside of a wrap around pourch of a victorian home. The casting is beautiful, a very ornamental design of oak leaves and acorns. They were stripped of their paint and show great detail and depth. Each one is 19" x 19" x1"..A very rare find! Anyone interested can email me at bottlecap@mindspring.com

Ducts/Furnace Size

Does anyone know of a good "duct" person? We might need some duct work done for the forced hot air heating in our brownstone and want to get a few estimates. The problem is that in the vents in the MBR there is not enough hot air coming out...but air does come out. One duct-guy claims the furnace is too small, but we just had it replaced last year and were told the size we bought is correct. Has anyone had similar issues? The brownstone is single family, 2.5 floors, roughly 20 x 38 home; the furnace is Trane 100,000 BTU, 4 Ton unit. Any input would be appreciated! Thanks

Trex Deck kosher with DOB?

Has anyone filed and received approval to use Trex Deck on a backyard deck? We are looking for cost efficient means to build a deck that will be approved by our architect. Non-flammability is the key.

Home Audio Installation

I'm doing a semi-gut reno on my townhouse and plan to have a "whole house audio system" installed. Can someone recommend a quality home audio design/installation service provider? How much would this cost (nothing too crazy, just a basic system)?

Brownstoner, can you create a "Smart Home" category in the Forum? Someplace where people can go for specific info on Light Control Systems, Integrated Security Systems, PBX Digital Phone Systems, Whole House Audio/Video Systems, Broadband Ethernet Networks, etc.

Thanks!

White Grout Ugh

My otherwise wonderful handy-guy Manuel put white grout in between my hex floor tiles in my bathroom without consulting me about it, and now three days after moving in to the new apartment, the floor already looks revolting.

If I want to get grey in there do I have to remove the old grout? We're talking tiny little hexes and it would be a hellacious job.

I'm tempted to just grout over the old and hope there's enough room for a thin layer. Is that a terrible idea?

Thanks in advance for any advice peeps have to offer.

August 25, 2006

Mansion Tax

Is there a mansion tax on multi-family brownstones? 2 family, 3 family, 4 family -- does it make a difference?

Rental Advice Needed

My wife and I are new to the tenant game and would like some advice about what type of criteria most people use to screen tenants. Do you use a credit/background/tenant history search? we have an apartment that needs to be rented and would need some direction as soon as possible. Thanks!

interior designer or architect?

I hate my closets and am looking to possibly have them torn down and rebuilt. I'd like an interior designer or architect who can provide design ideas and advise on structural issues(ie: are any closet walls also load-bearing). Can anyone recommend one or the other for what would probably be a relatively small job?

Qs for Contractors

For those of you who are going through or who have been through renovations, which questions do you wish you had asked your contractor prior to hiring him/her?

Unofficlal Ft Greene appraisal?

I'm looking for an educated estimate on the appreciation of my 1-br Ft. Greene apt. I bought it in Dec 2001 and am looking to sell it within the next year. Any ideas on where I might go to get this figure. Corcoran sold it to me. Should I ask them? Any advice is appreciated!

Your Plasterer/Painter

Proffesional Plasterer & Painter is looking for a freelance job to do. I am Polish, 29 years old hard-working person. Experienced while working on Manhattan's high-end projects. Try me and You will not regret it!!
email me at: tasmagorian@hotmail.com

Looking for Good Architect

Does anyone know a good/reliable architect? We am looking to expand the kitched in our brownstone and possibly add a deck off the 2nd floor. We really like to look/floorplan of the house on 368 Pacific Street if anyone know who did their reno.

Address Signs

Does anyone know where I can get an address sign made? I'm not talking about the standard Home Depot variety but something a little more industrial looking - raised steel letters on a simple steel back. I covet the one on the Pacific Street house that's on the Brownstoner homepage but since the house apparently has sold at least once since I went to look at it, I doubt the new owners know where it was fabricated.

August 24, 2006

A & A chimney company

I just noticed that A&A Chimney is advertising on this site as the ones featured as the honest chimney company on CBS News. We were the ones who called WCBS News. We would have easily fell victim to a horrible scam perpetuated by another chimney company if not for the honesty and integrity shown by A&A. I highly recommend them. Especially if you are getting some crazy nonesense from other chimney companies about how your chimney is falling apart and must be replaced asap. Don't laugh. This is a big time scam and it often happens in our area.

contract and possible violations

We are attempting to buy our first home and have hit a legal snag. The seller's lawyer will not allow our lawyer to add a clause protecting us from having to pay/take care of any violations between signing and closing. This makes us a little wary, though there are currently no violations. Is it normal that the owner should insist we take care of any violations that might occur while we are in contract? Or is this a deal-breaker? Thanks to anyone for their opinion!

oil vs. gas (not again!)

We're in a five apartment brownstone in CG and are looking at an oil to gas conversion.

I see by previous posts that the "gas vs. oil" debate rears its head every now and then. I'm not looking to necessarily re-open the debate (unless you feel strongly one way or the other) but I am looking for opinions and advice when undertaking such a job.

For instance, can anyone weigh in on the "two 50 gallons" versus "one 100 gallon" hot water heater theory or anything else that might get overlooked over the course of the job.

I'm starting to receive bids thru "My Quotes" on the Keyspan web site. Our building is approximately 64' X 19' which includes a 20 foot extension added on to this early 1900 building. Two apartments have single bathrooms, three have at least one and a half bathrooms and all have dishwashers and washer/dryers. Overall insulation is average. Window insulation, average as well.

Thanks.

Studio Condo in Windsor Terrace

I'm thinking about purchasing a studio condo (about 500 sq. feet) in Windsor Terrace, just next to the park. I put a bid in for about 270K, and they accepted. The common charges and taxes are quite low (about $200/month). My only concern is whether or not I'm getting a reasonable deal. Can anyone fill me in? I've never bought an apartment before, so I'm particularly anxious about this... I also haven't looked at other studios in the neighborhood. Many thanks in advance.

fixing garden drainage problem

Mushrooms have sprouted up in the far corner of my backyard and all the plants I've tried, except for colis, seem to die there. I think I have a drainage problem. Note that this corner gets almost no sunlight due to the position of the fence forming the corner. Is the solution to dig up the area and put some gravel under the soil? Any advice or reference to resources would be much appreciated.

Anyone use (or see) Arkestairs?

Has anyone used in their house (or seen) an of the modular staircases from www.arkestairs.com? We are considering using either their Karina or Kompact models to reach a loft in our second bedroom. Any thoughts/opinions? Any other options to consider?

thanks!

August 23, 2006

Home Insurance Policy during Renovation

I just received a letter from Allstate stating that they will not be renewing my policy. Besides having to deal with that I am about to start a major renovation and my insurance broker thinks I might have a hard time finding a company that will insure me because of the upcoming renovation. Anybody ever have to deal with this? Any suggestions on insurers who will start new policies with renovations in the works? Any help would be really appreciated!! Thanks.

Picking out tiles online

Is there a place online where you can look at various ceramic tiles to use as a backsplash in a kitchen? I am not having luck with my google searches. Many thanks.

Intercom Repair Referal

I saw the previous posting and I too am in need of assistance for a intercom repair service if anyone could be of help. We are being told that our amplifier needs to be replaced ($350 plus $150 labor to install) and we are not sure if this is a reasonable price.

Thanks for the advice and referal.

Making inside stairs prettier

Can anyone give me advice on how to get interior staircase work done, who to call, what the options are, how long it takes, and how much money we're talking about, roughly?

I just bought a small frame house, it has two sets of interior stairs that are covered in carpet. Although narrow, the stairs seem to be pretty sound. But I have no idea what's under the dirty carpet. The staircase has a plaster wall on one side, and on the other, are wood balusters and newels and handrail that are in so-so restored condition.

I want to prettify the stairs, since it's the first thing you see as you walk in the house, and envision stair-step tops made out of a nice wood. If it ends up that the staircase is made out of plywood, is this possible to do without rebuiding the whole thing?

Who do I call to come in and take a look at what is under the carpet? Can they check without ripping off huge chunks of carpet? (the existing carpet appears to be laid down in one sheet)

Is Soxco or Heights Woodworking the kind of place to call for this, or are they too high end (I don't have a big budget, and don't necessarily need restoration) They could at least give me an estimate though, right?

I'm tempted just to recover with new carpet, since I'm anxious to have my new house looking pretty. But then I figure that if
I'm going to have the carpet taken up anyway, it makes sense to get a qualified person to take a look at what's underneath.

Any advice, sharing of experiences or hand-holding you can provide, would be appreciated!

Cost of stripping wood

I have a substantial # of wood items to strip: 1) dozen window shutters 2) dozen window moldings 3) 6 fireplace mantels (2 with mirrors) 4) 2 pairs of pocket doors & moldings

Ball-park amount - how much will it cost - I'm thinking I want off-site dip and strip - for removal & dip & strip and stain & varnish?

20k? 30k? 40k?

Design & Minor Renovation Advice

My wife and I recently purchase our first place after years of renting. We now have a 3 unit brownstone in park slope which we were able to afford because it needs some updating. The building was gutted in 1982 and nothing has changed since then. Structurally it is great, but cosmetically it needs work (The kitchen and bathrooms will need the most work). What we'd like to do is meet with a interior designer to lay out for us a master plan which we would implement over a period of time as our financial situation allows. What we'd like to do immediately is refinish the floors, paint the walls and ceiling and paint the moldings. What we need are some suggestions/advice for the following:

1. Does anyone have experience doing this type of cosmetic upgrading over a long period of time? (vs. all at once especially in light of our first baby due in January)
2. Can anyone recomend a good and reasonably priced interior designer? What should expect to pay for this service? What sould we avoid? What should we ask?
3. Can Anyone recomend someone to do the floors and painting?

Thanks in advance for your help,

teepeeteee@yahoo.com

Stipping & Patching Facade

Looking for recommendations to remove the old paint from our brownstone facade and patch where necessary. We can't afford to resurface the entire facade and are having a hard time finding someone to give an estimate on stripping and patching only. Any leads and estimates as to cost would be appreciated.

carpet and upholstery cleaning

I would like to recommed a a guy who started his own business. He use to work for Stanley Steemer. I've been using him for the past 5 years . He is very professional.. and he listens to your concerns. He has done many jobs for from furniture, carpet and he's even cleaned my tile and grout in my kitchen and bathroom. His quality of work far exceeds those whome I've used before. His name is Michael Gonsalves-- number --9177019321.. Trust me you wont be disappointed

City installation of fences around trees

I recently discovered that the city will come and install iron fences around trees on the sidewalk. There are no such fences on my crown heights block and I'd like to know who I might call to request this done. Thanks!

