March 31, 2007

ant infestation

quite an ant parade in our parlor kitchen. any suggestions?

Staining Stripped Woodwork

We have a variety of wood that has heavy shellac on it at our house. Much of this finish is globbed on and blotchy and/or very old and cracked now. I did many tests and we cannot just do a serious clean up of the outer layer and then put another coat or two of shellac on it to preserve the earliest finish. So we are left with stripping (which is easy actually with shellac) and then staining. I really would love to know what specific stain mixtures people have done to various old woods in area homes. We have maple, and some type of fruitwood for the most part in our house. But in the dining room it is all an old oak that has a very dark finish on it. In this room we can probably just clean it up and then polish it somehow. Does anybody have any good ideas for us? We really need them asap. Thanks.

Fences?

My 1925 house in Bay Ridge needs a fence of some description around its small garden. Three queries for you kind people - recommendations of aesthetically pleasing fences, a reputable merchant for said fence, and a reliable installer for reasonable fees. I was hoping to find a style or design that is in sympathy with a 1920's house. I find most fences styles to be twee or garish (those polished chrome jobs? what's up with that?). Anyway, your thoughts and recommendations are most appreciated.

Anybody need old colonial style windows?

I'm replacing 5 of my old colonial style windows in 2 weeks with vinyl double hungs. I was wondering if the old windows would be of any use to anyone who likes this style. They're obviously old with layers of paint and weakened wood frames. They open outward from the center and they are anchored to the frame with regular hinges. I guess they look like french doors for windows. There are 8 panes of glass for each "door", and there are 4 sets of these, meaning 8 "doors". Another set with 6 panes for each door. They lock like french doors too, at the top and bottom of each, closest to the center. Don't know if these have value, but they're gonna be trash otherwise. Can send pics if wanted.

Mgt. Co. for 16 unit Lefferts Bldg.?

I am in the process of purchasing a fairly good condition 16 unit apt. bldg in Lefferts Gardens and am seeking an experienced, honest and cometent management company preferably with experience in the surrounding area. Does anyone have recommendations or warnings who to stay away from?

When and hat to plant in flower boxes?

Is it too early to plant flower boxes with annuals? What would you suggest (since it's the north side I usually go with the old impatiiens)

Thanks!

Small Building Loan Program

Does anyone know anything about participating in the City's Small Building Loan Program to get financing assistance for a major renovation project? I think there is talk about merging that program with Participation Loan Program. Anyone have any insights or experience with this type of thing?

421b tax credit/abatement

I know the NYS legislature did not renew the 421b tax exemption program last year so it expired 6/06. Does anyone know whether Spitzer's administration put it back in?

WATERBUGS

Can anyone recommend an exterminator who uses non toxic materials? Is there even such a thing as non toxic bug sprays ?

CLAWFOOT TUBS

Anyone know where there is a showtoom that has an assortment of clawfoot tubs on display. Also wondering if anyone has installed an acrylic or arcasone type rather than cast iron. If so what do you think of it? And how is it holding up?

Green Energy Providers

I want to switch my energy suppliers, both electricity and gas, to an ESCO (energy services company) that provides power from renewable sources such as wind, solar and water, and is as environmentally-friendly as possible. I have made a shortlist of what seem to be the greenest ESCOs available to Brooklyn residents. Does anyone have an opinion about the relative merits of these two companies, or any other suggestions:
IDT
Accent

And if anyone has switched to an ESCO recently, how was the process? Was it as simple as the company's say it will be or did ConEd/Keyspan screw things up (as I predict they might).
Thanks for any views on this issue.

March 30, 2007

window trim color

We own a home in a landmarked area. We are in the process of having our window plans approved. My question is... we would like to paint our window trim in a cream color instead of their original black. We wonder if anyone has been through paint applications with landmarks and can tell us how it went.

Code Compliant Bathroom

We are swapping out bathroom and kitchen in our condo and hope to put in a very compact 1/2 bath. We assume we will be filing with DOB but does anyone know if our new bathroom needs to be ADA compliant?

Designer/Architect sought for screened porch & more

We're feeling the need for i) more privacy and ii) relief from the mozzies, on our 19 X 11 ft parlor-floor rear deck. We're thinking of a screened-in pergola-type structure that would be both aesthetic (traditional or ultra modern -- we're open to both) and functional. We also need a cute backyard shed for garden tool storage etc. Any referrals for great designers or architects or contractors gratefully received.

Code considerations for sleeping loft?

Hi,

Has anyone built a sleeping loft? Not a freestanding one, a permanent feature. I have very high cielings in my kids bedrooms (they'd be 10+ y.o. when we do this), would like to give them more space. I can't figure it out from the dob website, what are the requirements for ventilation, ladders/stairs, railings, fire protection? I know it can be done, there are lofts all over the place in studios. TIA!

install flagstone

how do i install flagstone

PURCHSING A BLDG W/RENT STABALIZED/SUBSIDIZED APTS

I am interested in purchasing an 8 family off Atlantic Ave under the LIRR, but the building is in need of a complete overhaul from top to bottom. At present, the property is in a 10 year unsettled estate and is bringing in less than $1500 in income per month. I know the executor of the estate and would be willing to purchase the house, however those tenancies are in rent subsidized and stabilized apts. How can I get them out and the apts converted? These tenants are very difficult; up to last month someone died and the entire family moved into the apt. The owner is at her wits end and does not know what to do.

Engineer recommendations?

Could anyone share a good recommendation for an engineer to conduct a thorough pre-purchase brownstone survey?

March 29, 2007

Realtor Recommendations: Never?

So I wrote this other post about how the inspector my realtor recommended must have been FREAKING BLIND, and of course the repeated refrain is

"Never Hire Anyone Recommended By A Realtor."

And I figured I would separate this idea out for discussion because:

a) I am sure a lot of people use this forum as a resource when they are buying a house, and in general this seems to be sound advice... and

b) Do you all think there is any exception to that rule? And if so, is there logic to this? I mean, the lawyer my realtor recommended totally kicked ass (Philip Lavender at Marcus Attorneys).

He operated *completely* independently of the realtor, and definitely represented my interests and not the interests of the deal. I never would have contacted Phil without the realtor, so my own limited experience says "Never say never."

Anyone?

$1300 for RE lawyer?

What is the going rate for real estate lawyers these days? We are buying our first home (a condo) and don't know what's the norm for these type of fees. Also, if you have a RE lawyer to recommend, please let us know. Thanks!

Renovations and re tax assessment

I currently have a 4fam that I'll use as a 2fam. The building is currently a class 2A, and I was told not to change this since otherwise I'd loose the assessment caps that accumulated over the years. I was wondering if it is possible to have a building with a CO for a 2fam, and remain registered with the Dep. of Finance as a class 2 property. I was also wondering how much the renovations will increase my assessment, and if bringing down the use of the building to a 2fam would have some tax benefits.

193 Carlton/open house

Noticed an ad for an open house on 193 Carlton ave in Fort Greene last week and vaguely remember they are doing it again this weekend. Anyone go?

Making 2 rooms out of 1

I live in a 2 bedroom duplex that I would like to convert into a 3 bedroom by splitting the large second bedroom into 2 small rooms. I'm envisioning that the job will entail putting up some sheetrock, installing additional outlets, dealing with ceiling moulding, moving a light fixture and cutting a whole in an existing wall for another door. What is the best way to approach this project - architect? interior designer? I have a couple of handyman/contractor types that I trust to execute what I want, but I want to check with someone to see if my ideas pass muster (and possibly code). Any suggestions for who to call?

Purchasing a condo assignment - is a buyers agent needed?

In the event of a condo assignment opportunity, where I would be purchasing a pre-constructed unit from the seller (so basically just a deed transfer), is a buyer's agent needed? The seller does not have an agent, and does not wish to pay any commission fees.

So, if I want an agent, I would have to pay the fees myself (although likely a lower rate). To my understanding, all that is needed to complete the sale is to have a real estate lawyer do the paperwork.

My question is, is there any benefit to having (and paying for) a buyer's agent in this situation? Or conversely, are there any risks involved in not having an agent?

Thanks for the advice.

How to Free Pocket Shutters

Our original parlor floor windows were replaced with shorter windows at some point and then our brownstone facade was redone so that the gap between the original windows and the new ones was filled in. Now, our inside pocket shutters are cemented in with what seems like concrete (??). I'm wondering if anyone has had this situation and whether the shutters can be freed without having to redo our brownstone facade. It's impossible to tell whether brick, cinder blocks or wood was used to fill in the gaps.

Transfer tax

I am relocating to a new job in a different city and have to sell our E. Flatbush limestone though we have owned for only 1.5 years. I know if we sell before 2 years the tax on any profit is higher and am trying to decide if we should wait until after 2 years to sell. Does anyone know how much approx. one pays? Example, buy for $500k, sell for $600k. On our taxes we declared 30% of our property as rental space and I understand I'd have to pay taxes on that portion anyway. Thanks for any info.

lining under stoop

The underneath of our stoop has peeling paint & in the worst spots spalling/crumbling surface probably from damp. We plan to get rid of the paint & loose stone & then we want to resurface (DIY). Has anyone done this/had it done? Any pointers? Given we want the stone to breath we were thinking to cement render & not paint. Does this makes sense? What prep work do we need to do to make sure the cement sticks? Incidentally, we have 2 types of surface - in the main walking area, the stone is lined with large pieces of what looks like bluestone / slate whereas under the steps is just brownstone...

March 28, 2007

Seeking Architect

Architect Recommendations For Northside Projct, Brooklyn

My architect, who just passed away was finalizing my design of a 3 family brick brownstone into a six floor R6A, six unit small building near the river in Williamsburg. Financing, a finalized budget and contractor are in place. The current design must be reduced to a new DOB FAR of 6700 square feet. I have received special unique permission already from the DOB for this design. I am seeking a NYC registered architect to complete and sign off on this project. Again it’s a real project and I need a real architect. I can forward the designs. Thanks. Charles Weinstein, BridgePicturesltd@yahoo.com

Buying out a tenant

Has anyone ever been in a situation where they had to buy out a below market tenant that came with a building?

How much did you pay? How long was the lease (if there was one)? What kind of lease (rent-controlled, rent-stabilized, housing assistance) And what was the expected market rental vs what was being paid?

I may have to buy out a tenant (who has no lease), is elderly and has been living for decades in an apartment in a house I want to buy, and pays next to nothing. I am trying to work out how these things work from anyone with first hand experience.

Thanks

How Common Is This?

Hello, I am wondering if I should feel ripped off.

I bought a brownstone that had "good bones" in realtorspeak. And the inspector confirmed this--localized water damage, no termite damage, good bones.

Now my main beam needs to be replaced because it is riddled with termite damage. And I will be replacing joists up into the parlor level because they are thick with termite damage--no wood anymore.

Every single person who's been in has asked me why I didn't get an inspection, and I feel like such a sucker.

The inspector claims that he didn't see anything. What did I freaking pay for? What did I do wrong?

ING Direct Mortgage?

Am curious if anyone on this board have used (or know someone that did) ING's Mortgage services? Their fees are incredibly low and I wonder if it's too good to be true. I'm considering them as they have a a great reputation in other areas of banking.

Thanks!

Termites?

Tenants came to me and said there were termites in their bathroom this morning. A bunch of the little buggers. Had the building a little over a year now, never had a problem before. Is this something I should try and fix myself first with appropriate chemicals or given the potential downside, just get an exterminator in to nuke the place? They were in the bathroom extension, outside corner furthest away from the house proper . . . if that makes any difference. Any advice greatly appreciated!

John

Concrete Pavers

Where can I get concrete pavers for a backyard garden?

Any experience doing it yourself with concrete pavers? Was it difficult? Any contractors you can recommend to lay them?

Contractors for concrete, repointing, waterproofing

Our summer projects are: remove concrete from our backyard, fix our sidewalk, waterproof a wall, and repoint our brick facade. So we have contractor questions:

Does anyone have experience with the following contractors?
Shahid Construction
Hassan Brothers
AM Construction and Waterproofing

Does anyone have recommendations for contractors who do the kind of work mentioned above?

Thanks very much!

Facade Work

I live in one of those ugly Greenpoint vinyl siding houses. My siding isn't even traditional vinyl siding, but some gross fake stone mottled stuff. Anyway, I want to cover it/replace it with that real brick siding (something like Brick-It -- www.brickit.com ), then add a cornice. Anyone have a contractor who can do that, or else, a fake brownstone stucco-type thing? The few houses on my block that have done either one or the other look really good....

Shady Construction Company

Based on favorable recommendations through the Forum I hired a contractor to renovate a 4 floor brick row house. The contact stated that they would complete this renovation within 3 months. Now 8 months later they are randomly working on it. The contractor is very difficult to work with, there seems to be a very limited amount of workers and there are times when they only show up one day a week, for he is working on other peoples houses. Many areas of the house were worked on (the company is totally unorganized), yet not completed. Needless to say there is dirt and dust tracked through out. There work is far below perfection. All during this time my families with small children have occupied the residence. They have left me without a kitchen all this time except for a refrigerator and a microwave, which has been a major expense dining out, and without a washer and dryer another expense. In the meantime 8 months of storage is continued being paid for. Although there is no stipulation in the contract other than the work would be completed in 3 months can anyone suggest any recourse?

Help! Pregnant and Need New Hardwood Floors

I'm very pregnant and need to replace or refinish my hardwood floors pronto. I'm in Manhattan and 3 contractors/refinishers have given me quotes of $8+/sft for refinishing the circa-1880 pine subfloors (which are in bad shape), and $15-$25/sft for new Bruce prefinished. Any recommendations for someone more reasonable?

Help! Pregnant and Need New Hardwood Floors

I'm very pregnant and need to replace or refinish my hardwood floors pronto. I'm in Manhattan and 3 contractors/refinishers have given me quotes of $8+/sft for refinishing the circa-1880 pine subfloors (which are in bad shape), and $15-$25/sft for new Bruce prefinished. Any recommendations for someone more reasonable?

Seeking Recommendation for Front Courtyard Tree

We want to put a square planter (28" cube) in the recessed courtyard at the front of our b'stone. Can anyone recommend a small, flowering tree to put in it? The spot gets full sun.

Thanks.

March 27, 2007

Cellar Pool

I was daydreaming about what I would do in my house if I had unlimited money, and one of the things I always wanted in my home was a lap pool in the cellar - one of those small exercise pools, like the Endless Pool. Just as a matter of curiousity, as my bathtub is the only endless pool I'll be able to afford for the foressable future, are those legal in Bklyn row houses? Obviously it would have to be hand dug (mucho bucks there). How far below do the subway lines run? I don't think there is one under my house, but what about infrastructure pipes, electric cable, telephone lines, etc? Again, I'm not planning to do this, just curious.

Hudson?

Hi everyone. Has anyone here bought property up in Hudson/Columbia County area? I've seen a few people mention having second homes/former homes upstate and could use some referrals for brokers, mortgage lenders/brokers, RE lawyers and contractors. Any recommendations (or advise on who to avoid) would be very much appreciated.
Thanks,
--Chris

Preservation I

Looking for a plumber who will actually touch an antique pedestal sink

Continue reading "Preservation I"

can i turn white brick into brownstone?

So i am considering buying a townhouse that has a hideous white brick (circa 1970) facade. My question is, can brownstone/stucco that looks like brownstone be applied over the white brick? if not, what are my options for improving the facade. Thanks

Gas pipes at every light fixture location

We have about 3" of gas line coming down from the ceiling at each fixture. The gas lines are live. We know this because there was a leak that we had repaired in one room. Since there's a kitchen on the 3rd & 1st floor cutting the gass off altogether is not an easy task; it's not clear that one pipe in the basement serves all the light fixtures. In addition to the ceiling lights, there are openings for 3 sconces with gas lines in every room, but only a few actual fixtures which I had removed to clean & re-wire .... so we have many open holes with live wires & gas lines in every room. Total mess. The big problem is the ceiling fixtures. What do we do? We want to install ceiling fixtures but have to resolve the gas line issue. Flush mount fixtures won't fit. Anyone here dealt with this? Have any ideas as to how to approach this? Thank you.

creating new windows

I posted this a few weeks ago and got little response. -Thought I'd try again
I'm interested in creating two new windows in the side wall of a first floor apartment of a three story brownstone.
The upper two floors already have windows in the locations that I'd like them installed on the first floor. I understand that since this is structual work that could compromise the stability of the exterior wall, I should hire a contractor with access to a qualified architect or engineer and file with the city. Has anyone gone about anything similar to this and can they recommend anyone qualified to do the work?

Staining New Windows

I'm looking for someone who can stain and poly some wood windows I just had installed in my apartment. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Thanks!

need architect drawings of my design

I'm an industrial designer (products, furniture, etc) and I've pretty much fleshed out a design for a pretty big renovation of a row house my wife and I just purchased. I'm looking for an architect who can take virtual 3d model and make drawings turn it into drawings that will be approved by the buildings department. I will also want to get feedback on my designs from a building code perspective. Does anybody know an architect who might be willing to work with this kind of arrangement? Any sense of what this might cost — for the drawings and consulting, but not really design work or construction management. Thanks in advance for any thoughts on the above.

Leads on Contractors

I'm planning on adding a sunroom to the back of my apartment in Boerum Hill and am looking for a excellent contractor. The project will include demo'ing and reworking the openings in the 1st. floor of the back wall, and adding a custom-designed room into the garden the back of the apartment. Any suggestions for excellent detail-oriented contractors who are also excellent at time management? Any experience with either Perfect Renovations or Creative Renovations?

Stay Away from Heimer Engineering, P.C.

Based on some good feedback on the Forum, we used Heimer Engineering for a complete "licensed professional engineer's certified report" on the house we were bidding on.

Heimer issued a report with a Termite Certification saying they had undertaken "a thorough and diligent visual examination of the subject house" and that there was no visible evidence of damage. We paid $950 for the report.

BUT, when I had a pest control guy come back to do a final check 2 weeks later, he found observable mud tubes and termite damage to the joists in plain view (without opening any walls, etc.).

I thought it was weird that the Heimer inspector didn’t even have a flashlight with him when he did the inspection.

I called Heimer Engineering's owner, Harold (631-858-5577) who, when he finally returned my call 2 weeks later after a 2nd message, blew me off and referenced the "covers everything" disclaimer in the report.

Conclusion: Heimer reports aren’t worth the paper they're written on. They use templates and stock filler and don’t find obvious problems with homes.

Stay Away!

Brick Patio

I want to hire someone to lay brick in my yard, does anyone have any recommendations of good contractors for this sort of work? I posted a few days ago, but only received one response. Thanks

Water in Basement cause unknown

We don't have the money to fix whatever is wrong at the moment but I would like to have a general sense of what is causing water to appear in the unfinished basement of our 100yo ditmas park victorian. There's a hole in the floor that was once a toilet & it's closed off with what looks like folded thick sheets of lead. Also, there are about 4 metal caps, to what I imagine are pipes, in different areas of the basement floor that also have small pools of water around them. This is the 1st time we've seen any water in the basement but we've only owned the house since Feb 1st and all that snow melting had to contribute to this. There's no bad smell or anything like that; it appears to be clean water. There are many areas of the concrete floor that are cracked & heaving as well. Do I need to do anything with this now? Can I hold off until next summer to get someone in to look at this or could this evolve into a bigger problem if unaddressed? The plumbing in the house is very old, not updated since probably the early 40’s when the lead pipes were removed. We bought a fixer-upper so we're expecting bad things to surface.

Sump / Ejector pumps legal?

There's a lot of talk about sump pumps on this forum and they seem to be much used - my house had an ejector pump in the basement that had to be removed to remedy a DOB violation prior to the sale.

I recently had a guy from a drain cleaning company tell me that sump & ejector pumps are illegal in NYC - he said the city's rationale is that they pump groundwater into the waste line and tax the water treatment system (and they can't charge you for water that doesn't come through your water meter).

Is this true? Are they legal in NYC or not?

next door to demolition

The 2 family next to me is getting demo'd, they just put up the fence yesterday and gave us a letter saying they hope they don't cause too much disturbance. My question is, are they required to do any type of pre-construction survey on adjacent structures to insure they don't generate any damage? I've come to terms that I'll have to deal with the inconvenience but I want to make sure they're following the proper procedures. Any input is greatly appreciated, thanks.

electric wall-mount heater

I'm looking for a wall-mount electric heater to provide supplemental heat in my tenants' apartment - they like the heat to be insanely warm, I don't want the fire hazard of them using normal space heaters and I'd like to give them some degree of control over the temperature in their apartment.

I've seen these units all over europe and asia - they also often have A/C and are mounted near the cieling (I'm really only looking for heat as I don't want to knock holes in my walls for the A/C).

Does anyone know where to find such a heater?

Color Scheme for Hall?

Hi,

We were looking to repaint a common hallway (3 floors total) and was wonderin what colors would make it look bright and welcoming?

There is wainscotting (It think that's what it's called) on the lower half of the walls so we would like it to be two separate colors on top half and bottom half.

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated! Thanks!

March 26, 2007

T&A Carpentry?

Does anyone have experiences with T&A Carpentry? Thanks!

Paint or Re-brownstone?

We need to resurface our brownstone. I'm trying to decide whether to patch, repair and paint it, or to resurface it with the concrete material that is tinted brownstone color. Neither solution is authentic brownstone. We like the paint as the surface is more consistent and smooth, whereas the "re-brownstone" material is rather rough, as there's sand in it and it must be power-washed, which gives it the rough quality. Would like opinions on which is the better way to go, in terms of aesthetics, maintenance, cost, etc.

roof hatch sealed?

hi all, im about to buy a brownstone. the current owner has had the hatch to the roof sealed, presumably because she's an elderl woman living alone and thought that would prevent burgleries. the engineer has inspected the roof by going up to neighbors and then walking across. he says its in excellent condition. but isnt the sealed hatch a code violation? is this something i should be concerned about? and any idea how much it would cost to unseal it/install a new hatch? seems like that access should be there.

new boiler/oil tank removal

im buying a limestone with a fifty year old boiler. ive been told a new one would cost around 8k. but what im wondering is, if we converted to gas, how much would it also cost to remove the enormous fuel tank that takes up a ton of space in the basement? another 1k? less? more? trying to figure out how much the whole thing would cost. (i probably plan on using the existing one for a while, but id like to renovate the basement at some point, at which point id want the extra space that removing the tank would give us.) any help would be much appreciated.

OK Construction

Anyone ever used OK Construction (Yasir Abbas) for masonry (re-pointing)?

Thanks!

Leaky Contractor

After opening up the wall in three different places, in my year old renovated apartment, i finally found the leak in my hot water pipe. Turns out my contractor put a nail through a 2x4 and right into the hot water line. It took almost a year for the leak to sprout. So my question is whether my contractor is obliged, legally or otherwise, to come and fix the leak.

Buying a Vacant Browstone Designated As Unsafe Building

I recently happened upon a three story building with a beautiful brownstone facade. The only problem is it has been vacant for years, all the doors and windows have been sealed with cinder blocks, the DOB has designated it an unsafe building with multiple violations including pieces of the facade and debris coming down, and its owned by the bank.