Solid oak 5-raised panel doors for sale

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/197675624.html

I have eight (8) Solid oak 5-panel antique doors (painted white) that were salvaged out of a home. All the doors come with various brass hardware still attached. Buyer must pick these items up in Ridgefield Park, NJ (10 minutes from GW Bridge).

Selling doors for $150/each!

The (8) eight doors feature 5 solid oak raised panels with hardware. Measurements are as follows...

door #1- 26" wide by 80" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #2- 28" wide by 79-1/2" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #3- 26" wide by 80" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #3- 26" wide by 80" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #4- 28" wide by 79-1/2" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #5- 27-1/2" wide by 79-1/2" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #6- 26" wide by 80" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #7- 28" wide by 80" tall by 1-3/4" thick
door #8- 27-3/4" wide by 79-1/2" tall by 1-3/4" thick

If interested please call me at 646-207-6940. Cash only, buyer picks up in Ridgefield Park, NJ (10 minutes from GW Bridge).

August 22, 2006

Referal needed for Intercom Repair Service

Can anyone refer to us an intercom vendor (8 tenant building) ...our intercom was buzzing all during the PM each time a truck went by out building and we have a few unhappy tenants.

thanks

Need Info

I live in Crownheights in an up and coming neighborhood. Near Kingston and Dean st. Now I hear they are putting a sports bar on the corner where the old Soul Food place was. Are you kidding me! Please say it's not true. With all the new blood moving in, this neighborhood was turning around and that particular corner Kingston/Dean is a hotbed for trouble.This is the last thing that is needed on that corner I'm so disgusted. Maybe I'm wrong maybe it a nice bagel shop. People please let me know.

Discount for Cash Purchase?

I am considering making an all-cash offer on a Brooklyn brownstone where the asking price is reasonable. What sort of discount might I expect due to the all-cash offer? Thanks!

Wet Tile Saw - FOR SALE

Hello

I have a wet Tile Saw for sale - it's a small table saw with Laser tracking that I bought at Home Depot last year to tile the bathrooms in my house. Sells at Home Depot for $169. Willing to let it go for $80 or best offer!

Please email me at i-sore@yahoo.com

Thank you

Central Air-Mr Slim

Any recommendations on a company that installs Mr. Slim units in brownstones. Plus I like to hear any stories from anyone concerning how well it works. How long it took to install. Did it work well over this extreme heat this summer, etc. etc. And of course estimated costs. Thanks in advance

prefinished??? ( forgot to allow..)

inish or prefinished???

Hello Brownstoners!!!
I'm renovating my first floor apartment and going for a more modern look. I originally wanted the "espresso" colored floors and found them for $5-6 a sq. ft. prefinished. However, after reading about how easily prefinished scratches ( and w/ an infant in our future) I am starting to consider installing unfinished ( $2-4 sq. ft ) and having the contractor stain them dark. My question is: 1) what is the best wood to use for very dark stains. 2) will I still get the same desired effect /color as the prefinished?? (I only plan on 2 or 3 coats of poly... and yes I know prefinished normally has 5-8 coats). Thanks for all your expertise. And any additional advice is greatly appreciated.

Responding re Pigeons

Another product to check out is BirdWire (see http://www.birdbusters.com/bird_control_wire.html) I have this on my house, and it does the trick. One of the great advantages over Nixolite is that leaves don't get stuck on it. I had it installed by our fascade contractors when we had our fascade fixed up. This is a post and wire system and if you paint the posts brown, it is barely visible from the street. Even without painting, it's blends in much better than Nixolite. The contractor had to use a cherry picker to install it up high on the fascade and the cornice.

North 11th and Roebling condos

I am wondering about the condo complex on N. 11th and Roebling. Are they still for sale? The banners have been taken down from the building and there is no mention of it on the Developers Group website anymore. Anyone have any information? And what is the deal with that vacant lot next door? Just wondering.

Help with Pigeons and Brownstone

We are having real issues with pigeons roosting on our little window ledges and on the roof and then making a nice mess of things. Includes really making a nice mess on a bench we put against the brownstone which is just a bummer.

I have seen references to nix o lite. Do people have recommendations for anybody who will come out and install the little nails or some other product (getting up high to the roof area looks like it would be a rather tough challenge).

THanks!

Brownstoner Doesn't Have Time to Read-up on Atlantic Yards:

Has anybody else seen this AY exchange over at the Brooklyn Record? I was kind of surprised by Brownstoner's flippant answer to a legit question: http://www.brooklynrecord.com/archives/2006/08/assembly_candid.html

finish or prefinished???

Hello Brownstoners!!!
I'm renovating my first floor apartment and going for a more modern look. I originally wanted the "espresso" colored floors and found them for $5-6 a sq. ft. prefinished. However, after reading about how easily prefinished scratches ( and w/ an infant in our future) I am starting to consider installing unfinished ( $2-4 sq. ft ) and having the contractor stain them dark. My question is: 1) what is the best wood to use for very dark stains. 2) will I still get the same desired effect /color as the prefinished?? (I only plan on 2 or 3 coats of poly... and yes I know prefinished normally has 5-8 coats). Thanks for all your expertise. And any additional advice is greatly appreciated.

Using a DBA to Collect Rent From Tenants

Calling all Landlords!

We're in the process of buying a 3 family in which we will live alongside our tenants. We were thinking that it would be best to use a DBA in order to lessen the psychological impact of "giving" away thousands of dollars to your neighbor/landlord every month. The standard "Landlording" book recommends that you ask the bank to create an account with the name "Joe Sample's "Parkside Apartments"" or something similar. In theory, this allows you to accept checks to "Parkside Apartments."

The problem is, our bank says you need to become a sole proprietorship to do this. My questions are: 1) Is there another way around this, or do we have to become a sole proprietorship? 2) If so, is it worth going through the hassle/expense/potential liability?, and 3) Do tenants seem to resent giving rent to you every month, regardless?

Racoons in my yard

Racoons have been digging in my backyard lawn. Lately it has been getting worse and last night I when I got up to go to the bathroom at 3:30 I was suprised to find it was 3 of them. The damage has been getting worse (digging holes, turning things over) but recently they've been f*cking with my tomatoes!

I already have a water-scarecrow, so the cat doesn't use my herb garden for a toilet anymore, but the coons are not deterred. In fact, one morning I woke to find something had dismantled the sprinkler mechanism.

From what I can tell from making a couple of phone calls to the city is that they won't do anything unless they're rabid or injured.

Any ideas, experiences? Thanks - greenwood slope

Door Refinishers...OOPS

Sorry...forgot to allow comments....Take Two!

Anyone know someone good to refinish Brownstone entry doors? The quotes I'm getting all have caveats such as: I have to supply kickplates; They're not responsible for moldings/resetting glass, etc. I'd like to find someone who will doo the entire job without making me shop for parts or bringing in someone else to do any of the detail work. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Getting CofO for former SRO

We're thinking about buying brownstone that needs gut renovation. Still classified as SRO by DOB (with taxes to boot) because current owner never finished work on house to get DOB inspection. hasnt been an SRO for at least 8 years.
how hard is it to get a new C of O?
is the DOB approval of permits and inspection of job more intense when conversion involved?
is it a long difficult process on tax front as well?
would love any comments from anyone who has gone through any or part of this process.
and finally should the selling price be "discounted" to reflect the SRO status?

August 21, 2006

Refinishing Bamboo

Refinishing Bamboo
My husband and I would like to use a renewable flooring in our kitchen. We've gotten conflicting information regarding whether or not it can be refinished. Has anyone out there refinished their bamboo floors? If so, how did it turn out and which brand of flooring did you use?

window treatments

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to shop for curtains and/or nice blinds for tall parlor-level windows in a brownstone? We haven't seen anything longer than 84 inches, does this mean special order is our only option?

Tutorial

Can someone give me an idea of the best way to go about finding a contractor? I am finishing an unfinished basement, as well as repairing a brick wall & doorway. I am completely stumped as to how i would even start. thanks.

Bathtub disposal

Bathtub disposal
Has anyone tried to get the sanitation dept to pick up an old tub? (On the day they pick up large items) I checked the sanitation site and I know they will pick up fridges and old appliances. We have an old aluminun tub (not that heavy) that we need to dispose of. Not sure if it falls in the santitation depts. responsibilities. Thanks

Tree Trimming

I have a tree on the sidewalk in front of my house and it needs a serious trim. The branches are starting to hang down into my property. Who is responsible for trimming the tree - the city or me? I don't mind spending the money, but I had heard that sometimes the city doesn't like homeowners touching "public" trees.

oil or water based poly?

I've just sanded the wood floors in my apt myself and they look great. But I know I should throw down some poly, right? Can someone tell me what kind to buy? Water or oil-based? Brand? I know nothing so specific is good. I like the color of floors as they are so I'm not looking for a stain. Thanks

Low-Maintenance Garden Cover

Just cleared out a very overgrown and weed infested garden and am looking into what to do with it until we have a full landscape plan. Are bark or mulch good materials to keep the lot weed free until then? Other ideas would be great.

Looking for 1br in Brooklyn

Hi everyone -- sorry to crash your forum, but my husband and I are currently looking for a [no fee] 1 bedroom rental in Brooklyn. We're both young professionals (I am a children's book editor, and he is a research assistant and PhD candidate) in our mid-20's. We're polite, clean, nonsmokers with excellent credit, recently married and looking to start our life together. We can furnish recommendations on request.

We're looking for a 1 bedroom apartment for max $1600/month. We need to move by 10/1, but if the place is right, we'd consider moving earlier. We're most interested in Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, Clinton Hill, etc.

If you have something, please feel free to contact lawrenea@yahoo.com and we'll get back to you right away.

Thank you!
Emily & Aleks

"Neat" Heating Systems W/O Messy Ducts

Greetings. The English basement of our brownstone is full of ducts from an old forced air heating system that make the space feel like a utility room. It is three feet below ground and has windows, so could be finished nicely if the heating system doesn't kill the whole floor. We'd like to replace it with something "neater" and are just beginning research.

Suggestions welcome on how anyone has dealt with similiar problems, or any good sources of information with overview of heating sytems and how much space they take up (looking at This Old House, for example).

Many thanks.

Adding an Electrical Meter

Can anyone recommend a good electrician to add an electrical meter? I need to separate a common hallway and boiler to run with its own meter. Does anybody have previous experience with adding a meter? I don't know what to expect so it will be nice if someone can give me some pointers. Thanks a bunch.

Structural Integrity following Improper Wall Removal

Anyone have any suggestions on how to repair damage done to a house's integrity when a load-bearing wall was improperly removed. The contractors for a retail store on the ground floor replaced a load-bearing wall with steel beams. It was not done correctly and caused my second-floor to fall up to two inches. Everything had just been renovated and now there are cracks everywhere--bathroom tiles, fireplace, walls, floors, ceilings. Some of the cracks are big enough to insert an entire finger. The contractor says he'll fix everything, but their intent is more to patch things up then a thorough reconstruction. Anyone have any experience or can recommend an engineer to give me an independent evaluation?