I would love to explore the possibility of purchasing it and restoring it. But where to begin? Do I first find an agent to pursue the possibility of a purchase from the bank? The banks have owned it for over two years, and it has been passed along to numerous banks in that time. If the bank declares it uninhabitable does that mean they won't sell it?

As for inspecting it, maybe should I get a structural engineer to do an examination of the front to see if it has any obvious structural defects which would render it unsalvageable? Once the cinder blocks have been put up and it has been designated an unsafe building, is it beyond repair? If the bank allowed it, would a structural engineer even risk going inside for an inspection?

I have lots of questions, but am uncertain who to talk to about all of this.

desparately seeking henry (or liani)

Hi everyone, a very nice Iranian man called henry recently did a splendid job installing our dishwasher and a new toilet for a very reasonable prcie. We want him to come back and install a kitchen counter for us but we cant find his number. We found him on the forum in a listing from a woman named Liai (spelling?) who had used Henry many times. Sadly the forum page frmo February this year has been deleted. If you know Henry or Liani, or happen to be eother of them, please post here so we can get in touch.
Many thanks

Staining New Windows

I'm looking for someone who can stain and poly some wood windows I just had installed in my apartment. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Permit

Is a permit required for installing steel beams in a cellar?

Great Sites Like Brownstoner For RE Newbies?

I'm a huge fan and daily reader of Brownstoner, but I may opt to move to Manhattan (or even somewhere like Hoboken or JC) when I start my law firm job next fall. Are there any blogs or resources similar to Brownstoner that focus more on Manhattan/NJ real estate? Thanks!

soundproofing sheetrock walls

my bedroom wall is on the other side of my neighbor's living room. though a new construction condo, the noise travels real easily through the sheetrock. i heard there is a product where you can punch tiny holesin the sheeetrock and spray in an insulating foam. can anyone give me more details on price, name of the product, where i can purchase online and how easy it is to do it yourself?

rilining fireplaces

hi. has anybody heard of joe wallace as a chimney specialist?
we cannot find his number. or please can you suggest people you have been happy with?
thank you.

Crystal Windows

Does anyone have any experience with these windows? If so, please share?

Shutters

We have a bunch of old shutters in our house but not even clear that they were original. Iprevious owner started renovation and liked to pick up salvage things)
we need someone to come in, determine if any of the shutters fit, are worth saving, etc and then repair/reinstall them.
any suggestions?
we need to get them dipped and stripped as well but dont want to do that until we know if they are worth saving.
Thank you, as always!

March 25, 2007

Exposing brick - why is it black?

We are renovating an apartment in Windsor Terrace, and are exposing a few brick walls throughout the place. We have opened the walls, and to our surprise saw that brick on external walls is black, as if painted with something (see links to pictures below). An internal wall is of regular red colored brick. We like both colors, and would like to keep the black wall exposed.
Does anyone know what was the brick coved with, and whether it is toxic or not? How can we clean the black walls to retain the color? Will the acid solvents ruin the color, or just strip it and expose the red underneath?
Any help/advice will be greatly appreciated!
Picture1

Picture2

brokers

I am looking to buy my first home in the south slope or bay ridge area. Can anyone recommend a broker or sites for these areas?

Gas or Electric?…Food.

We just bought a new house and (among things) totally renovating our kitchen. I’ve always wanted a double oven; however, all the nice ones I’ve seen are electric. I’ve always used gas ovens, can someone share the pros/cons of your experiences with electric ovens? In particular, we broil a lot of food (steaks, chops, etc). Is the broil function on an electric oven just as good as the flame from a gas oven?

Thanks for your input!

Interior brick wall - crumbling bricks

I live in a 100+ year old brownstone style building and I have an exposed brick wall in my living room. The bricks are not sealed and they create a lot of dust. Some of them are beginning to crumble and have lost their outer coat (so the terracotta is showing - and creating even more dust). The brick wall is a supporting wall and the majority of the bricks are fine. The ones in the worst condition are in a cluster. I noticed that one area was in worse condition than the rest on Friday when I took down a mirror that had been hanging for four years. I don't think the mirror contributed to the deterioration because it was hung on a nail that had been hammered into the mortar before I bought this place and it wasn't pressed right up against the wall. I moved it to make room for a new bookcase and now I'm worried about what's going on back there. Does anyone know what would cause this and what can be done to fix / stop it?

Shower glass door etc

We are planning to put a glass door & 1 glass wall (perpendicular to the door) on our shower in our as yet unfinished bathroom. Given budget am thinking to use the Kohler glass door & then find someone to produce the glass wall. Does this make sense? How does it work? How does it connect & how is it supported? Can we do this later (ie install the pan & tile now, put in glass later) or is it better / easier to do in one shot? How hard is the installation? Any recommendations for the glass company for the wall (and poss. installation)?

Bricked Yard

I want to have brick layed in my yard, but not with cement (which is most common in my area it seems) Can anyone recommend someone or a company that does this

Security bars recommendation?

Hi everone - We're looking to install bars on our front and back windows and a security door for our back door. Kendi Iron Works came up and gave us a $4300 estimate (3 front windows, 2 back windows, 1 security door).

If that's what it costs, I can take it but I want to make sure we get good work (and it works for the FDNY - we had another guy come by who didn't seem to care about fire exits). Any recommendations for a second estimate and/or opinions on Kendi would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks.

Turning basement into rental unit

hi all, i realize in advance this is an open ended question, but any estimates on how much it would cost to turn an unfinished english basement/cellar into a rental apt in a limestone im buying. the house is already a two family, but wed have to change the c of o, bec the basement isnt a legal apt. assuming that is doable, and assuming an expeditor and architect cost total of 10k to 20k, how much is the rest? building a bathroom and kitchen and bedroom walls from scratch and assume ikea for kitchenb? are we talking 50k? 100K? any thoughts or rough breakdown would be appreciated.
thanks a lot.

free doors in Sunset Park

I've got a pile of doors and other free stuff in my areaway. Come take it if you'd like. If you do come, please be careful of nails and stuff, and watch out for my planter. Bring gloves, and dig at your own risk!

includes: entry doors, some hardwood panel doors, two hollow-core doors (good for basement work tables), a couple of folding louver doors with panel bottoms. All are in relatively rough shape, but could be brought back with some labor.

There's also a bunch of bits of hardwood, painted and with nails, that would be good if you need salvaged wood for a project.

For those of you who care about such things, No, I'm not taking the panel doors out of my house. this is stuff I've found around the neighborhood, and now I'm clearing it out.

Brownstone Authority

Has anyone used Brownstone Authority for exterior brownstone work? If so, can you tell me a little about how the job went and whether you thought the price was reasonable? Thanks.

Tenants in Place (one absentee)

I am considering purchasing a brownstone that has 2 floor-through apartments with 2 tenants in place. Both tenants are very elderly and have been in the house for decades. I am looking to make this an owner's triplex with the garden apartment as a rental.

The first tenant has been absent (according to the owner) for over six months. However a relative who has been paying rent in this time claims that the tenant has been in temporary care. However the owner claims to have had no contact with the tenant in over 6 months and does not even know what facility she is in.

The second tenant is in the property and gets section 8 assistance with the rent - this stopped recently (???) as the landlord did not provide uninterrupted heat/hot water, so no payments. I am offering to renovate and move this tenant to the garden apt if I purchase (and get services back on and hopefully section 8 back on - at the right price I think I can do this even at well below mkt). And she seems amenable to this as she does not want to leave the building understandably after living 31 years in her apt and would appreciate avoiding the stairs.

The issue is the first tenant. I suspect that she is not coming back and the relative is trying to keep the apartment. I also am a bit wary of the owner - inherited the house and does not seem to care much for the tenants. They have no leases and I suspect harassment. I can only do this with one tenant but I'm not sure where I would stand with the absentee tenant.

Its a great house, great structure, lots of detail and I'm sooo tempted. But I do not want to go to court to evict an 86 year old woman who's lived in the property for 30 years if she turns out not to be absentee. On the other hand I think the tenant in there now will get a better deal from me than her current situation.

March 24, 2007

C of O: 3-family to 4-family

I have a 3-family that is already set up as a 4-family. I'd like to change the C of O to a 4-family. What do I need to do? How much time will it take? How much $$ will it cost? Will I be able to legally rent the 4th apartment before the C of O is converted? Any suggestions for people to hire to help me with this?

The other option, of course, is to leave the 3-family C of O in place and illegally rent the 4th apartment to a student who doesn't mind not having a lease. Thoughts?

replacing window with door to backyard

Hello,
I was wondering weather I need to get a permit to replace a window with a door to access the back yard. I have already purchased the door and the manufacturer can install it as well, but I was told that I need to get drawings from an architect and a licensed contructor to do the work. Any suggestions?
Thank you
Andrea

Extending a Brownstone Extension

I am thinking about extending the extension on my brownstone. Currently it takes up about 1/3 of the width of my 20' home and juts out about 5' into the garden, but I'd like to have it extend to the full width of the building without making it stick out more into the garden. I would do the work during the day so as not to disturb the neighbors and would only do minor removal of the bricks on one side of the extension so as to create a more open inside space. I'd also be adding a large glass door and probably another window to the side facing the garden.

Has anyone done this? Do I need a permit or to involve the DOB in some way? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

Property Management

I have a two family house in Fort Greene that is currently two duplex apartments. Horrifyingly, I may have to go overseas for 2-3 years. No way am a selling the house but very concerned with being absentee landlord.

Has anyone hired a property management company to look after their properties with tenants? Would love to know any references, experiences etc. particularly with repairs if something went wrong.

Thanks for any help.

Water pressure issues

We have water pressure issues.

Our tenants occupy the garden level of our 2 family house (we have the upper 2 floors) and whenever they use their water, the pressure upstairs fluctuates heavily.

Their pressure is just fine, in fact it is quite strong.

Is there some way to install a valve to balance the pressure? Some sort of limiter valve that can go on their water lines so when they turn on the water, it doesn't hog the pressure/volume?

I know the house has a (small-ish) lead water main which will need replacement eventually and is probably the source of the pressure/volume issues, but I'm looking for a quick, cheap fix which will last me for a few years until I am ready to drop the several grand on the main.

Any suggestions and/or specific information would be appreciated!

skylights & roof hatches

Any feedback on insula-dome skylights (http://www.insula-dome.com/)?
We are looking for an insulated reasonably break-in safe skylight and these were referenced on this old house I think... Any other recommendations?

Also, can anyone recommend any particular brands of roof hatches as we have to replace ours?

Thanks!

Sprinkler Test Regs Redux

Do these new regs apply to 1-2 family houses? (Zoned b9)? My understanding is that sprinklers are not required in such dwellings, but that an owner may elect to keep one if it happened to be there when purchased.

Architect Recommendations For Northside Projct, Brooklyn

My architect, who just passed away was finalizing my design of a 3 family brick brownstone into a six floor R6A, six unit small building near the river in Williamsburg. Financing, a finalized budget and contractor are in place. The current design must be reduced to a new DOB FAR of 6700 square feet. I have received special unique permission already from the DOB for this design. I am seeking a NYC registered architect to complete and sign off on this project. Again it’s a real project and I need a real architect. I can forward the designs. Thanks. Charles Weinstein, BridgePicturesltd@yahoo.com

March 23, 2007

Mortgage brokers' application fee

I'm wondering if anybody has any advice on the application fee of most mortgage brokers in the Park Slope/Brooklyn area. I've received a quote from a couple of brokers but am thinking of going with Trachtman and Bach. However, their application fee is almost double or more of that quoted by a couple of others. Any suggestions?

Refrigerator Condensation Problem

We have a GE Monogram built-in stainless side-by-side refrigerator. The back of the refrig has so much condensation on it that we had to completely replace the dry wall behind it due to extensive mold and remove part of the cabinet next to it. We just pulled it out again to check it, and the mold is once again growing. Anyone have a suggestion about how to stop condensation?

Andersen Windows

Does anyone know a good place to get Andersen Windows, a place that can also install them? We are thinking of putting Andersen in the back of our brownstone. Any recommendations would be good, especially if they have good prices too, although I am more interested in quality installation and don’t want to go near Home Depot. Thanks!

Brooklyn Renovation Projects

Looking for someone to complete a number of small renovation projects in our home. Immediate start. Experience in flooring (plywood underlayment and VCT), cement floor polsihing and acid staining, installation of kitchen cabinets (IKEA), installation of intercoms and electric strike, painting, refinishing old doors and wood trim, light electrical, and light plumbing, If interested, please post contact information. Thanks.

2 clear glass beveled brownstone front door panels

2 clear glass beveled brownstone front door panels for sale. Measures 14" x 68 1/2"
Great condition.
Contact kenofqueens@hotmail.com

HDFC coops?

I'm checking out an HDFC co-op that has income restrictions. Does anyone have any advice / experience with these types of coops? Is it worth it? How difficult is re- selling?

Thanks in advance!

March 22, 2007

Install small section of chain link fence

We recently tore down a mudroom extension to our brownstone, which left a 12 foot long opening in the chain link fence dividing our lot with the neighboring house's. I need to find someone to install a small extension to the existing fence to complete the fencing in the yard. Can anyone suggest someone for this small-ish job?
Also - how much should I expect to pay for 12-15 ft. of chain link fence, installed?
Thanks!

wood construcion in the basement???

My wife and I just bought our first house, a brick row house, and the basement is pretty dry and solid with concrete floors. On one side of the basement, there's a room that's been built and it's framed out in wood (with paneled walls, linoleum tiles, dropped ceiling, etc). The inspector warned that wood construction in a basement is generally not a good idea (attracts termites, not good with moisture, etc). My question is how big a problem do people think this is? The house is pretty dry and we don't have any known termit damage, so can I just use the room indefintitely for storage, etc. — or is it really worth being proactive and taking out all the wood constructon in the basement (and use other materials if I want to recreat an enclosed room down there).

Thanks in advance for any advice on this question!!

Skim coating plaster walls

looking for recommendations. I want to have old plaster walls skim coated. Looking for recommendations from someone you have used and were pleased with. I am a little picky. If you know of any companies, please help.

NEW LEDCO BIFOLD DOOR FOR SALE

LEDCO BIFOLD DOOR FOR SALE BOUGHT NEW AT DYKES FOR $185 ASKING $85.00 2 PANEL 2'6" X 1 3/8 ATHERTON INTERIOR MOLDED SMOOTH SURFACE WHITE Contact 917 509 7866

Wood strippers - help

I know this has been asked here before (but with no good anwares), but I am in search of a company or person for some woodstripping. I have had bad luck communicating with East End Woodstrippers, and I've read terrible things about De Gamba here on the forum (don't know if they're true?). In a borough with as much wood to strip as Brooklyn, I'm thinking surely there must be a few more options. I went on the Bed-Stuy house tour several years ago and remember one of the homeowners had had miles of woodwork stripped and they raved about the person who did it. Any leads would be really appreciated.

Replacing garage door

We have a shared driveway and the other user's daughter has moved home, and wants to use the driveway too. So we said, that's fine, but we need rapid egress and cannot wait around to find the daughter and have her move her car. We've both agreed to use our garages for the cars, rather than the driveway. So now we need to put a door that rolls up on the garage. Can anyone recommend a reputable garage door company?

WHO IS RIPPING THE HEADS OFF OF MY CROCUSES??!!

Went out this am and saw someone had been digging small holes in the backyard where our bulbs are planted. The small shoots growing from my crocus and tulip bulbs had been snapped off and strewn around the crime scene. Is it our dog? A squirrel? Or someone else?

Renting to relative/Part Deux

We have decided that we will rent to a relative/close friend. Significant Other is balking/hesitant at having this tenant sign a lease. Do you all think a lease is necessary or can we just outline what we want: no pets, no smoking etc.? We are not too worried about the term of the stay - if the tenant opts out before a year is up, all the better for us.

Repairing Brownstone steps

Now that the snow and ice are slowly melting, my steps are being
fully revealed and it ain't pretty. I have several cracks which used to be hairline cracks in the brownstone step platform which seem to be worsening. I would like to repair these cracks at minimal expense and maximum prevention value. I am really looking for something that I can do myself. Can anyone share any info on masonry repair or direct me to literature on how to do it?

Thank you very much. Any help or suggestions would be very appreciated.

NEW SPRINKLER TEST REGULATIONS

I have just received in the mail requirments regarding new sprinkler testing. Did you? If I understand correctly we are required to perform a monthly sprinkler test which we have to keep on file instead of sending it HPD. Since sprinkler inspections have to be done by Certified person this is going to cost money every month. Please let me know if I am wrong. What are we going to do about it?

Advice on breaking up reinforced concrete slab

Roughly two-thirds of the backyard of our new house is covered with concrete slab and so I thought I would go our there and break it up with a sledgehammer in advance of putting in a new garden.

The first row of slab I picked happened to be concrete simply set on a layer of old bricks and it took about an hour to bust up roughly 3x10 feet worth. When I moved over to the adjacent row and started whacking it, however, I discovered that it (and, it seems, the entirety of the rest of the slab) is newer, reinforced concrete, with a layer of small gauge (1/8th inch?) wire rebar running through it.

I'd like to keep working on this myself, and so would love any advice people might have about possible DIY approaches to breaking the rest of this up. Will a jackhammer break up the concrete and bust the wire? (Home Depot, for example, rents a 28ft lbs/strike jhammer, as does Miller Tools on CI Ave). Or do I need some sort of concrete saw? Or should I just cut to the chase and call a workman to do this?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

March 21, 2007

Pigeon Hell

I'm a new owner of a row house in Brooklyn and I've discovered my next door neighbor loves to feed the birds. I'm talking about three huge "lasagna style" trays full each day. Needless to say the pigeons come by the dozens to eat. (I counted about 60 of 'em back there the other day at one time) Since our yards border one another there are pigeons everywhere. Although I have no problem with a regular bird feeder, and some wildlife in the yard is great, the pigeon thing is not something I'm gonna enjoy. I've already noticed a problem with droppings on my windows, walkways, building etc.. I can handle a few pigeons but this is out of order. Before I was aware of the problem I actually had a brief conversation with the neighbor in question. She started to tell me how she had created a 'santuary' in her yard and was going on about all the birds that visit. A warning bell should have gone off when she mentioned how beautiful pigeons are. I plan on asking my neighbor, in a neighborly way, if we can work something out. Hopefully there's an answer, maybe cutting down on the volume of food therefore reducing the # of pigeons that flock to our yard. If it does get ulgy I'm wondering what my legal options my be. If Anyone out there ever had a similar situation?? Thanks in advance.

Continue reading "Pigeon Hell"

Design question: Hanging lights for kitchen - need your opinion!

I renovated my kitchen last year and the contractor installed two outlets for hanging lamps. A year later there are still 2 holes in the ceiling for those lights. We can't decide what type of lights to install. Originally we thought tiffany style ones but now we're not sure. The kitchen is in the back parlor with high ceilings and has dark cherry cabinets, restored pine subflooring and a huge library wood built-in thing. Does anyone have any suggestions for hanging lights that would work well? We need something not too modern, that would go with dark wood - one for over the island and another for over the table. Links to actual pics of lamps are doubly appreciated. Thanks for all suggestions!

I'm trying for some links to pics (please no flames - if you don't like it no need to be mean). The appliances haven't been renovated and the table is old too.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/
Dahlia73/IMG_3347.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/
Dahlia73/IMG_3345.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/
Dahlia73/IMG_3350.jpg

WE KNOW THIS CURRENT FORUM FORMAT KINDA SUCKS, BUT PLEASE BEAR WITH US AND USE TINYURL.COM TO PUT LONG LINKS INTO POSTS.
THANKS.
MR.B

Carved wood or plaster ceiling?

On the garden-level in the front parlor of my new brownstone I have a beautiful, rather ornate ceiling, that until now I just assumed was white plaster. However, recently I had a friend come over and she said she thought it could be carved wood. She could be right as there are areas where there is cracked paint and underneath, when I look very close, I see dark wood with a shine. Anyone know about ceilings in old brownstones? Is there such a thing as a carved wooden ceiling? If so, I'd love to strip the paint but am afraid the weight of the woodwork might be too heavy to take a lot of scraping. I'd love to know more.

Community Garden as Neighbor???

Does anyone have any experience with having a brownstone next to a community garden? How does one know if the City is ever going to sell it off. I prefer the garden as a neighbor but have no idea how protected this situation is. Not sure even how to go about finding out more about this situation. Any advice would be most appreciated.

Interior Brick Mold?

We live on the top floor of a 3 story limestone is S. Slope. We've had some recurring water damage to our kitchen ceiling, window frame, and interior bricks on and off for the past three months. While we're still trying to identify the source of the water, a new problem has arisen. We're noticing patches of our exposed bricks turning a crusty, rusty yellowish orange, which we're assuming is mold. Has anyone else had similar problems or can offer advice? Suggestions for good waterproofing and/or mold inspection / removal services?

Patched brownstone

Last year I had the exterior of my brownstone repaired. What they did was only repair and brownstone the damaged areas. They didn't do a good job in matching the color to the existing brownstone and its very noticeable. My neighbor had his repaired but covered his entire brownstone in something called thermasil(not sure of the spelling) It looks beautiful. Has anyone heard of this and if so is it okay to use on brownstones. I know its said that brownstones have to be allowed to breath.

decorating

I keep seeing brownstone renovationgs that are either very formal/ornate or ultra modern. Does anyone do just a gracious, casually elegant renovation/decoration that upholds the original architectural details while feeling fresh and comfortable for a modern famly? Where can I get ideas?

bathroom heat

We are currently renovating a bathroom that is in the middle of our house. It has no heat source. It used to get some heat from a steam riser, but that is now framed into the wall. We thought about putting in a heat/vent combo, but it won't fit between the joists. Now we are considering radiant heat. It would cost $1250 and ordering and installing it would delay things by a few days. My question is, is it worth it? Will my bathroom be cold without it? Since I don't plan to leave this house, maybe it is not that much money, but I have applied this logic to so many decisions that I am way over-budget already!

Repointing brick/ restoring brick/ ext. stair work

Can anyone recommend a good company for these things for a landmark building?

Bay Ridge Windows

I was wondering if anyone has used Bay Ridge Windows for the Marvin Ultimate Inserts? We are thinking of using them to replace 12 windows in our brownstone and were wondering how their work is? The outside would be capped or cladded (its not a landmark). Just wondering what other people’s experience is, and how the quality of their work is. Thanks!

garden level entryway

Getting ready to recombine into a 1 family. My brownstone doesn't have a stoop--and didn't in it's original form either. But the parlor floor is still the main living floor. So what does that mean for an entry way? Make a foyer on the garden level and then go up to the living rooms? I've never seen a stoopless 1 family so any thoughts are helpful.

family friendly layouts

What kinds of things have you done/seen to increase the family friendliness of your full brownstone while maintaining the slightly formal nature of the parlour floor? I figure eventually we'll create a family room on another floor, but while my kids are all small, I'd like to keep the family/play area on the parlour floor with the kitchen/living/dining rooms.

The garden level will be a separate apartment for my grandmother, however, I'll likely use the garden level entrance when entering with my stroller.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Lead water main?