One archetect and one engineer that I spoke with said the only real option is to completely re-renovate. Is this true?

Brownstone Shutters (Old Style)

Hello Brownstoners,

I live in a small studio apt. in a brownstone in Ft. Greene that has two 21.5" x 40" windows facing the street.

The windows should each have 2 pairs of shutters (or 4 shutter leaves/window...)

Unfortunately, when I took the apt. it only had 1 pair of shutter leaves per each window -only the top sections of each window were covered (each with 2 shutter leaves). The bottom sections of both windows were left bare...

Each leave in the top section is
20" x 10.75"

I'm writing to request your assistance in finding shutters for the bottom secions of each window. I would LOVE to find shutters that match the style of the top ones, if possible. Most brownstones on the block/neighborhood have this style, but I can't seem to find it anywhere...

The Shutter Style I'm Seeking:

-Each shutter leave is 20" x 10.75" and made of 3 solid squares and 1 square with adjustable slates.

On the right leave, the square in the bottom left hand corner has slates and all other squares are solid.

On the left leave, the square in the bottom right hand corner has slates and all other squares are solid.

Any suggestions on where I can find shutters like these would be greatly appreciated!

Side note: The reason why I want the shutters is because they to do a great job at blocking the studio apt. from the street- Any suggestions on alternative methods to do this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
A

smoke detector requirement for 8 unit building

We are new owners of a 8 unit building. Can anyone advise us on requirements for installing smoke detectors and who pays (tenant or landlord) ...in each apartment, in the foyer and hall areas, basement etc. There is a lot of info about CO2 alarms but very little supprisingly about Fire Alarms.

thanks

August 20, 2006

Asbestos removed

We are about to sign a contract on a 90 yr old house that had about 6 feet or less of asbestos insulation on a ceiling pipe in the center of an unfinished basement. The seller's broker removed the asbestos. We plan to renovate the entire basement top to bottom. Is there any point in testing the air? the floor? at this point what do you recommend about testing the air quality?

Exterior lighting

We recently bought a brownstone with a back yard/garden that doesn't have any exterior lighting. We'd like to install lights so that we can use the area at night for eating outside, etc. The yard/garden is approximately 17' x 40'.

What type of lighting should we install that lights the area well, without blinding people if we're sitting at a table? We were thinking that a spotlight installed just below the third floor window might do light it well, without blinding us. Is that the best solution, or is there a better option?

Rototiller / Weed Tiller

Hi

Does anyone know where I can rent a rototiller or weed tiller? Home Depot and Lowes do not rent them. Any other ideas? Anyone have one I can borrow?

Thanks

Clawfoot Tub Safety

We're about to move in to a home with a clawfoot tub. Although we're thrilled to be inheriting such a classic and beautiful tub, we have some concerns:

Continue reading "Clawfoot Tub Safety"

Area Rugs cleaned

I am looking for a Brooklyn rug cleaner who will pick-up, clean, and deliver my room sized Oriental rugs.

Cast iron tub with claw foot

We are selling a white cast iron tub claw foot tub approximately 5'long, 2' wide, 16" deep. THe tub needs to be clean and re-glazed, other then that it's in good condition.

We are selling it for $300 negotiable or best offer. Must be picked up (2nd floor walk-up) in Carroll Garden.

Please email Lisa at komojo_1@yahoo.ca

Need Advice: Basement Doors Leaking

We recently moved into a two-family in South Slope and have noticed that after it rains we get a significant amount of water in our basement from the metal hatches. Can anyone suggest a solution other than Bilco doors? Other doors/covers? Specific contractors you've used? Rubber mats don't seem to do the trick...

Thanks.

Chimney / Fiteplace

Can anyone recommend a good firm to perform a draft test and repair a damaged flue? I called Mr. Chimney 3 times and they have not returned my calls. Thanks!!

Refinishing exterior of steam radiators

Our radiators are covered with paint that is peeling. Would like to restore them to original metallic surface. Have tried doing that ourselves in past. Are there contractors who do this?

August 19, 2006

Response to Arched ground floor windows

For the poster of Arched ground floor windows. You didn't check the leave comments button so there is no way to reply...
Anyway I was faced with the same situation... Modern Way Lumber in Park Slope ordered me some lovely aluminum clad wood windows with an arched transom on top to match the opening. The windows are made by Bonneville out of Canada. Not cheap but they seem to be very well put together and look much better than with a filler piece on top. Good luck.

Respone to Arched ground floor windows

For the poster of Arched ground floor windows. You didn't check the leave comments button so there is no way to reply...
Anyway I was faced with the same situation... Modern Way Lumber in Park Slope ordered me some lovely aluminum clad wood windows with an arched transom on top to match the opening. The windows are made by Bonneville out of Canada. Not cheap but they seem to be very well put together and look much better than with a filler piece on top. Good luck.

What should we paint our railings with?

Any suggestions on a brand of rust-proof paint for the exterior gate/railings of our b'stone? Hammerite "Rust Cap" spray paint? Rust-oleum (primer plus two coats), Hytechsales (seems like the highest quality, but do I need that for the fence?) Experiences/suggestions?

Cost to repair bad copper to steel radiator connection

we're looking to buy a house whose radiator pipes have been converted to copper tubing in some places. these copper tubes have been welded directly onto the steel connections of the radiators. our engineer says this is really bad, since copper and steel have such different expansion rates. we want to have the connections replaced with either dielectric or brass fittings. has anybody ever done this, and if so, how much is this gonna cost us per radiator?

Home is Where the Hearth is!

I've worked on many old houses over the years. I often wondered what the original kitchen would have looked like. Imagine my surprise in seeing this original coal & wood stove still sitting in it's original place for the last 150 years! It sits in the hearth in the back garden floor. From the basement there is a great deal of extra support holding the monster stove in place. The new owners like it too and plan to leave it right where it is. It's a neat relic of the way things use to be.

sink garbage disposer - switch or no switch?

We are about to purchase a garbage disposer for the kitchen sink. I know at least one forum poster recommended the Insinkerator, but I haven't seen any other discussion about the pros v. cons of the older style disposers (that turn off and on with an electric switch), and these other kinds that have no switch, but which you turn on manually by twisting the mechanism in the sink. Our plumber recommended the manual kind, saying it was safer if you have children around. My only experience with this type was in a vacation rental house, where I just remember sticking my hands into a sink full of dirty water to turn on the disposer. Does anyone have this kind? What's your experience?

Outstanding painters

I live in a Park Slope, Brooklyn brownstone and recently used Dow+Company (917-414-1393) to paint and refurbish our kitchen and bedroom. They did exceptional work from start to finish. I was especially pleased that they got all the details exactly right, from fixing the moldings in the proper way to leaving both rooms cleaner and less dusty than they were before the job. I highly recommend them. Feel free to email me with any questions.
-Andrew Goldstein (adgoldstein@gmail.com)

Should you buy a building that has an extension with no permits

I found a building I like at a good price their appears to have been an extension made with no permits, and now it is over FAR. What are the risks in buying this building?

Single Pocket door won't open fully!

I have a Bed-Stuy brownstone with the baths in the hall oneach floor - with single pocket doors for each bath.
One of the baths has a door that won't open all the way - it gets stuck with about 10" to go. This is a problem for us, because we are about to have the bath tiled, and the plumber needs to remove the tub - and right now the opening isn't big enough.

The door appears to be on the track - I can't figure out what to do to get behind it - to remove the door - which seems like the only way to clean out whatever's blocking it.
I can't even figure out how t was installed in the first place.
Maybe there's some molding on the door frame that's holding it in - that's what it looks like. Help!
Any ideas on how to get this door to

Stained Glass Skylights

We would like to upgrade the stained glass skylight above the staircase in our brownstone, can anyone recommend a place to find nice looking stained glass for a skylight? We checked Andersen, Marvin and Pella, none makes stained glass for skylights, just wondered if anyone here knows of any place (besides Home Depot) to check out. Thanks!

Parking Restrictions

Can someone explain to me why only neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights, Cobble Hill and Park Slope have "Alternate Side of the Street Parking" or "ASP" just one day a week? Most Brooklyn neighborhoods have ASP restrictions for 1 1/2 hours, two days a week and on each side of the street. On the other hand, certain blocks in the Slope and Heights have ASP only on 1 day a week on each side of the street for 3 hours which permits residents to park their cars in the same parking spot for 3 to 4 days in a row. What a convenience! ASP is a big pain in the butt and most people I know, especially those living in clean nabes in Brownstone Brooklyn would love to have this more favorable arrangement.

Question: (1) How did residents in Park Slope and the Heights get this grand feat accomplished? (2) What are the requirements? (3) What's the process for making this request to the City, i.e., how do you file? (4) How long did it take?

August 18, 2006

anyone been bought out by landlord?

I'm hoping for advice from anyone who's been in my situation: I'm in a rent controlled apartment and my landlord has recently told me he is planning a major construction project on my roof that will make my life miserable for 2 years ..... or he might be willing to buy me out. I'd love to be able to afford a down payment on a place in Brooklyn, but have no idea what kind of money to expect or even ask for in a buyout. Anyone been through this? I'm in a SoHo loft so the landlord will be making a lot of money if I move out.

Electrical Wiring with Plaster Walls

We just recently moved into an old building with plaster walls and are considering hanging a chandelier in the middle of the living room. There is currently no wiring at all there. We of course have plugs on the bottom of the walls, where I guess we could take a feed off, but would we have to rip open the entire ceiling and wall to feed it? (There is no access from behind). The building is a 5 story coop...we are on the 3rd floor.

We also would like to hang two paintings on the wall and light each one with a picture light, but do not want to see the wire coming down the wall to plug it in. Ideally have both lights on a dimmer switch. Or use halogen track lighting from the ceiling and light the paintings with a spot light.

Any ideas on how much this would cost? Is this a difficult job? Any recommendations?

Thank you.

Insurance - Must we have subs list us on their insurance?

We're buying a 3-family that needs a bit of work. I spoke to an insurance agent yesterday who said that "Hey kid...Here's a little piece of free advice...If you hire ANYBODY to do ANY KIND OF WORK on your property, make sure that they have insurance with YOUR NAME ON IT and that they provide you with a certificate of insurance."

I'm still trying to understand what he meant. My questions - is this common? What does it mean? I thought that as long as the company was "licensed and insured" with workman's comp, we were all set. Can we be sued without taking the above precaution? If so, how and why?