I've read a few posts here recently referring to lead water mains that need to be replaced. How do I find out if mine is lead? Just bought a Ditmas Victorian last month, went through the inspection, even had a company do a complete lead test with the weird gun on all the surfaces in the house ... but never heard of the water main issue. Would a lead water main mean that there's is lead in the water coming out of the faucet? Any info would be appreciated.

Litigator/Lawyer

Can anyone recommend a great Litigator that deals with construction.

Thank you.

bathroom of my 1901 condo

The bathroom of my 1901 condo has square white tile walls and white hexagon floors (with little white diamonds between the hexagons) the previous owner says its all original.
I think it’s a cold antiseptic look and I’m considering replacing it with:

1) Marble subway tile on walls and marble hex floor.
Or
2) White subway tile on walls with a mosaic border and basket floor
http://www.subwayceramics.com/news.htm (something like this)

My question is:
1) If the bathroom is indeed ‘original’ and I rip it out. Will I be erasing part of the homes historic value/ resale value? Do folks looking for brownstone condos want original tile? Or is an attractive room more important?
2) I’ve been told that marble hex and marble subway tile is not ‘period correct’ has this discouraged anyone else from using it?

pocket door repair

Can anyone recommend someone to repair pocket doors?

If you have tenants - require renter's insurance?

For those of you that have rentals in your own home or elsewhere, do you require that your tenants get renter's insurance? I've been told this is a good idea and am wondering if you can prevent claims against homeowner's insurance if an incident occurs within the 4 walls of the tenant's apt. Also, how enforceable is a provision for renter's insurance in the lease?

pocket doors

I have a pocket door off track. How difficult is this to fix? Where would I find compatable hardware etc? Thanks

Appraisal

Can anyone recommend an appraiser for a Victorian Home in Ditmas Park? The place needs extensive renovation and we are strongly considering purchasing it. Needs lots of work and we would like someone with a good sense of the homes in the area and an understanding of the work needing to be done that is "hidden".

March 20, 2007

House closing time?

Can anyone give me any insight into how long it usually takes for a house to close? I'm sure it varies but I'm looking for a general idea. we are tenants in a house currently in contract. The owner nor the realtor will not tell us anything. We know the offer was accepted in Decemeber and an inspection was done early Jan. We have been given some hints that the new owner may want us out in order to raise the rent significantly. We are currently not on a lease. This house went on the market almost a year ago, so this whole process has felt endless to us. No one will tell us anything, but we aren't sure if they are required to? We are justing waiting for a moving van at this point (the owners duplex is in the building). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

carpet/ furniture cleaning

Hello everyone. I would like to recommend a guy who does carpet cleaning. His name is Michael. He came by On Saturday and picked up my area rug. He returned them today 3/20/2007. They look spectacular. He's gonna return and pick up my drapes next Monday in order to dry clean them. I've used him twice and his service is great. He owns his own company and can provide proof of it also. His number is 917-701-9321. Tell him Lorraine Hoffman referred him.

Glass tiles

Hey there,
Has anyone done the research on who has the best price on glass mosaic tile? Ann Sacks, Nemo, Country Floor? I'd like to be able to get something in stock as I waited too long to make a decision and now we're ready to install.
Thanks!

Spring plants and flowers

Dear Brownstoners,

I am looking forward to spring and planting some flowers and plants in the front and back. Disposable income is limited by the renovation, etc. and I am looking for the best nursery, i.e. cheap and good. I can drive there -- I am wondering if you have any suggestions..... Thank you as always.

Steam Pipe Insulation

I had a section of asbestos insulation removed from a 35' long steam pipe in my basement (single pipe steam heat system).

I'd like to re-insulate it with a safe material.

What is the recommended material to re-wrap the pipe and where can I buy it?

Also, what is the preferred material for insulating vertical steam pipes (the ones that run between floors of the house)? The top floors of my house are a sauna and the bottom floor is like a meat locker.

Stucco? Brownstone? Contractor Recommendation

I am looking to have a cinder block wall in my backyard (an extension from the neighboring brownstone) covered. I was wondering if someone could tell me the difference between covering the wall with brownstone vs. stucco? And also if someone could recommend a contrator to do thw work?

best resource for white subway tile?

we're renovating our kitchen and are looking for rectangular, traditional subway tile. who's got the best prices?

Anyone have details about PACC Lottery

Hi,

I entered the recent PACC lottery for the 9 homes, but I can't find any info as to when I could expect an answer. Do you get an answer if you're not picked? I know there's probably very little chance of winning, but I do live in the community which increases my chances. I'm also extremely curious as to how many applications were actually received by PACC and how they go about choosing winners. It seems to me that this process should be made public, but apparently they conduct this business behind closed doors and applicants are strictly at the mercy of PACC. The suspense is killing me. Any info would be great.

Thanks!

garbage disposal suggestions?

Does anyone have suggestions (or warnings) about installing a garbage disposal in a private Brooklyn home? Any thoughts about the full size vs. the "compact" size of the InSinkErator brand? We have a 30" sink cabinent and a 25" undermount sink, if that makes any difference. Thanks!

Contractor Horror

Don't use Denova Contractors they are Robbers!!!! The owner stole money and ran out on OUR GUT RENO WITH A HOLE IN THE BACK YARD. Do not use Rakim from Denova they take on jobs they can not handle and his business is about to be closed DOWN!!!!

building a deck on a brownstone

we would like to build a deck off the parlor floor of our brownstone, with a staircase to the garden. i have heard that it's not really legal anymore as it's a fire hazard (wood), but to just go ahead and build it anyway and hope that the neighbors don't have a problem with it. truth or myth? do we have to get a permit if it's legal?

sump pump redux

My question got quickly buried by numerous subsequent posts... Hoping 2nd time lucky for an answer

http://tinyurl.com/2g7c7o

Roofing Materials

I'm in the midst of a gut reno and my architect has spec'ed self-adhering modified bitumen as the material for the flat roof. The contractor & the roofer are a bit puzzled and believe rubber roofing is better. They said they'd be doing torch-down, but I said we'd have to use self-adhering no matter what, given my memories of the torch-down fires not long ago. I'd love thoughts from the Forum! (We're pulling up all the old roofing, but not restaging the roof, if this impacts the feedback.)

March 19, 2007

Tax increase from renovations?

Does anyone know if Dept. of Finance is still reviewing work permits filed with DOB for the purpose of increasing property taxes on renovated properties (the renovations releasing them from the usual caps on annual increases)? There was an article in the Times about this a few years ago, and I'm wondering if people have experienced this or heard of it happening more recently. And, does anyone know when in the process they generally nab the homeowner? (i.e. after the job is closed out?)

Boerum Hill Area Locksmith

Anyone know of a good locksmith (just need a new cylinder) in the Boerum Hill area? Thanks.

Chubb Homeowner's Insurance Agents

I currently have a Chubb city home masterpiece policy for my limestone in Brooklyn. It is pricey but the coverage is excellent. A couple of issues: in the interest of lowering my coverage I've asked my agent to look at areas where we can cut down. They say there are none. Chubb is not helpful since they do not deal with the cost of the policy; it is handled by the agent.

THe appraised value for rebuilding is higher than the market value of the house; which I think is odd. Also I wonder are the insurance agents setting the price of these policies or is it the isurance company? Another Chubb agent has offered to look at it and re-appraise it.

Continue reading "Chubb Homeowner's Insurance Agents"

Under counter water filters

Looking for an under-counter water filter system with a faucet included. I know of a couple of brands (Aquapure, Aquasana) but I need to pick one up locally because my granite counter is being templated and I need the exact hole size! Anyone have any advice to which is best, has a decent-looking faucet, and where I can get it in Brooklyn? Thanks!

trash removal- old paint etc

i need the names of any contractors/individuals who can remove things like old paint in cans, solidified joint compound and just general basement "stuff." i know that the department of sanitation will not take this and i have too many cans (25 plus years of accumulated paint etc) to do this on my own.
please help---thanks very much

Firescreen for coal fireplace?

Does any know of a source for firescreens for old coal fireplaces? I've looked in antique stores and on line and found nothing.
It's for a fireplace we converted to woodburning but was originally coal-burning from the 1860's. The fire box is small, the opening is roughly 18" w x 28" h. and is square with a rounded top. Thanks.

sump pumps

We need to get a sump pump. Can you please recommend a brand & size?

Our cellar is very dry & we haven't experienced a flood yet (touch wood) but I want to be prepared for this possibility. Also, we are installing a high efficiency boiler which produces some water condensate (slightly acidic) that will drain into the sump and need to be pumped out each day...

Interest Rate Lock and Negotiating with Mortgage Broker

Okay, so I locked in at 6.125% with 0 points to purchase my new Brownstone in about a month. I am pretty happy with this rate, but would love for it to be at 6.0% or lower without having to pay points. Anyone ever negotiate with a mortgage broker after the rate has been fixed? What worked? I really like the broker, so I don't want to play games, or is that what's expected? Thanks.

Engineer???

Has anyone ever used Johann Grobler from Grobler Building Consultants, Inc? I am in the process of purchasing a townhouse in Brooklyn and would like to know if anyone has used this engineer for an engineer's inspection? If so would you recommend?

Does anyone have any other recs? I have used Joe from ATV before and he was great. Unfortunately, he is unavailable and does not fit my schedule constraints.

Grobler Building Consultants, Inc.

Has anyone ever used Johann Grobler from Grobler Building Consultants, Inc? I am in the process of purchasing a townhouse in Brooklyn and would like to know if anyone has used this engineer for an engineer's inspection? If so would you recommend?

Does anyone have any other recs? I have used Joe from ATV before and he was great. Unfortunately, he is unavailable and does not fit my schedule constraints.

co-op insurance broker

I am a co-op owner and am looking to purchase insurance for my unit. Can anyone recommend a reputable insurance broker in the bococa area. Thanks

Willow Fence?

I need to replace the fences in my backyard. I have a dog and a toddler, so the fence needs to be sturdy and not climbable. I'd like it to be attractive, too. I'm thinking about the boring stockade fencing available at Lowe's, but I'm not in love with it.

My current fences are stockade on one side, latice on the other. Both are leaning significantly, so new posts and fencing are needed on both sides, I think.

I'm thinking of having someone install a chicken wire fence and then lining it with willow, or maybe bamboo.

Does anyone have any thoughts on the feasibility and cost of this? Or other recommendations re: fencing?

Thanks!

Gardener advice

I found a gardener I like for my relatively raw backyard. He is preparing to write up a proposal including a price for his work.

- Anything I should be looking for?
-Do you usually pay half up front and half when the work is completed?

Thanks

pointing the wall in the basement

Continue reading "pointing the wall in the basement"

Is This Just How It Works Here?

So I bought a brownstone in Bed Stuy that had "good bones." And I wanted to see the bones, so I asked to poke some holes in some closets. This seemed reasonable to me, when I bought a house somewhere else the inspector just did it as a matter of course.

But the realtor denied this request, and the inspector said that he didn't need to and couldn't poke holes and look behind the drywall anyway.

And there is a line in his contract that says that it's not his fault if he misses something. Which makes me wonder what on earth I paid for.

And of course, now that I own the house I went ahead and poked holes and it's built like a set of Russian nesting dolls--with wall upon wall built to hide copious damage. Buried deep beneath all these layers of drywall and 2"x3" and furring strips is a significant amount of termite and water damage to some of the joists. We are looking at much sistering and repocketing, and replacing at least two.

(And winding up with a real square footage gain!)

This is not bad for 110 years over three floors. I am not particularly surprised, and I don't regret my choices. But I don't understand this Brooklyn convention of not being able to see what you are freaking buying.

Can anyone tell me what gives with that and how to work around it next time? I don't ever want to buy a house without looking at it all the way again.

March 18, 2007

Wire fence

Fences on both sides of my back yard are falling down and need replacing. Home Depot and Lowe's both have stockade fencing, which I'm not crazy about. I'm thinking about getting a wire fence and then lining it with willow or bamboo. Does anyone have any thoughts about who could install a wire fence and how much it would cost? Or where to get willow or bamboo to line it with? Thoughts on esthetics would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

looking for mortgage for manhattan coop

Continue reading "looking for mortgage for manhattan coop"

Ugly Bathroom

We just purchased a house that has an ugly pink tilled bathroom in an apartment we are planning to rent soon. Has anyone had their bathroom tiles and tub spray reenameled or whatever they call it? Any idea who to call, and what the costs would be for a small bathroom?

Thanks….

Termite Treatment

Can anyone recommend a good termite person? We have termite damage in our new 'stone, so when it gets warm enough, we need to find out whether there are active termites.

And if we do have termites, do they tent houses here? I am from Arizona, where the typical termite treatment involves burying stuff around the perimeter of your house.

Can one borrow down payment for condo purchase?

s it possibe to borrow some or all of a 10% down payment for a condo? I realize it may depend on the by-laws of the condo assoc and will be researching this tonight, though if possble, what would be the possible ways to do this?
1) personal loan?
2) loan from an individual (friend, relative)?
3) mortgage broker/lender?

Other important factors: down payment is needed quickly, yet condo is pre-construction so closing will not be for another 18 months.

Thank you in advance for your thoughts/ideas!

Need Super for 2 family Brownstone Ft. Greene

We're looking for someone to act as a super for our 2 family brownstone in Ft. Greene while we're out of state for a couple of years. We'd like this person to be responsible for putting the garbage out twice a week, shovelling snow, sweeping leaves, etc. Can anyone recommend a super in the area who might be interested? Thanks!

Sagging Roof/Ceiling

The roof of our house is a flat slanted roof, and it is sagging very badly, as is the ceiling on the top floor. Should I have the roof redone first, or the ceiling inside redone first? Does the order matter, do they both need to be done at the same time?

Franklin Lefferts

Are any of you living in buildings or know of buildings designed by or rennovated by Franklin Lefferts, the architect who worked for a time at the prominent NY firm of Warren & Wetmore? I am looking for information on his "style." Thanks.

Bellawood prefinished flooring?

Has anyone installed Bellawood prefinished flooring in their home? How has it held up? We are considering Brazilian Walnut because we need something very hard to handle all of the traffics, dropped children’s toys and dog nails. We started looking at bamboo, because of the overall look and “green” factor—but when we brought a sample home, it dented way too easily. I think we want prefinished because I have read that the factory applied finish is more durable than what can be done onsite. What other very durable/hard woods are available prefinished?

Thanks.

Re: Renovation...let's get this straight

I'm hoping for some clarity on brownstone renovation or just home renovation period. I've been on this site lurking for more than a year, and seems to be the case that people give renovation quotes that are rather costly. You're going to laugh, but I've been watching Flip That House all this weekend, and home owners have been renovating for less than 40K. While granted they didn't use ultra high end, they did use materials that looked mid-level that came out pretty well. I even saw a rip down and add an extension, redo a kitchen and bath, and remove mold from a living room that was flooded for under 30K. Maybe I'm missing something. Why is it that I often see people saying that you should expect to pay about $250 per sq. foot? For a 4 story 3600 sq. ft brownstone that doesn't seem practical. Is it just a New York thing?

flip tax in park slope

in purchasing a coop in a four unit building in Park Slope can we expect to find a flip tax imposed?

alternative to john hlad?

he comes so highly recommended on this site, but i've had nothing but bad experiences with him. he was scheduled to come to our home inspection walkthrough, and never showed. when we called-the annoying lady on the phone said "i'll have him call you and we never heard back. what gives? i need a GOOD plumber, please.

Terminating lease on tenants

I have tenants in a non-stabilized apt. in the house I live in. Their lease is up in May. They have been pretty bad--bounced checks, "visitors" coming over and staying for extended periods and sleeping in illegal parts of the cellar, being exceptionally dirty, complaining about mice when they have food left out all over their apartment, two dogs that poop all over the garden that they usually don't clean up. I inherited these tenants when I bought the house two months ago. I was going to "lay down the law," but since their lease is up I figured I'd go the path of least resistance and just not renew their lease. Two questions: 1. What's the best way to inform and enforce them to leave? (It's not an eviction, i'm just not renewing their non-stab lease.) 2. What if their exceptionally bad and rebellious roomate, who is NOT on a lease and from whom I've taken no checks, doesn't leave by the required date? Meaning, if the "legal" tenants leave by April 31 but he stays over, do I have to be as legally careful, ahem, "removing" him from the apartment? Any advice?

Oh well, this is what I signed up for!

Toilet problem - Please help

My tenant called this am to say that her toilet was not filling with water. I went up there and fiddled with the mechanism in the back and water started filling into the back of the toilet again, so I thought we were OK and told her to call me if anything happened again . Later in the evening she called to say the toilet wasn't fully flushing. I want to get this straightened out hopefully tomorrow before the week starts. This has never happened before and can't imagine what is going on. I am hoping that I don't have to call the plumber - he was here for other things recently and it is getting expensive. I am hoping I can figure this out myself. (I have to take that Housing and Preservation Super school course before I go bankrupt). Please help. Thank you Brownstoners as always.

A tree gets chopped in Brooklyn--hopefully

I' ve just bought a joint in the landmarked portion of CH, with a small front yard, and while that yard is blessed with a couple of great trees, it also has a couple of hugely overgrown evergreens that look like crap and need to go. Mainly because they screw up the view of the good trees--not to mention the house. (Trust me--you'd agree.) I don't need to ask the landmarks commish for permission to chop down a badly planted tree, do I?

Press Post & WAIT

Even if it doesn't seem to be doing anything WAIT before you hit "Post" again. Otherwise you look like a desperate moron.

March 17, 2007

Brick reclamation?

We just bought a house with a falling-down 8'X10' brick structure in the back yard that we need to get rid of. Does anyone know of an operation that takes reclaimed bricks? The building is at least 50 years old (possibly much older) and we're hoping to find someone who will come and just take it apart.

Decorating/Design Ideas for Cellar

My cellar has no windows and a lot of exposed pipes, boiler, furnace, electrical gear, etc. I am considering transforming the area into a recreation room but am honestly not interested in the traditional frame and sheetrock solution to making the space more liveable. What have you done with your cellar? Anyone go the industrialized residential route? Or loft-like? Wine cellar/bar style? Country cabin with exposed/stained beams? I'm trying to be creative and I'd really appreciate ideas/discussion/examples/price estimates/Do's and Don'ts.

Home Depot Countertop

Final follow up on my countertop installation saga -- recap -- I went with Home Depot after bad experience with A&K Tile; went with soapstone; price differential was $2500 (final price) v. $3200 (estimate) (HD v. AK); was able to visit the fabricators, choose and view the slab, and determine how it would be cut. From the time I confirmed the template appointment, to selecting the slab, to installation took a total of 1 week. I had no problems getting in touch with people, setting up appointments, etc. I have to say that everything went smoothly from start to finish. Don't know if this is the norm or the exception, but I have to say I am very happy.

Sewer backflow valve - cost/suggestions?

Anyone have experience in having a sewer backflow valve installed? I have lived through several basement disasters over the years and would like to obviate the risk in my soon to purchased new house. I have read of several designs/schemes but don't know what's used here in NYC.

Thanks.

Gary

Cost to replace water main into house?

II am about to buy a house in Ditmas Park. It has the old lead pipe water main coming into the house. I would like to have it replaced. The city main is on my side of the street. Does anyone know ballpark to have this work done?

Thanks.

Gary

Exterior Stairs

We are exploring the differences between metal stairs to allow more light onto the first floor or cement stairs which have a more attractive appearance. We would like opinions from other homeowners who have chosen one style over another. This will be a straight staircase going from the ground floor to the 2nd floor.

We are also seeking advice about contractors who specialize in both.

If anyone can also tell us approximately how much we're looking at spending, we would appreciate it.

Thanks!

AVOID GARRISON FLOORING PRODUCTS

The title says it all; poor quality, non-existant durability, no factory support. This company should be banned from doing business. Purchase their products at your own peril.

You have been warned!
bcarr22

washer to fit

For those with a washer in their cellar. What size and brand were you able to fit down there. I have a whirlpool duet and its not happening.

need advice on painting or staining interior wood trim

We purchased a brick townhouse in Bay Ridge last year and are in the midst of renovation. The woodwork on the first floor around the doors and windows, and as well as the doors are painted while the woodwork and doors in the entry way and in two rooms of the second floor are stained. We are replacing the windows on the first floor and rebuilding the entire frame/architrave with new wood. We can't decide whether to stain the wood orpaint it. If we stain it, we will have to replace all the painted baseboards and wood trim in that room so it will match. Stained wood will require less maintenance but the look is not as contemporary. Is stained wood considered to be more upscale? I would love some feedback on the pros and cons of staining the wood trim/doors versus painting? Thanks.

HEAT USA

A friend of mine just referred me to HEAT USA: 1-800-660-4328. They have a contract with the UUA Union, so things like annual service, etc. is free with a $25 annual membership. Sounds pretty good to me, so I'm going to contact them in April to establish a level-billing plan. The provider that HEAT USA works with in my area of Brooklyn is Boro Heat, anyone else use them? BTW - I do not believe you have to be a UUA member, as they have a "refer a friend" program.

Is a landlord required to shovel snow?

I just fell down the stairs to my rental apartment because they are covered icy snow mounds from the storm. I'm not hurt, but I sure could have been. Is my landlord required to shovel our steps? He never does. The landlord who owned the building before him always had the stairs salted and shoveled, but maybe he was just a considerate guy. The new guy lives out of state, so he might not even know we had a storm (except that his daughter lives in the building). she has the garden apt., though, and doesn't need to worry about the stairs.

anyway, is there any law I can point to to get my landlord to pay attention to this situation?

Modular Decks?

Does anybody have experience with modular decks? We are looking into building a roof deck on our slightly sloped roof. The estimate we received to build a standard deck was about 24k for a 400 square foot deck. That's more than we were looking to spend. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

March 16, 2007

Gas Bills

I'm a new homeowner of a 2400sf brownstone and I just got my first big winter gas bill: $915. Yikes.

Is this a normal amount for a house this size witha single pipe steam system, or is mine insanely high?

I don't know what is average for a house this size, so what should I expect.

What are you all paying?

Death By Boiler?

I just had a plumber over to discuss on-demand water heating.

He told me that he would not spend another night in my house, and that we needed to turn off our boiler immediately, and that our existing tank heater could easily become a missile and blow straight up, through our three floors and the roof and into the sky...

...So, I am in desperate need of a reality check.

Problems below:

1. The plumbing runs from the boiler/water heater at 3/4" and gets smaller as it gets toward the meter, until it's like 3/8". This is inefficient, and it creates a small flame, and it's retarded, I can see that it makes no sense for the pipe to start small and get big. And this, he says, will create a lot of pressure in the water heater and make it explode. He says that we need 1 1/4" consistent from the meter to the boiler.

2. And similarly too-small copper pipe runs from the boiler to the radiators. There is another issue where there is steam issuing from the (hot water) boiler pretty regularly. Apparently this is very dangerous, and I was directed to shut off the boiler because the plumber did not want me to die.

3. There is a thing on the boiler that causes this steam to come out of the boiler that is not to code and therefore dangerous. I forget the name of this thing.

Diagnosis from plumber: Get rid of all this dangerous gas plumbing between the meter and the boiler, re-plumb "with a better strategy" that, I assume, follows code and is not going to kill me, pressure test lines upstairs. Then we can discuss heating water.