Upholstery & Carpet Cleaner

I wanted to reccomend the sofa cleaner I have used now twice. Each time, the couch looks new again. We have two little dogs, one of which is not trained, so it getts pretty dirty. In addition, the rates are good and the young guy who started the company is bright, ambitious, motivated and goes the extra mile. It's rare these days so I felt compelled to reccomend him. His contact info is as follows:

Michael Gonsalves - 917-701-9321 - gonsalvescarpet@optonline.com

PLasterer / Painter

Proffesional Plasterer & Painter is looking for a freelance job to do. I am Polish, 29 years old hard working person. Experienced while working on Manhattan's high-end projects. Try me and You will not regret it!!
email me at: tasmagorian@hotmail.com

Seeking kitche reno advice

Hi everyone - We are just starting to plan the renovation of our small (8x7'!) kitchen, and I have a few questions that hopefully someone can help with:

* MOVING PLUMBING/GAS - We're working with an architect who will do designs and detailed plans. He's a friend of a friend and has taken this on as a side/freelance project. We like him a lot and he seems very thorough, but because this kind of job is not his primary type of work, he's not really on top of the ins and outs of permit issues, estimating contractor costs, etc. Anyway, some of the designs we're considering involve moving the plumbing for the sink/dishwasher to an adjacent wall, maybe 6-8 feet away, as well as moving the range (and therefore the gas line), also maybe 6-8 feet. Does anyone know if we'd need to file permits to do this? And if so, can anyone recommend an expediter who could handle it (since I don't think our architect will have the time or knowledge to do it)? Also, any sense of how much (ballpark) moving these utilies might add to contractor costs?

* CUSTOM CABINETRY - Can anyone recommend someone to do some potentially *small* custom cabinetry/shelving work? We are hopefully using primarily Ikea cabinets, but will want a bit of custom work to "fill in." Should be someone who can do a clean, modern aesthetic.

* WOOD COUNTERTOPS - I'm having a hard time finding a resource for custom wood countertops (we definitely DON'T want to use Ikea's). Any referrals? Could the same cabinetmaker do this as well? (That would be ideal, since we'd love the countertop to match the custom cabinets/shelving in materials and finish...)

THanks in advance for your help!

first time owners have no idea how to do renovations...

Just moved into a duplex in park slope. We are first time owners and have never done any sort of renovation so we're not even sure what kind of vendor we need. Ideally, we'd like one person/firm to handle everything from expanding a bathroom, creating custom built-ins, adding a few walls, doors, and storage areas to renovating our patio, landscaping the yard and helping us with all the interior decorating, furniture selection and layout. Finding someone who understands our style is important (comfortable, livable, moderately design-y and a bit quirky). Also, we have what we consider a decent budget but we have no point of reference for this so we don't know if it actually is enough or excessive. Anyone have any suggestions? Can one company handle all this or do we need many different vendors? Thanks in advance.

August 17, 2006

asbestos removal

I'm looking to remove the asbestos pipe wrapping in my basement and could use a referral. Anyone recommend someone reputable and have an idea of what I should expect to pay? I have about 60 feet of pipe wrapped with asbestos.

tile-bathroom-first post sorry

Tile/Bathroom -- Respose and Question

I don't see a way to respond to the poster about tiling. Someone on this board recommended "someone AMAZING and reasonably priced. His name is Rob and his # is 917-670-6900 and his email is rmara13@verizon.net Tell him Heather sent you!..." I contacted Rob by email and he sent back a swift response. So try him.
Also, can you recommend your plumber/electrician?
The problem -- and my question -- is that he doesn't carry insurance b/c it's not worth his while. Because I live in a co-op, I will need someone with insurance and since I'd rather not go the GC route, does anyone know of a tiler who carries his own insurance, or a way around this problem?
Thanks.

Tile/Bathroom -- Respose and Question

I don't see a way to respond to the poster about tiling. Someone on this board recommended "someone AMAZING and reasonably priced. His name is Rob and his # is 917-670-6900 and his email is rmara13@verizon.net Tell him Heather sent you!..." I contacted Rob by email and he sent back a swift response. So try him.
Also, can you recommend your plumber/electrician?
The problem -- and my question -- is that he doesn't carry insurance b/c it's not worth his while. Because I live in a co-op, I will need someone with insurance and since I'd rather not go the GC route, does anyone know of a tiler who carries his own insurance, or a way around this problem?
Thanks.

I signed up for GREEN electricity!

Just wanted to share my enthusiasm.
I finally sat down and did the research. www.askpsc.com has a great tool to compare various green ESCOs that can supply you electricity that does not come from the burning of fossil fuels or nuclear power. ConEd does the supplying. It's locally generated too from wind power or hydro power (from the energy of a running river). Apparently a year's worth of using non-fossil fuel generated electricity is like not driving 5,000 miles or planting 1500 trees, and so on. It will cost about $10/- a month for the plan I chose, but then you get a $25/- rebate and avoid the sales tax. I am quite thrilled, and won't feel so guilty each time I use the a/c or keep the lights on a little longer. And $10/- a month seems a small price to pay for reduced global temperatures and avoiding foreign oil.
Just wanted to share and encourage the other bloggers to participate.

Recent home sale in Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill?

Please help!

I'm in a pickle. I'm trying to get my 2-family FRAME HOUSE in Ft. Greene appraised for around a million dollars (conservative estimate.) However, my appraiser says he can only appraise it for $650k because there are no comparables. Appraiser agrees it's worth a million, just can't go to the bank without comps.

It seems all other FRAME family's in the 'hood are 3 families. Also, all the 2-families are brownstones that can't be compared to a 2-family frame house.

So this is a call to agents, brokers, neighbors, if you are aware of a 2-family frame that has sold recently (or in contract) for more than $700k, can you please give me the address so I can give it to the appraiser. Thanks! Any leads would be wonderful!

Bathroom Tiling and Repairs

We're looking for someone to re-tile our bathroom and shower area, potentially install a new shower pan, and fix whatever walls need repair(as of yet unknown). We would prefer to go without a full-service contractor since we're only doing limited work, already have an electrician and plumber, and can coordinate the work ourselves. Any recommendations on someone who could do the tiling/shower pan replacement/wall repair? Much appreciated!!

How to Indicate on Blueprints?

This is probably a obvious question to most of you out there, but where and how on blueprints do you indicate to the electrician where you'd light to have outlets, switches etc. installed? Do I simply draw an "x" on the wall and put a note besides it to the effect of "3.5 feet from floor" for something like a switch? I'm puzzled after reading the Bed-Stuy reno notes.

Arched ground floor windows

We are planning to replace our ground floor windows (they leak and can't be opened). The windows are square, but have a curved wooden arch at the top mimicking the arch of the brownstone exterior. Does anyone have any ideas of who I can call to replace them. I called a marvin window distributor, and all he suggested was that he could sell me a square window, and my contactor could stick on curved pieces of wood on both the interior and exterior of the windows. This sounds really weird to me. Anyone have any advice or experiences they could share? Thanks

Any recommendations for Fence Builders

We are interested in having a wood fence built to separate us from our neighbors from hell. This is after 5 years of superhuman efforts at trying to get along... The fence would have to be built into a concrete driveway and would need a gate for cars to pass. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

August 16, 2006

how do i remove plaster mouldings

we just bought a 1950's bungalow with cove ceilings and plaster mouldings. The house has obviously settled over the years and cracks have emerged in the mouldings. We want to remove them so my question to you is, how do i remove plaster mouldings off of drywall? Thanks everyone!

Renovation Sale: Harlem Brownstone

I own a 1908 Harlem brownstone and am selling some items in anticipation of a renovation of one of my apartments. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/harlemsale/

I am selling a full kitchen worth of great-condition, standard-sized cabinets and corian countertops, see http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/hsh/195001879.html.

If you're interested in seeing anything please get in touch, my cell is 917-573-7998, and we can setup a time for you to come over.

Lastly, I anticipate needing to be fully out of the apartment soon so may not be able to hold out for the prices listed, feel free to make your best offer.

Thanks for your interest, toby

Barber recommendation?

I am moving to Carroll Gardens (President St) and need a haircut. Any recommendations for a decent (careful but not fancy) pref old school barber nearby?

Comments Solicited on Landscapers

I'm looking for a landscape contractor to install a landscape in the backyard of my brownstone. I already have a set of drawings. Does anyone have any comments on the following firms?

Plant Specialists
Chelsea Garden Center
New Leaf Landscape Design (John Mayer)
Bonus Gardens (Annette Bonus)

In need of Radiators

In need of Radiators (forgot to allow comments, sorry)

We just moved into our coop on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights about 6 months ago and the previous owner had the original cast iron radiators taken out, which resulted in the apartment being quite cold. Now that the cold weather is approaching we are considering putting new or used radiators back in. Can anyone recommend someone who would know where to get them and install them. Is this a very costly job?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.

Whoa... a year's rent upfront!!!

Has anyone ever had (a) prospective tenant(s) offer to pay, after the credit/housing check etc., the entire year's rent up front? In addition to complying with banking and tax regs, as tempting as this sounds, we need some guidance from those in the know. Many thanks.

Porch Remodel - Carpenter recommendation?

The previous owner of my 1900 Victorian destroyed the porch with some rectangular DIY columns and home made pressure treated railings… The porch needs to be remodeled and I am having a hard time finding a person who seems qualified to do the job (replace flooring, install new columns and railings). I don’t want a carpenter who will recommend vinyl deck railing or one that will suggest a concrete floor with metal railing…

Can anyone recommend a good reliable carpenter?

Green/Organic Exterminator

We would like to hire an exterminator to visit our brownstone regularly, but we have young children and are concerned about the chemicals. Are there any exterminators out there that use organic/natural materials to keep bugs away?

Vigilante Neighbors?

We're renovating a brownstone. Yesterday I met my contractor and architect in the evening to go over some details, and we found that we couldn't get in to either the parlor floor or ground floor entrances. Someone has apparently superglued (or otherwise damaged) the locks. The only possible explanation we have about this is that a neighbor across the street complained once about the workers beginning too early. Our contractor starts at 7 AM, which is the legal time to begin. Otherwise, our contractor has done no wrong, and we made sure that the neighbors to either side met him, have his phone number, etc.

Has anyone ever dealt with this situation before? Any thoughts?

PROPERTY QUESTION re 6TH AVE BROWNSTONE

There is a Brownstone for sale on 6th avenue and Lincoln Place (Park Slope) right next to a Baptist Church. Does anyone know any details about the church/congregation as it might effect the property? I'm concerned about late night services, noise from day care, or anything else that I might not be aware of - fear of the unknown. Any light anyone can shed on this all would be greatly welcomed.

August 15, 2006

sagging kitchen floor

I'm in the garden level apartment of a five story brownstone in Carroll Gardens.