Total cost, before any water gets heated: $4800.

I am skeptical, and am getting a second opinion Monday. But I have larger questions. I am a welder, so I know that pressurized tanks can become missiles, but I can't imagine the water heater exploding if it's just sitting there, with too-few BTUs getting to it through the gas line. Is this true? Is my water heater going to explode because the pipes are too small?

And while I am a pretty handy person, I don't see how too *little* gas coming in (remember, he's suggesting upping the diameter to 1 1/4 inches) is creating a dangerous quantity of pressure. When I think about it, I see too little gas meaning too little heat and too few BTU's, and I don't see where the dangerous pressure happens.

The steam bugs me. It's eroding the concrete floor. But again, I don't see the *danger* aspect.

In short, I think that I am either being tooled, or that the plumber I consulted is slightly autistic. I kept asking him to explain why it's dangerous, and he couldn't give me a good answer. We didn't really have a *conversation* as much as we had a very defensive little battle over plumbing code.

Master Plumber, Anyone. I turn my heat back on, right? Or do I fundamentally misunderstand gas plumbing?

VENETIAN PLASTER

Is it a crime to remove old wallpaper from the stirwell of a 1899 brownstone and replace with venetian plaster? If not, any suggestions for who might do this and how much I should expect to pay? I have four-floors/hallways worth of work.

need help for courtyard garden

We have a 24-unit condo with a mostly-brick courtyard that has two small areas for planting. We do not like the plants the developer put in last year. We have plenty of labor to do the actual planting, but no one in the condo has gardening experience so we need help making a plan and choosing plants that will survive and look good. Does anyone offer this as a service (just consulation, not actual gardening)? How much does it cost and do you have someone to recommend? This is in Park Slope.

Thanks,
Sheri

NYC codes for animal repellent

Are there codes regarding use of granular or electronic repellent systems for dogs, cats, rodents?

Advice on reclaiming a disused garden

We're newbie gardeners and have just bought a PSlope house with a backyard that seems to have been used primarily as a dog toilet for the last decade or so. I've cleaned up all the crap (literally) back there and am starting to think about various planting concepts. One thing I'm not sure about, however, is whether all those years of dog business have had an adverse effect on the soil. It actually looks okay once you dig down a bit (if a bit clay-ey, but from what I understand that's the way Bklyn soil is) and I discovered several nice juicy earthworms wriggling away down there, so I'm assuming it's not completely toxic. But short of just starting to plant and taking your chances, is there some way to determine whether or not a given piece of ground is viable? Are there standard ways of treating the dirt (beyond tilling in some fresh soil, etc) to prepare it for its new life?

Any advice from Bklyn garden vets would be much appreciated!

March 15, 2007

Lefferts Place

Does anyone have views on Lefferts Place between Franklin and Classon? Is it a nice block? Good potential or going nowhere? Subway is close by, but nearby Fulton Street still seems to have some unsavory elements. What about the house of ill repute on the corner at Classon? Thoughts generally about the street/neighborhood?

Garfield Kitchen continued

Now that I know to stay away from Garfield Kitchen, any recommendations on an installer for kitchen countertop and new sink over existing cabinets -- that will handle everything, including removal of old formica?

Brownstone Owner Expenses

Can anyone tell me what I should expect to pay for expenses for a 3500 sq, ft building?

I will pay for oil heat, and water for the entire building, as well as expenses for shared space (hallway, outside light, heating, etc), as well as heat, hot water, oil and gas for my duplex (@ 1750 sq. ft.).

Anything else I haven't factored into my question?

Also, any good venders for oil and electric that I should contact (or stay away from)?

Thanks.

Turner Tower

I'm considering a 900sq ft one bedroom co-op in the Turner Tower on Eastern Parkway. Asking price is $449,000. It's got lots of space, needs a new kitchen, paint, closets need sprucing up. Does anyone have thoughts about this building and this price?

Roof estimate - HELP!

I know there have been dozens of discussions here about roofers but I still need advice. My husband and I are buying a building with a pitched roof that has a flat part. The flat part has an active leak and we need a good roofer to look at it and give us an estimate. I've read about Premier and LeakMaster on this site. There seems to be a bit of controversy oveer LeakMaster. Can you let me know some good and reliable recommendations? We need to have this estimate as soon as possible. Thanks in advance.

Need to match old doors

I just moved into a new house built in 1930. All the doors match except for one. The design looks like a full panel within another full panel. The doors are also thicker than normal and seem solid. I've looked on every website I could find and even emailed a custom wood door mfg w/pics but didn't get an answer. Any ideas?

Cellar / Basement Renovation: Need Contractor

We currently use our basement (or cellar, it is below ground with no windows) for our clothes washer/dryer and storage. The stone walls are exposed, the lighting is dim, the pipes are exposed, but the ceiling height is adequate. We'd like to refinish it; still use if for the same things and perhaps a romper room/ exercise room. I envision sheetrocking the walls & ceiling and laying down some gym type hard rubber flooring or something similar. There are industrial electric outlets down there so I beleive a can avoid doing any work which would require a licensed electrician, and I don't need any plumbing. The cellar has stayed dry for the last 6 months since I've owned the place. My questions are:

1. Can I do this type of work without a DOB filing?
2. What is a realistic budget?

3. HAS ANYONE DONE SOMETHING SIMILAR WHO WOULD RECOMEND THEIR CONTRACTOR?

Thanks,

Peter

Warped mullions on French door

I have a French door leading to my backyard with 15 lites. I just moved into the house and the previous owner had a big German Shepherd that was constantly pawing at the door. This resulted in a few of the mullions being very worn down and a lot of scratches on the sides. My wife is nagging me to replace the door, but I'd rather try to fix it than spend the money on a new exterior door. What are my solutions? Are there ways to get a few mullions replaced?

Brick or Frame?

Recently purchased a property that seemed to be frame built from the exterior. However, upon demolition, we noticed the walls behind the sheetrock and plaster are brick. How would I be able to determine whether the property is actually frame built or brick built ?

Thanks !

StorageMart

Has anyone had any experience in storing their valuables in their facilities? I've had my furniture in their facilities going on two years because this is how long our renovation has taken -- that's a different post. I was having a conversation with a friend who told me that her sister had her belongings in a storage facility (not StorageMart) for a long period of time and her sofas were full of mice droppings, etc. My husband "claims" he checks on our stuff every time he makes payment, which is monthly. I am going to check it out myself this weekend.

I would love to hear of people's experiences with storage facilities in the NYC area.

Installing Stairs to roof from inside apartment

Installing stairs
My fiance and I just bought the top floor of a brownstone in park slope and are dreaming of installing a staircase inside the apartment to our private roof rather than have to climb a ladder in the hallway. (Oh, and we don't want to put in a spiral staircase.)

There is currently a skylight in the kitchen that I think we could extend the stairs from.
Does anyone have any experience with this, and thus advice or caveats? Any pictures? Any ideas?

I'd love to hear from your collective wisdom.

Thanks in advance.

New construction purchase, planning construction for cellar

We are in contract to purchase a duplex with a cellar, in a small condo building in Brooklyn. Currently there is a 1/2 bath in the basement; there are no additional walls separating the basement into rooms. We plan to add a tub, plus add a wall/closet/door to make a bedroom. Will we be in violation of NYC building code? Does this mean we have to get work done without licenses? What will happen when we try to sell? Any information is appreciated.

Picket Fence

I want to put a wood picket fence in my backyard. Couple of questions:
1. Any recommendations?
2. Is there a height limit?
3. What have people paid for this?

Thanks!

Building Manager

I recently purchased a 3 apartment house and am renting two apartments and sharing one. It works out great, but my roommate is a former contractor and much better at the fixing, maintenance stuff. Would it be kosher to allow him to live for free if he manages the property? How would I declare that for tax purposes?

How long for renters?

What is the longest you have had a vacancy?

Continue reading "How long for renters?"

Fixing a downspout

There's a sleeve missing which connected two pipes of our downspout just below the gutter on our brownstone. It's 5 stories tall and doesn't seem like it could be fixed from the roof. Does anyone know a gutter & downspout company with a long ladder who might be willing to perform this simple fix for us without charging us one arm and one leg?

consolidating meters

I would like to consolidate the four electricity meters for our house (which has a 3 family COO) down to one meter. Con Ed says I need to hire an electrician to do the job. Can anyone recommend an electrician for this? Also, what is a reasonable rate?

Garfield Place Kitchen/Bath

Has anyone used the Kitchen/Bath place at the corner of Garfield and 5th Avenue? They have changed names several times, but I am not sure if ownership has changed.

Converting 3-family to Condo?

Has anyone had experience converting a 3-family brownstone into a condo?

I have just purchased a 3-family and plan on living in the owners duplex, and renting out the top 2 floors. But down the line, I'm interested in possibly selling those two apartments and am therefore trying to find out what is required so that in the fututre should I wish to convert, I don't regret not doing something now that could have been helpful. (For example, if I need to change my boiler or heating system because it breaks, should I go ahead and change the heating system to meter each apartment seperately, or just go with another replacement unit until I am ready to convert -- again, this is just an example, I don't want to tax your time and energy answering a specific aspect of the potential conversion as I am guessing there will be several pieces like this).

Also how much does an architect cost, and what are the legal fees and timeframe involved? I ask because I don't know if converting the property would even make sense financially.

Thanks for your time.

March 14, 2007

Venting an electric dryer into unused chimney

I have a 2nd floor apartment ( 1 additional floor above) in a jersey city brownstone. I currently have a malber condenser dryer but it does not work all that well, plus its extremely small.

I want to buy an ELECTRIC washer / dryer combo. In remodeling our bathroom, I found that the bathroom fan is currently vented into the chimney. I wanted to install an electric washer / dryer combo and vent the unit into the old chimney.

Also worth noting, the building's water heaters / boilers vent through an aluminum shaft inside the chimney. The bathroom fan is vented directly into the chimney shaft.

Are there any issues I should be aware of?

Antique Dealers?

Looking to sell Antique (at least 97 years old, may be older) dining room furniture. It was originally my great grandmothers when she lived in a brownstone on Lincoln Place. Does anyone know of someone who might deal in this type of furniture?
Feel free to have a look:
http://chinacabinetsforsale.blogspot.com

Moving a medallion?

I'm planning to reconfigure a room which will require me to re-route some electrical, including the ceiling box. The ceiling fixture is surrounded by an original plaster medallion.
I would hate to lose this medallion, but it needs to move in order for my plans to work.

Does anyone have any advice on how to best remove it and how to re-affix it? It's rather large- about 2 ft x 3.5 ft.
It probably bears mention that it's already coming away from the ceiling at some points.

Creating new windows

I'm interested in creating two new windows in the side wall of a first floor apartment of a three story brownstone.

Continue reading "Creating new windows"

Salvage?

In about 6 months, I'm going to basically gut reno my house. Does anyone know of a company that will come in and buy the entire contents of my house that otherwise would be thrown away? When I gutted a place upstae someone came in and bought everything (to my disbelief) and I was hoping that it can be done in NYC. The place was last reno'd in 1990 so we are not talking details (we're keeping those) but fixtures/cabinets etc.

We're talking:
- Two kitchens (one crap/one ok)
- Three bathrooms
- 15 radiators
- all risers for from steam system
- hardwood flooring (new stuff)
etc etc

Any ideas??

Need an Electrician

I've left messages with three electricians and can't get a single one to return my calls. Two of them were ones recommended on this site--Laredo Electric and Paul Laidlaw. The other came from the Brooklyn Paper. The job isn't huge, but it isn't small either, probably a half dozen things including installing fixtures and running new boxes. Are electricians that busy? I even called on a second time and still no response.