Over the past few years, I've noticed a sag in the kitchen floor that is getting progressively worse. The sag occurs in two places: both a few feet in from two entrances on opposite sides of the room. The center area seems to be holding firm. The kitchen measures approximately 14' X 10'

Currently, there are Armstrong vinyl tiles on the floor which have shifted and tore over the years. I want to level the floors and have them re-done. We've had both termite issues (abated, supposedly) and water issues (next door neighbor). The
kitchen is situated above the boiler room but not directly over the boiler.

My concern is opening the kitchen floor and discovering something more involved than a century-old sagging sub floor. I'm looking for advice/recommendations as to whether I should go with a GC with both floor and structure chops or go with experienced floor guys, let them tear away and hope for the best.

Thanks.

RE attorney - I am a client or what!?

I have never had this situation before (with other RE attorney). We were told that very important document will be sent on Monday, aug 7th. I have called Tue, the 8th. "He is on the other line, may I take a message? He will call you back". I keep calling every day and getting the same answer.
Our plans, our contractor, our tenants, our plumber - heck, our financial security depends on this. We are loosing money every day.
Two weeks... Secretary just hangs up on me already.
I really do not understand, what is going on. Nobody received any documents from him I was told.
I do not know what to do. Fire him? He is the one of the well known attorneys in this area, everybody knows him and we do not want bad energy coming from this.
But this is not the first time that he does not respond and we have to wait for weeks.
Is this situation normal? What would you do?

Renting Apartments to a Company

I have 2 apartments to rent. I was wondering if anyone has every rented an apartment out to a company, where the company signs the lease due to the company having the need to temporarily relocate an employee who may be in town for an extended period of time, etc. Any experiences to share? I was wondering about Wall Street companies, hospitals, etc., but I am not familiar with this - I just think that it is worth exploring.

Ideas, thoughts appreciated.

We are looking for a reliable company for renovation of our newly purchased co-op ( two bedroom)in Prospect Heights/ Crown Heights.
We would like to strip the moldings in all rooms and paint the walls. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

Paint job

We are looking for a reliable company for renovation of our newly purchased co-op ( two bedroom)in Prospect Heights/ Crown Heights.
We would like to strip the moldings in all rooms and paint the walls. Any recommendations will be greatly appreciated!

August 14, 2006

ornamental plasterer

We have several exterior column capitals in various states of repair. Some are missing a little bit of plaster, some a lot. All missing bits are ornamental in nature (ie. not pulled profiles or stock shapes). We are looking for an ornamental plasterer that can come to the site and take casts of the existing bits so that new bits can be recast and installed where needed. Any recent vendor experiences/suggestions?

thx

Architect Anyone?

We're going to have some work done on our "new" home, a 1903 Victorian with lots of original detail. Does anyone know of an architect/project manager who works on these older homes in the Ditmas Park area?

Turning a building into a Co-op

Hello. My building owner is looking to sell the building I'm living in within the next six months to a year. Several of us living here have talked about turning the building into a
co-op, but we don't know what resources are available for us to research on how to do this. I would really appreciate any suggestions or advice on where to go/what to read in order to get this information. The sooner, the better. The owner just informed me today of her plans to sell, but said that she would do her best to work with us if we can work out the co-op situation. Thanks for any direction you can provide...

Tenant Problem / Novice Landlord

I have 2 Fairly descent Tenants in my 3 family Brownstone. Impecably kept. Problem is they seem to think it is my responsibility to track them down to get the rent as opposed to them Making sure it is to me on the 1st of each month.

What can I do? The lease agreement has language that states a $50 late fee will be assessed if the rent is received after the 5th of the month. I have yet to enforce that.

On top of this, 1 tenant started with just herself and her young son. NOW, it's her, her young son, and her "gentlman caller" Who now even shares the same checking account?

I have no idea what I should do or can do.
Any advice is Welcomed!!!!

Sublet needed - $400/week; 1 Br+

Hi - We're residents of Park Slope. A good friend is coming to visit and we're looking for a sublet for her from Aug 20th - Sep 7th. She's very courteous and clean and doesn't smoke or drink.

change of C of O 6 to 3

I would like to know how difficult it is to change a 6 family c of o to a 3 family. I purchased the brownstone in 2/06 and it is arranged like a 6 family. Normally, I would let it stand as a 6 but I am paying commercial mortgage rates and my taxes and insurance are higher as well. Any feed back would be helpful.

Searcing for a cleaning company. (Floors cleaned and waxed too)

I'm looking for recommendations please to clean up an apartment I rent out in my home upon the current tenants' end of lease, so that it'll be clean for the new tenants.

I need the bathroom "bombed" and re-caulked in certain areas. I need the hardwood floors cleaned and shined. Clean all appliances, inside the fridge, windowsills, everything.

I'd like the place to look as new as possible, as it was completely renovated only 2 years ago, and everything was brand new at that time.

Anyone you recommend who can do all this? Do you know if they work nights? For example, say the current tenants leave the last day of September, then I have that night to clean everything before the new tenants move in the next day.

-Dave

Need Help/Advice Clearing HPD Violations

We recently bought a building in Propsect Heights. It had 6 relatively minor violations with HPD. We put some money in escrow and need to get them cleared within a few months. We have already made the repairs.

The problem is that HPD's records show the property as a 2 family when it is actually being used as a 3 family. The tax records show it as a 3 family. There is no C of O because it is an older building. We eventually want to use it as a 2 family (probably in a year) and so do not want to change the status to a 3 family.

Anyhow, the HPD form to request an inspection requires that we state the number of units. We cannot state that it is a 3 unit building because we do not have a "multifamily dwelling number." To get this number, we need a C of O for a 3 family or a letter of no objection to a 3 family. Because HPD's records show a 2 family, I understand that it would not be possible to get the letter of no objection.

We could request the inspection and state that the building is a 2 family. The concern I have is whether the inspector will issue a new violation or refuse to clear the violations because it is actually being used as a 3 family.

I need advice or help from someone who has experience with this process. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

1638 8th Avenue

Does anyone know what's going on with the gigantic lot at 1638 8th Ave between Windsor Place and Prospect Ave in Park Slope? Right now it's a muddy lot with boards up and several different permits dating back to 2002. It's very long and even dips down deeply towards the back. Strangely enough it also comes between the back of the lots on both Windsor and Prospect. According to property Shark, the last permit (8/2005) is for "2 Stories & 30 units" and that person has gotten a mortgage for 7.25M. But still it sits. Is this a behemoth waiting to happen for all those folks living on the surrounding block and ruining their yards?

Remsen St Townhouse?

I was browsing Brooklyn Heights yesterday and saw this gem of a townhouse near the water on Remsen Street, listed for 7.5mm with Brown Harris Stevens. Seems a little overpriced, but with 9 units (probably in need of extensive renovation) it might be doable. Was considering taking the top floor duplex for myself and renting out the rest.

Would appreciate comments from others more familiar with the area as to rents achievable (no current tenants) and the area. Thanks.

http://www.bhsbrooklyn.com/detail.asp?id=470136

August 13, 2006

Buyer's Agent/Inspector?

I'm about to go into contract on a condo in Fort Greene, and, though I know it's a little late in the game, I've recently been informed that I should get a buyer's agent. Does anyone have any recommendations? Also, any recommendations on a good, hard-nosed inspector?

Carriage house in Ft. Greene

anybody know the story with 88 South Portland? it is the double carriage house in the middle of the block. would love to know what something like that woulg go for. Thanks!!!

Handyman for putting up a ladder and railing in loft?

In our second bedoroom in our condo we have a loft space (sort of above the bedroom). We would like to make the loft space into a library/storage area. Accordingly, we would like to put up a ladder of sort (like a "library ladder") and a railing at the edge of the loft. We were hoping to find a handyman/contractor who could do this sort of work (as well as have vision as to how best to design the ladder/railing space). We are located in Boerum Hill. Any advice?????

thanks!

August 12, 2006

Fast paint stripping on tin ceiling continued

To the original poster - I just read your new comment about paint removal from the tin by hitting the tin. If the tin has lead paint on it (likely if old tin) then it sounds like you have just created a massive health hazard for you, your tenants and especially their baby. Lead has been proven to cause significant brain damage amongst other health problems and is especially toxic to young children & babies. I advise you to get a lead blood test for yourself, have the apartment tested for lead dust and until the results are in put your tenants in alternative accomodation. If you don't do this and there is an unsafe lead level in the blood of the baby you could be open to litigation.

Kitchen layout ideas?

We are trying to come up with a simple layout for our galley kitchen, which is about 10 and a half feet long. I know we should not put the stove and fridge next door to one another for energy efficiency reasons, but we don't know much else.... any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Fast paint stripping on tin ceiling continued

Fast paint stripping on tin ceiling

Some kind of spam that was posted on comments on my previous topic would prevent people to read this, so, I am opening new topic.
My conclusion: BANG is the word.
this is the fastest way to remove paint from tins. this is what we discovered yesterday and today. We were able to remove old paint from the half of the ceiling. We had to stop at this point, so, we could paint today to give enoght time for paint to dry and prevent our tenents' baby from smelling fumes when they arrive tommorrow.
We will paint it one more time this evening and do the second half of the ceiling next time.

So: Cover yourself, your head, your eyes and your nose from little pieces and bang-bang-bang :) if you want to remove old paint from the tin and do not want to use any chemicals. This is the fastest way.

Windows

Has anyone used E-Z Tilt Windows Ltd? I am getting an estimate from them and wondered if anyone has any input on their abilities, expertise, pricing, etc? Thanks!

Allstate Dropping My Policy

I just received a letter from Allstate that they wont be renewing my current homeowner policy because their fear of a major hurricance etc.I'm sure some of you have had the same experience. I would appreciate any advice on possible insurance agencies. The house is a circa 1900 Federal brownstone (2 family). Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Bed-Stuy greenmarket on!

I was just at the Bed-Stuy green market and it is looking good! Better selection than in previous weeks. Supporting the market is our only chance to make it better. Please go out and support the market!!

Saturdays on Lewis between Decatur and McDonough.

August 11, 2006

Fast paint stripping on tin ceiling

Paint is pilling and falling down in some patches from the ceiling in our tenants' appartment.
They will be away for a weekend and we have two days left to fix this.
Initially we wanted to scrab problem area and paint tin with an oil primer. Then paint the whole ceiling again.
But "problem area" keeps expanding. From the other side it is difficult to scrab all the paint because it is patchy. Paint is more firmly attached in some places.

We are looking for a fast solution to take down paint. We do not want to use stripper.
Paint gun?
I would appreciate all ideas.

Getting Rid of Rent Controlled Tenants

Can anyone give any advice on getting rid of rent controlled tenants. They pay next to nothing for an apartment in the small building we just bought. They're dirty (literally chicken bones in the hallway dirty) and really inconsiderate. I've spoken to lawyers but have not gotten anywhere. Are there any persons that assist with this type of request.

Looking for a New Roof Hatch

I'm looking for a recommendation regarding the installation of a new roof hatch. I've seen the old wood hatches replaced with metal hatches that offer more insulation and security. Our hatch has quite a bit of rotting around the inside that allows rain to enter the building. I've tried patching the area around the outside (where the hatch meets the roof) twice, but have been unable to stop the leak. Should I get a roofer for this job or can I someone else? What kind of price should I expect?

Thanks in advance.

FOR SALE!! Should I Buy?

I am considering making an offer on a Park Slope brownstone (over 100 years old) that is 19' wide with tons of light on a name street between 6/8th aves. Without giving all details, I'm asking for advice. Do you think the deal (following) sounds good?
Price will be 1.7mm (aprox) and the house, after a 500,000 reno will be mint - central air, all refinished wod, tons of detail, exterior front and back in perfect shape, new garden, new plumbing, electical -- a total overhaul.

It is a lot of money, obviously, but I'm interested to hear people's thoughts on property value in Park Slope and what might or might not happen in next year or so. The market seems so slow, should I even be doing this now or should I wait? Doesn't seem like too many properties are moving these days.

I am anxious to do it but don't know Brooklyn and am worried about jumping into a pond i know little about.

August 10, 2006

Next Door Demolition Advice

I live right next door to a brownstone (we share a party wall) that is going to be demolished to become a 5-story add on to the latest Katan/Scarano creation (Gowanus/South Slope). The good news is that I will be adding an extension on at the same time, so it is to my benefit that the building comes down (I will be moving out while this happens.) I know some of you have gone through this kind of situation and I would love any advice of anything I should do to prepare or anything you would have done if you had the chance. Should I have an engineer come and verify my house is in good shape?
Should I set up a survelliance camera to make sure any damage to my building is recorded? Any advice would be greatly appreciated

a crazy skim coating estimate?

I'm getting estimates for skim coating in my 650 square foot 1.5 bedroom apartment. The walls are definitely lumpy, with a few major cracks, but no holes or extreme damage. Also need my baseboards removed and new ones reinstalled. So far, one estimate for just the skim coating was 14K. Another, for both the skim coating and the baseboards, was 24K. These both seem extreme to me. Am I just being a cheapskate?

Roofer recommendation?

I need a roofer to take a look at a sloped shingled roof on a historic landmark street regarding a leak.
Can anyone recommend anyone?
Thanks

Design/Build Issues

Soliciting some thoughts on paths to go down on a high budget townhouse renovation:

A) Traditional architect design phase with bids going out to multiple general contractors post design phase. Architect involved in all of construction phase. Fees either hourly or % of total

B) End-to-end service where firm has both architecture and construction management under one roof. Design phase billed separately (again as hourly or %) and then construction management at similar % of cost as would be charged by a GC

Assume (please) that these are all really well credentialed firms with significant projects under their belt.

Thanks in advance for people's time in responding, particularly people that have gone down path B) which is slightly more unusual.

Also, any thoughts on total architect % fees appreciated. Is 15-20% of total budget the norm?

Dog Repellent

We just finished renovating our stoop and one or more dogs (or their less than responsible owners) have decided it's a great place to relieve themselves. Do the dog repellent sprays work or are there any other suggestions for stopping this?

Thanks.

RE TAXES

I am buying a townhouse in south park slope. the taxes are
very, very low. the sale price has to be at least double what
the owner paid ten years ago, so will this increased value
radically alter the taxes?

Dealing with Inherited Violations

We have discovered that there are about 2 dozen 6 year old violations still on the books for our property. Almost all are in the range of "broken lock" missing bathroom door" etc that were common as the property descended to crack house in the late 90's. in

Continue reading "Dealing with Inherited Violations"

August 9, 2006

Housecleaning Needed

Can anyone recommend a good housecleaner? Currently I am paying $70 per visit for my 600 sqft 1BR, but feel like this is kind of expensive. I hope to pay something closer to $50. If you have someone you love and want to recommend, please let me know!

Thanks!

Recommending a great wood restorer

My husband and I just wanted to give a big recommendation to the guy who just re-varnished all of the woodwork in our brownstone. His name is John Thomas, and he does absolutely beautiful work restoring the color and sheen to old woodwork that may be nicked, scratched or patched and also developing stains for new woodwork to match the existing wood color. (John is also a photorealistic painter, so he knows exactly how to blend color, what the chemistry of the varnish is, and has a meticulous eye.) Before we met John, we had originally thought we would have to strip, sand and restain all of the woodwork in the house, and a quote we had obtained for the work was astronomical. John was able to do it for about a tenth of the price. We were so thrilled with his work that we just thought that more people should know that a person like this is out there. John can be reached at (212) 222-9033 (h) or (646) 573-5935 (c).

Legal responsibities of Landlord

This is a legal question, but any general information or help would be appreciated. I have owned a 3 fam brownstone for 1 1/2 yrs. I have been renovating the place floor by floor (with some tenants in building ) and now I am finishing up the duplex I will be living in. I have a full time job which requires me to travel - not all the time, but enough to be an issue regarding being available for a possible emergency, since I am single. I have a network of tradesmen and my contractor who could help out when something happens when I am away, assuming I know that something has happened, but what is the law regarding building maintenance when the landlord is away. So far, with luck, everything has been OK, no emergencies, but what if there were? What if the tenant wasn't able to get me (on a recent trip I could only access messages and not be available real time). I realized that there is a big hole here - if something serious happened when I was away, this could be a major liability on my part, not to say to my property or to the health and well being of the tenants. What is the law about the tenants having access to a maintenance person in a landlord's absence?

Are there any practical solutions to provide service to tenants during periods of landlord absence?

This is another question and I am sorry if I sound cranky -- but I recently had an interchange with a tenant couple about being available to meet with service people. In response to a tenant's issue with having ants, I asked that they call the exterminator I use, that I would pay for the extermination, of course, but would they arrange the scheduling and meet the guy? I was told that they did not want to hang around waiting for workers -- they both work very long hours, out most of the time etc. They wanted me to arrange and be avaialble to supervise the workers. I was completely non-plussed at first, but then I wondered rather than get into a "Oh yeah, I'm busier than you discussion" I wondered what other busy landlords do with busy tenants about scheduling these kind of things. What are the laws regarding the scheduling and supervision of workers? What if I hired a part-time super? I am responsible to "super"vise him? Where are the boundaries here?

Any information would be appreciated.

frameless shower door

Does anyone have a contact for a good shower door and mirror
installer? We're looking to do that very minimal framless
door look which not all installers do. thanks for the help!

sprouting oak tree on property line

sorry about that...

There is a young oak tree sprouting up inside the hedge row on the property line between my neighbor and I. It is on his side but only by a couple of inches. While it is on his side now, when the tree gets bigger it will eventually move over to my property. He does not want me to cut it down. I explained to him that it is an oak tree and it will become very large and it is not a good idea to have a tree like that planted so close to our houses. He still will not budge. All I can think about are the expensive problems that will arise in the coming years as this tree get bigger. (Not to mention the additional leaves and loss of sunlight for my garden.)Are there any regulations concerning this type of thing?

Skirting Mansion tax?

Here's a question: if you are going to buy a place for say $1,020,000, is it possible to pay the $20,001 that you are over the million mark to the seller separately, so that the purchase price can be declared $999,999, thereby skipping the mansion tax? Just a thought...

Contractors?

Has anyone had any experience with Creative Renovations LLC? How about recommendations for high-end brownstone contractors?

Thanks!

August 8, 2006

Guy who sells salvage stuff in Clinton Hill

There was a small article about a guy who sells items salvaged from brownstones in clinton hill area a few days a week - does anyone have his information?

Painting a Brownstone with Silin

My brownstone was painted by the previous owner and moisture has begun to build up between the paint and the stone. The stone has begun to deteriorate in some areas. Several of you have mentioned Silin by Cathedral Stone as a relatively inexpensive option for refacing a brownstone. Wondering if anyone can give me the address of a brownstone or two (preferably in Brooklyn) that have used this product so I can walk by and have a look. Thanks.

water damage from adjacent patio

hi brownstoners,

anyone come across this one before or have any advice: my frame house is longer than my the adjacent house and the back patio appears to have been elevated to above top of my foundation wall. i'm getting water seepage that is damaging the beams and the brick of the foundation. licensed engineer identified the problem, copy of report given to neighbor who refuses to accept it and will not correct the condition. what to do? aagghhh!

thanks in advance,

frustrated fo brookyln

Graffiti removal?

Anyone have any luck with a graffiti removal technique besides power washing and peel-away? We have old graffiti on our exterior brick which has only *slightly faded* with power washing and this kind of chemical.

Brownstone Entryway Mantle for Sale

This piece was salvaged from a brownstone on 9th Street between 7th and 8th Aves. Pictures available. Asking $500. It's 9 feet tall, and about 4 1/2 feet wide. Has original beveled mirror.

Interested in entryway mantlepiece, call 917-364-4894.

Making Square Columns Round (w/ comments)

My house is NOT in a historical zone...
I have four 8 ft square wood columns that are covered with EIFS (stucco-like product). The columns are 2 per side of the house entrance with a small roof/cornice on top. I want to make the columns round.
How to make the columns round??:
1) Replace the columns with round ones - requires jacking up each column during swap out, etc.
2) Remove the EIFS to the bare wood.
Sand the square shape into a circle
3) Create a circular cast and then build out the square shape using some type of synthetic hardening product.
Has anyone ever tackled something like this? I guess a master carpenter could help with choices 2 and 3... Any recommendations greatly appreciated!!

spacepak or unico central heating/ac small duct system

Hi,
I am looking for feedback from anyone who has installed a spacepak or unico small duct heating/ac unit. I am considering installing this type of systeme in a brownstone duplex.
Thanks

Question about FAR

A property that a friend is buying has exceeded its FAR by 950sf according to propertyshark. Is this cause for concern or will it just prevet any future expansion? Any resale issues?

Lace Curtains

Looking for recommendations on where I can find lace curtains for both windows and glass doors.

AVT Enterprises

I just wanted to recommend the Engineer who did the building inspection for a property we're buying: Joe Pasaturo at AVT Enterprises. (718-750-5088) He was so thorough that not only was I impressed, so was the seller and the Corcoran broker I've been working with.

We spent a total of 2 hours inspecting the four-story brownstone. Joe got into everything - he even asked the seller to turn on the heat so he could check the entire boiler system. I was really impressed by that! And I also liked that he was very balanced - didn't try to frighten me (but maybe that's because the house is in general extremely good condition for its age), but was still very clear about what problems needed to be addressed right away.

This is our second brownstone purchase, and I was fairly satisfied with the firm that did my first inspection. But Joe has really changed my expectations for what an engineering/inspection report should be like.

Joe was even able to supply me with a Wood Destroying Insect Inspection Report, saving me the additional hassle of finding an exterminator to inspect for termite damage.

FYI - the cost of the report was $1100. Apparently, the price is on a sliding scale, taking into consideration purchase price and square footage. (I asked him because I saw another brownstoner posting that had the price of his service listed at $900).

Lastly, Joe and my attorney who recommended him told me that some brokers don't like him because he's too thorough. I guess his report caused a buyer to back out? In my opinion, only a really unconscionable broker would dislike an engineer/inspector because s/he's too good...

This is my first post to brownstoner, so I hope this isn't too long. Wanted to put enough detail so people didn't suspect this was a fake entry since it's so positive...

August 7, 2006

Mildew under stoop

The tenant of my 2-family brownstone has a private entrance under the stoop which reeks of mildew. Moisture has been seeping into the space under the stairs for some time due to cracks in the brownstone, which I am taking care of. Any ideas on how to deal with the mildew? Can I just drywall or seal up the storage space under the stairs to block off the odor? Any tricks on treating the mildew? Thanks

Marble cleaner

We recently bought a brownstone with several marble fireplaces that could use cleaning and polishing. Can anyone recommend a company that does this work? Thanks.

Electrician & Extermination Co Referal Request

Can anyone refer a licenced Electrician for small jobs (upgrading ciruit boxes, installing additional outlets etc.) and also an extermination co. for that does monthly service calls here in Park Slope.

thanks in advance.

Continue reading "Electrician & Extermination Co Referal Request"

Window Rehab?

Hi-
Currently debating between installing replacement windows and doing rehab of existing windows. I'm getting some quotes for replacement but was curious if anyone had any suggestions for someone I could talk to about rehabbing what I have. Thoughts?
Thanks in advance.

Outdoor Trash Bin

We need to find a nice wooden cover to store two trash cans in the front of our two-family brownstone. Any ideas where we could find one and approximate cost?

brownstone mailbox

We need to convert a single family mailbox to multiple. The current box is on the iron gate at garden level and we'd like to leave it there rather than mount it to the stone steps. Anyone know of where to get nice mailboxes?? Thanks!

Hi - we need to repoint the front (and side) of a brick brownstone. We have a two year old and a baby and were wondering how dusty/messy it gets inside the house while a repointing is underway. We have a good contractor who gets good reviews and does nice work but any first hand experience would be welcomed.

Thanks

Separate Mgmt Company for Tax Purposes

I am in the process of purchasing a brownstone with two rental units in addition to our living space. My accountant has recomended setting up a separate company (LLC or S-Corp) to act as the management company. This way, all of the costs of the building, despite the rental income, create a loss that, being the sole shareholder of the company, I can file on my personal return, thereby reducing my taxable income. Has anyone done this? Are there any pitfalls I should avoid? Are the benefits worth it? Could I employ a nanny under this arrangement and thereby offer child care through the mgmt company?

August 6, 2006

Installing Additional Stairs for Duplex

My family and I live on the first 2 floors oa a 3 fam house. We have a tenant on Floor 3. There is currently only a single staircase leading from the first floor to the top - lefthand side of the house - pretty standard. We've been using this common staircase as we go from Floor 1 (kitchen, L/R, access to our yard, etc.) to Floor 2 (bedrooms). It's not that bad...but we'd really like to be "self-contained" We are very interested in installing a small spiral or similar-type of staircase connecting floors 1 & 2 so that we really have a contained duplex. We think that connecting the small middle rooms to one another.

Has anyone done this before? I know that there are those that say not to... But, I've seen some photos and examples and we like it. So, has anyone used a person/company they like? Ball park price? Did you have the stairs custom made, or did you buy the stairs? Someone recently posted a link to the Arkestairs company and they really looked interesting.

Thoughts please!

Hourly labor costs for carpenter?

Could someone gift us an idea of roughly what a (reasonably skilled) carpenter would charge per hour to, say, put in a set of french doors? Obviously, there's a wide range depending on the job, but is there a per-hour ballpark? Is that a job that requires one man or two?

August 5, 2006

New Gutters: Gutter Guard?

Has anyone gotten the new gutters with caps? Anything positive or negative about them? I'm tired of cleaning gutters!

Sub Zero Removal

I have a sub zero brand refridgerator that needs to be removed from an apartment. my problem is that there is a compressor that needs to taken taken off the top in order for the entire unit to be transported out in our elevator. does anyone have any suggestions as to what would be the most reasonably priced option for removing and reattaching a compressor?

Fixing a huge hole in my floor

When my CG Brownstone was almost fully gut renovated in '73 they did a kinda (then) modern design in the parlour floor, and cut a hole in the floor, about 5 feet by 4. We still can't work out why, maybe to give light to the room below. Now I need to fill the hole to get get floor space back. The hole is up against the exposed brick wall on one side and the pockets for the joists are still there. Can I get the flooring company to take care of this as part of the refinishing job for the whole floor, or should I have a contractor frame it first. I need it to be load bearing for furniture and people to walk on. I also need the new ceiling area it will create in the room below to be finished. Will it be necessary to replace the joists they cut away? How big a job is this?

Challenging RE Taxes

Our 3-unit coop in Prospect Heights has a hearing at the end of this month to challenge our real estate taxes. Obviously, we are a small coop and we are Class 2C and have seen our RE taxes sky rocket . Our taxes are MUCH higher than any similar 3-4 unit coop in our area. We believe that somewhere along the line we were given the wrong tax class-- we are above a store (which has it's own Block & Lot # and taxes) and collect absolutely nothing from them. We hope to make our approach at the hearing 2-pronged:
1. challenge our tax class
2. present a very detailed engineer's report stating the repairs that need to be done to the building along with estimates. Thereby lowering our taxable assessed value.
Does anyone have experience/advice with any of this? Know a great RE lawyer whose brain we can pick pre-hearing? Thanks in advance.

August 4, 2006

Entry Doors: Is Pella worth the extra $?

I'm considering replacing my wood double doors with a new steel or fiberglass door with two side lights. I've looked at Pella, ThermaTru and Reliabilt. Prices really vary!! Is a Pella door worth the extra money?

New Place for FSBO Posts and Salvage

We've launched a bunch of bulletin boards over on the Brooklyn Record. Some of them--including the FSBO boards and the Architectural Salvage board--will be of particular interest to Brownstoner readers. There are also boards for events, sales, kids and nabes. The trick with this kind of thing is getting people to use them in the beginning before there's a whole lot there, so we'd certainly appreciate some early posts from the old-timers on Brownstoner!
Our New Brooklyn Boards [Brooklyn Record]

Bath Contractor

Hi-
I'm looking to put in a half bath on my first floor where none currently exists. Any references for someone who canhandle this job?
Thanks.

HELP! getting invaded by squirrels...

Seems like squirrels in our backyard are very daring this summer : they chewed their way through our window screen and invaded our living space. They ate goodies in the kitchen, peed and pooped on our bedroom floor! It's getting out of control!

Is anyone else under similar situation? Is there any non-violent solution to this? Please help!!

tipping your contractor?

our contractor has had one person working alone on our kitchen renovation for 5 or 6 weeks now. He's done good work and gone above and beyond the call on several occassions. does anyone have any advice on whether or how to tip this person?

Facade Work

I want to clean the facade of a 1895 Brownstone -- currently it is covered in layers of old paint. I'm hoping to end up with clean brick. Anyone have suggestions on who to call and use? Any idea what steps need to be taken with Landmark Comission? Will this whole deal be expensive?

Garden Redo?

Anyone know a good Garden designer who is creative and not too expensive. I have a concrete slab for a backyard right now which I hope to have replaced with a brick patio, some landscaping and trees.

Garden redo?

Anyone know a good Garden designer who is creative and not too expensive. I have a concrete slab for a backyard right now which I hope to have replaced with a brick patio, some landscaping and trees.

Windows

I want to replace the windows on my 1910 Limestone; I have gotten some conflicting information and wondered if anyone here has any advice. The main question is if the original “frame” should be replaced. Our contractor says to replace the entire units including the frame (with Andersen 400 series); the window store said that replacement windows were better (Marvin Ultimate Inserts). Both options will look the same on the outside so that’s not an issue; I just wanted to know what most people with 100 year old Brownstones do. Thanks!

August 3, 2006

Central AC on Roof

We want to put our central a/c compressors on the roof of our landmarked brownstone. any idea what kinda costs i'm looking at? how much of a pain in the neck is landmarks with this?

Planting Adult Trees

Our Park Slope Brownstone backs up to a smaller garden and then an unsightly 8 story coop building (which looms pretty large). We are thinking about bringing in a large evergreen to help block us from the coop and vice-versa. Anyone heard of doing that? How big a tree can one import? Must it be craned in over the house?

Kitchen in front parlor?

I have just purchased a landmarked PS brownstone which needs a major reno. We are planning on creating a upper triplex with garden level rental. After great debate, we are leaning heavily towards putting the kitchen for the triplex in the front parlor. Has anyone ever seen that before? Thoughts? Will landmarks object? Help.

Want to know more about Crown Heights

My husband and I plan to move from our small apartment in Kensington in the next year and are keeping our options wide open. I know very little about Crown Heights, except that the homes are gorgeous and seem relatively affordable. Can anyone tell me more about the neighborhood? For instance, what is it like for families with young childre? How are the schools? What is the crime rate/general vibe of the neighborhood? What are the amenities like?

Thanks,
SLD

AIA 101-1997

Does anyone have any experience with the AIA101-1997? And, would anyone have one (blank or blacked out) they'd be willing to email me so that I can get familiar with it? My contractor recommends that we use this as our project contract, and it seems like it's probably a good idea, but I wanted to review it first. As always, thank you! If you're willing to share anything you've got, you can email me at EnWhySee@gmail.com.

Free old door w beautiful brass knob

Hey all--I posted this on Craigslist, but to my surprise, I've gotten no takers (and I've had ppl pick up the most ridiculous crap!) I hate to throw it away, but need it out of the house this weekend due to complicated circumstances.
Beautiful old 7'X29.5" oak door. Heavy as a mother and with a great old school brass knob. It is painted white (and fair warning, it is very likely to have lead paint on it), but stripped down these doors are just gorgeous. Let me know if you want it... gypsyfingers@yahoo.com

Garden/Backyard helper

I’ve been in my home for over two years now and haven't done anything with my backyard except take the lawnmower to it. Juggling work and school, sometimes I rarely have time to pull the machine. Can anyone recommend an affordable and reasonable person, preferably someone with their own equipment, who's available on the weekends to take over the task? I expect it to be long term (until I have some time and that very elusive $$$$ to decide what I really want to do with it). Thanks everyone.

Carpenter Needed!

Can anyone recommend a carpenter? We have a small littany of stuff to do:

Sister (sp?) up and possibly add a couple joists where they have rotted.

Put down new subfloor in rotted area.

Frame and install a french door on the back of the house.

Frame up a small room with doorway inside the house.

Looking for someone who does great work, at fair prices. Thanks.

Seamless Gutters (avec comments)?

We need the gutters on our 3-story brownstone completely redone. I got a quote today for an aluminum, seamless gutter installed on the back of our house for $1500.

How does this quote sound? Can anybody recommend a good seamless gutter-er with reasonable pricing?

Seamless Gutters?

We need the gutters on our 3-story brownstone completely redone. I got a quote today for an aluminum, seamless gutter installed on the back of our house for $1500.

How does this quote sound? Can anybody recommend a good seamless gutter-er with reasonable pricing?

Cambridge Place House

I heard the Cambridge Place house listed by Corcoran for $1,299,000 is in contract. Anyone know what it sold for?

Roof deck considerations?

Our co-op board is mulling a roof deck for our 17-unit building. We are debating the permit/no permit issue, as well as house rules (alcohol, kids, guests, hours) and whether we will need to soundproof. Anyone have strong thoughts on these issues? Things you wish you'd considered when you built your own deck?

heating pipes leaking

I have leaking heating pipes. The system is gas fired hot water heating with 3/4" copper baseboard which I installed about 30 years ago. Does any one know if there is a way to drain the system and then run a "sealer" through to seal any pin holes or small leaks.

Prospect Heights?

can someone clarify where prospect heights begins and ends? I'm having a debate with a buddy of mine. Appearently, his real-estate broker is adding confusion by constantly "pushing" the boundaries. His broker wants him to be a "visionary pioneer" to look beyond the agreed prospect heights border.. blah blah blah.

Information about condos

Hello,
I've heard stories of people waiting in lines to purchase condos. How do they get the information before anyone else? How can I be regularly informed on decent condos that are up for sale (and I'm not talking about those cheaply constructed eyesores). Thank you!

Appliance Showrooms

I am in the market for a new refrigerator - traditional top or bottom freezer - no side-by-side or subzero. I am considering a 36" GE Profile, but have yet to find a showroom where I can actually look at it in person. Any suggestions for showrooms with a good selection of refrigerators? Thanks.

How do you find out how much a house sold for?

I'm dying to know how much a house on our street sold for last fall. Is there any way to find out? Thanks.

Curtains/Drapes

Where is a good place to buy curtains/drapes in person? I know there are lots of options online or in catalogues but I'd like to actually see them in person.

Thanks!

August 2, 2006

Where are all the great flooring warehouses??

We are in the middle of a renovation and need to find engineered wood flooring to float over concrete slab. I have been searching for weeks for a good warehouse/showroom in Manhattan or Brooklyn to no avail. Home Depot is a waste of time and charges $25 for samples. Hoboken Floors only sells to "the trade" -- all we need is about 1000 sq. feet of good natural finish engineered oak strip with 1-week lead time. Can anyone help?!

Cork floors - best quality vs. Click-Lock Floating floor

Kitchen Floor Hell - Part 2
So my floor guy confirms that the termite-ruined planks of my kitchen floor will be an ugly, messy repair. He's offering to put an unfinished oak tongue and groove floor in for $1200 - plus sanding/polyurethaning. It comes to about $2100 all told.

TOday I visited Aronson's in Manhattan - the Mercedes of cork flooring, apparently. They only sell cork tiles - not inexpensive, and will also do expert installation and polyurethaning. The floor will cost about $4500 installed, and I need to have a sanded smooth plywood subfloor preinstalled.

I also conttacted a cool place in East Harlem called Habitus. They sell a floating floor slcik-lock cork floor system for about $7.00 sq. ft. - they say I'll need no sub-floor, and I can do it myself. (ahem.) This is about a third of the cost of Aronson's. Of course the guy at Aronson stuck his nose in the air abot this solution - says it's a lousy floor, not architectural quality etc.

What do people here think?
I'm tempted by all three solutions - the oak (boring, but perfectly servicable), the click-lock (but I think I'll mess up the installation and would need a handyman type to install it) and the fancy Aronson's cork - although it's a lot of $$$ - $$$ I could use for other things in this kitchen - like counters or appliances. On the other hand - the cork is gorgeous.

Time Limit on Construction?

I live on 11th St btw 7th and 8th Ave in PSlope. Behind my apt at 453 12th St there has been construction of a new building going on for about 3 years. The work is only halfway done, the backyard is littered with debris and the front is blocked off by an eye sore of a fence. According to the DOB website there have been numerous complaints. I believe they have lost their permits because all worked has stopped. My question is if there is a time limit on when construction needs to be completed? Is the property allowed to sit like that indefinitely? They never finished installing all the windows and doors in the back of the building so I believe the interior is being ruined by the rain.

waterproofing back of brownstone recommendations

We are looking to have the back of our brownstone resealed and our fire escape scrapped and repainted. I got an estimate from M.H. Construction and would like to have at least 2 estimates. Can anyone recommend someone and has anyone used M.H. Construction? We are in Carroll Gardens. Thanks...

What Does It All Cost??

I was curious what the actual annual costs of owning a brownstone are??? You buy a building for 1-2 million and then what? What do annual taxes, insurance, utilities actually come to?

Flies

Topic is flies around the stoop...I take it everyone has this problem...just seems like mine is way worse...anyone found a way of controlling the buzzing hoardes?

To head of the smart responses...no there is no trash/dead animals housed in my stoop area...

resurfacing a tub?

We have a tub in a rental apt. that needs to be resurfaced. Does anyone know of a company that does this? thanks!

August 1, 2006

emptying an oil tank

What is done to empty an oil tank (before removing the tank)? Are there specialists who do this and if so, where can they be found, what are they called, how do you judge them, how much do they charge...? If my neighbor still uses oil, is it possible to pump the oil into their tank (if they have room? One suggestion someone made was to just run the tank empty by running the boiler - is this safe? Thanks

Ventilation System in Basement?

We are about ready to go to contract on a Federal Brick circa 1930s gut reno but engineer's report stressed that there was a lack of ventilation space alloted in basement and no egress to outside because it is below ground....of course, seller states this is common and not an issue. Easily remedied through a humidifier. Let the buyer beware. My husband claims this a future environmental issue for mold, mildew, leakage and rodents....anyone out there with experience? Know of a solution?

Really Good Real Estate Attorney

Can anyone recommend one? Our tiny co-op is getting clobbered by a member who promised to pay the co-op's legal fees surrounding an addition he proposed and is now reneging. The fees are in the thousands and we're only ten units - meaning everyone else ultimately has to cough up to pay for his proposal. Adding insult to injury, he's gone for weeks at a time and has a history of illegal sublets - not allowed in our small community. At the moment, there are two unfriendly ladies staying in his apartment who keep the blinds drawn and don't answer the door. When we questioned him, he indicated it's a distant relative.

We're getting clobbered because we're polite and he's an ass and our attorney phones it in.
We're due for a change - we need a bulldog who can help us in enforcing his agreement and our general bylaws. Any recommendations?

Continue reading "Really Good Real Estate Attorney"

Need Tenant Issue Advice

I would appreciate any thoughts on my situation. I just rented out a one-bedroom apt in my townhouse in Park Slope. I rented it out as is, it was a beautiful renovation with central air conditioning, wide-plank walnut floors, washer and dryer and very fair price. The girl who is renting it from me said she wanted a dish-washer but I told her this is as is and it is tricky to install a dish washer with the current layout -- take it or leave it. She decided to take it but asked if she get a portable one. I said ok and even volunteered to pay for it. She bought it and when I saw the size of that thing and the price tag over $400, I was surprised and upset but did not say anything. Now she discovered that my Italian designer faucet does not fit her portable dishwasher hookup and she is asking for me to get a contractor and replace the faucet. I just went through the most painful renovations for this house and everything that could go wrong went wrong. I am terrified to do anything at this point; as I know it won't be that simple. Apart from this, I just feel like the girl is making me do things that I told her from the beginning I won't do... and how this is snowballing into more serious issues.

Any thoughts?

Thank you.

Bathroom Caulking Job

For years, the tile seams around my bathroom tub and shower have suffered from bad to worse caulking jobs. In response to my complaints about ugly, mildewed caulk, various handymen types have merely put new caulk over the old, each time making the seam wider and sloppier than before (albeit whiter in appearance). I would now like to get the job done completely right! I'm thinking this would mean a complete scrape off of all the old caulk layers and then application of the tidiest, smoothest and narrowest -- but still leak effective-- new caulk layer.

My questions are these: Other than another handyman with lots of experience doing this, is there any other kind of tradesperson I should call in for this task? Perhaps a tiler or painter/plaster type? And, regardless of who does the job, does anyone have any idea how much I should should expect to pay for this type of task on an area that is roughly 25 linear feet in size? Thanks!

Exterior Bstone Front Doors

We are in the midst of a gut renovation of
our c. 1863 Brownstone in Boerum Hill and need desperately to replace the front doors (parlor level) to the house, hopefully with a pair of salvaged doors from the same era. I've identified Olde Goode Things and Demolition Depot locally. Does anyone know of other good sources (local?) of exterior doors which would be relevant to the Brooklyn brownstone aesthetic? Thanks much.

Stoop leak

Continue reading "Stoop leak"

renovation cold feet

After hiring an architect, getting our drawings approved (FINALLY), and narrowing down our choice of contractors (haven't decided on one quite yet) my husband and I are having second thoughts about the extent we want to renovate our Boerum Hill/Park Slope brownstone (owner's duplex). We're planning on moving the kitchen from the garden level to the parlor (and thereby adding a third bedroom where the current kitchen is), and adding a bathroom (to the parlor level). Also renovating bathroom on garden level. It's going to be alot of money obviously and we'll have to move out for a while (with toddler). Can't decide if it will be worth it in the long run or not. We'll have to borrow the money. It'll be so much nicer - the current kitchen and bathroom are disgusting and we bought the house last year knowing we'd renovate them, but just not planning on doing this much work. We suddenly decided to move the kitchen upstairs and then it snowballed into this $150k project. Think it's worth it, investment-wise?

Kitchen Shelf Ideas?

We just finished a kitchen renovation and are missing a final piece...a 30" stainless steel wall-hung dish rack. We've looked everywhwere on line and can't find anything. Any suggestions?

Forum: August 2006

August 31, 2006

August 30, 2006

August 29, 2006

August 28, 2006

August 27, 2006

August 26, 2006

August 25, 2006

August 24, 2006

August 23, 2006

August 22, 2006

August 21, 2006

August 20, 2006

August 19, 2006

August 18, 2006

August 17, 2006