Roof deck

We are on the third floor of a brownstone with roof access. We would like to put a fence or some type of lattice around the roof area. Are there any restrictions, etc? What is needed in the way of a permit if anything?

Novo Park Slope - What's the latest scoop?

Does anyone have any info on how the 2nd open house did? was it as crowded as the first one? are people really reserving the apartments as quickly as I've heard?

Sink and Toilet for Rental apartment

I wanted to do a quick sink and toilet replacement in a rental apartment. Basic cabinet sink and water saving tank toilet. Anyone recommend a good toilet brand.

Is it better get my plumber to install these or handyman type?
Anyone with a good handyman for this work?

Sublet co-op?

Hi - I have been considering subletting my studio co-op which is in a large co-op building. I have been there for about a year and a half and since I don't know most of my neighbors, i thought i could maybe get away with subletting to a friend of mine for 6 months. I KNOW it's against the rules, but what are your thoughts? Am I playing with fire? If caught would they warn me? Or try to kick me out? I really would only consider renting out to a friend who i trust to not make a ruckus, obviously. Thanks guys.

Illegal apartment

So how much risk is there in renting an apartment illegaly? By illegal I mean, renting out 3 apartments in a legal 2-family. All the apartments are separate and have kitchen and bath. Utilities for two of the units would have to be shared. What's the worst that could happen? Thanks!

Design Tech Construction

Any comments on work done by Design Tech Construction? Thanks.

Overpriced South Slope townhouse?

Check out this South South Slope townhouse. It is located on 15th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues. The renovations are amazing, but the block is leagues behind this home. What do you all think is a reasonable price for this home?
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=943049

Stuy Heights 3-Family: How Much Rent Should I Charge?

I've been looking at rental comps, but am not sure what people are asking vs. what people are getting. I am buying a 3-family on MacDonough btw. Stuy and Lewis and am considering asking the following rents and renting the apartments myself -- I'm kind of too much of a control freak to leave the rental aspect to a broker. Anyway:

Top floor, 1.5 bed, renovated but not brand new kitchen and bath with wood floor and wall-to-wall carpet in good condition, 2 non-working fireplaces, good closets, detail, water and heat included: Available in May, $1375

3rd floor, 1 large bedroom, good kitchen and bath, wall-to-wall carpet (beautiful wood floor underneath), 2 non-working fireplaces, good closets, detail:, water and heat included: Available in May: $1350

2nd floor (parlor), 1 bedroom, excellent small kitchen and good bath, 2 non-working fireplace, wall-to-wall carpet (beautiful wood floor underneath), good closets, detail; All utilities included:(technically, this apartment is part of my duplex, thus I will not be able to offer a lease and cannot seperate gas and electric from my garden-level apartment): $1300

Thoughts? Suggestions?

March 13, 2007

electrical code requirements

id like to know where i can access the electric code requirements for new york (without buying a book)?

and can anyone share their experiences with electrical inspectors in brooklyn? do they tend to be very tough, or willing to let little things go as long as they are not hazardous. im not looking to cut corners, i just dont know all the details.

any help or advice would be appreciated. thanks

CHUBB or TRAVELLERS?

Hello all!
I am in the process of closing on a 3-family brownstone in Bed-Stuy. I am very excited, but have to be careful about budgeting (after I close I will only have @$70K remaining and some of that -- like $35,000 -- needs to go to touch up some of the rentals). I have done the lleg work in terms of insurance coverage and pricing and am deciding between CHUBB who is offering me insurance @ $5,000 per year, and TRAVELLERS who is offering insurance @ $2,900 per year (both with $2,500 deductable, and are contingent upon a burgler and fire alarm system connected to the police and fire stations). At any rate, CHUBB seems to be the gold standard, offering full replacement with like materials, while TRAVELLERS is a solid company that will probably give me a bit of a headache should I ever need to settle a claim). My question is, on my budget, should I take the safer, more expensive route and go with CHUBB, or should I take on a little more risk, hope nothing goes wrong, save some money and go with TRAVELLERS? As an alternative, I am considering going with CHUBB for at least the first year until I know my building a little better, and then if/when I get more comfortable, opting for the lower priced TRAVELLERS service.

Everyone on this board is always really helpful with issues like this, so I look forward to your thoughts and hearing about some of your experiences. Thank you!

Is there a Mason out there?

Gee, I never realized how secret a society the Masons really were. I can't seem to get one to save my life. I need some brick repair and want to expose some brick, but can't seem to get a mason on the phone or to return my calls. Any recommendation? South Slope area.

How much rent would you charge?

How much rent would you charge for a 900 sq foot one bedroom garden apartment? Apartment is in good shape with new kitchen and bath. Tenant would have exclusive use of backyard and a washer and dryer. It's one block off eastern parkway in Crown Heights between Nostrand and New York avenues. Very near subways. I have checked craigslist but can't find any real comparables. I am thinking between $1250 and $1500? Thanks for any informed opinions.

Cleanup of Overgrown Backyard

In desparate need of someone to cleanup a backyard that is overgrown with weeds. After, I intend to have part of the yard paved with "decorative" stone or bricks and just have plants around the borders. HELP!!! Thanks!

Parlor Floor Addition

Many brownstones have an addition in the back of the garden apartment. My house has one and I'm thinking of turning it into a bedroom. Has anyone done that? Other than a laundry room how are others utilizing this space?

Windows for a Landmark Calendared House

I'm renovating a house in Crown Heights North. As many of you know, this area is calendared to be designated a landmark. I'm going to order aluminum windows on Saturday. I spoke with someone at landmarks and they said that since the property is just calendared, they were not going to get involved. On the other hand, our DOB building permit expired and DOB will not allow us to renew it until we receive a permit from Landmarks because it is a calendared property. Help?

--Confused

Glass Backsplash

We are seriously considering installing a glass backsplash (not tiles, solid glass) in our kitchen and I was curious if anyone else out there had done it. We have seen it in a few of the new developments and it seems to be low maintenance and attractive. We would love to hear any advice and hear recommendations for any fabricators/installers. Thanks.

removal of soiled trash

i had an oil spill in my basement and stuff there was covered to some extent with oil. the restoration company removed the contaminated wood but did not take the rest----tool boxes, paint cans etc.
i want to get this stuff OUT but i know that i need a specialty removal company to do this. please let me know the names of any individuals or companies who do this type of work.
thanks

Sealing exposed brick?

hi. does anyone have any recommendations on what to use to seal exposed brick on an interior wall? on one wall i had used poly satin finish but it turned out horrible. it looks like a shiny coat of plastic. i might have to paint over it. i don't want to make the same mistake in the kitchen where i have another exposed brick wall. thank you! pietro

landcaping...

I would like to have someone design and landscape my front yard. its around 40' wide x30' deep and has a parking pad and a walkway crossing it. Can someone recommend a landscaper? Any ideas as to what I should budget for this kind of project? Never done landscape work before. I expect to need around 30' of hedge and a flower bed....

thanks

Mortgage Industry Tanking- Will it touch Brooklyn?

Lots of reports this week about the subprime mortgage industry tanking. About 20% of all mortgages are sub-prime, and experts are saying there will be reverberations for the entire housing market and the economy.

How will this affect Brooklyn prices?

All Precision Renovation

Has anyone had any major renovations done by All Precision Renovation? If yes, any thoughts on the experience? Thanks very much.

March 12, 2007

Cleaning service?

Hey! I have recently completed a renovation and need a recommendation for a great cleaning service? I would appreciate any leads...

Watch Out for Bassolino

Continue reading "Watch Out for Bassolino"

ikea kitchen installation

Just wondering how the process works. Do they recommend and/or set up a contractor to install the kitchen or do we have to find them on our own? I have heard that Ikea kitchens are only as good as their installers, so I want to make sure we have someone good!

Thanks!

newel post needs repair

Our Brooklyn 1882 row house staircase needs repair. Specifically, the newel post top sides have become unglued. ( At least I think the pieces were glued togehter.) I am afraid to glue myself without expert advice. If the mechanism needs repair, how will we get to it if the acess is all glued together. Any advice? Can anyone recommend someone who is expert on Brownstone staircases? Thanks!

A Big house going up and its going to block my light. What can I do?

We bought our house near Gowanus knowing that someday someone would build on the vacant lot at the back of our property, but we assumed it would be like the other houses, about three stories tall. Now it turns out the new owner plans to build fifty feet in height. We have a short backyard, so this fifty foot house is going to be what we are looking at from our darkend sun-blocked house, which use to get a nice afternoon dose of sun. (There are two lessons here... 1. don't buy near vacant lots unless you look into the zoning, and 2. do buy near the ends of the block where people can build up there houses and squeeze you in.) So the question I have is do I just accept this? Is there any point in looking into the issue?

Kilim Rug Cleaning

I have 2 antique Kilim rugs I would like cleaned. Any recommendations for someone who is good for cleaning these - preferably by hand. Thanks in advance.

Custom-made pocket doors?

Looking to have a pair of pocket doors custom made to occupy an existing pocket-door space from which the original doors are long-gone. Anyone have any recommendations/experience on who could do this, cost etc? Thanks.

Allrenovation NY

Has anyone on the forum had any direct experience they can share working with Allrenovation NY? I'm interviewing bathroom designers and architects for a complete renovation of 2 bathrooms in a Brooklyn coop. Thank you.

Window in the cellar?

in our totally-below-grade cellar, there is a portion of an old beadboard-covered wall that has a window in it. it's pretty clear this has been here for a while, possibly a part of the original construction (1915). does anybody know why they would have built a windowed wall in a cellar? does anybody else have anything like this?

sophisticated outlet?

I'm redoing the electric in my house and was wondering if anybody has a source for a more sophisticated outlet. It seems in todays day and age, the outlet with two plugs is not ideal for many needs (like a home office). does anybody know a source for something more like a cross between an outlet, a power strip, and a cable storage box — all in a nice built in unit? thanks for any help!!

tenants 'guests'

hi all-
i was wondering what you all do about tenants who let other people stay in their apartment while they are away. Our tenants seem to go back home alot and they ALWAYS have someone
stay over (pets to feed? no. plants to water? no.). Yes, i understand offering up your place to a friend (i did this as a 20 something too) but there's been times when things happened (gas left on, friend got locked out, etc) ontop of the fact that i don't even know this person and they're living under my roof. Am i just being sensitive because i can't stand these tenants or is this really something to be worried about?

Exterior Painters

Can anyone recomend an exterior painting company. One that will properly take old paint down to the wood, replace rotting pieces, not complain about a 2-3 coat job. Would especially like to hear from anyone who had this done a couple of years ago and is still happy with the job.

Thermostatic Radiator Valves

Does anyone know a supplier for thermostatic radiator valves?
Also, are there any brands that are particularly good?

I have a 1 pipe steam system.

I've googled it and most of the suppliers that come up are in England (I guess they use steam heat more than here in the US).

Neatly and efficiently venting a dryer out a double hung window, any advice?

Hello, I recently moved into a co-op with a washer/dryer in the apt, and the previous owners set it up so the dryer is in front of a double hung window and it is venting out of that window. They basically opened the window and stuck in a wood/cardboard/styrofoam/masking tape contraption with a hole in it for the dryer vent. There is a big draft coming from around this panel as it was not done so well bringing in a lot of cold air to our apt.

I am thinking about replacing my windows now and am wondering what the best way to vent a dryer out a window is. Do they make special windows that have vents built into them? Anything like this? Can anyone recommend any window companies that can do something about this? Any other ideas? I called 'Windows We Are' and they said they dealt with this before and can replace the ENTIRE bottom pane with some type of panel they build (wood, aluminum and foam combination I think) with a hole in it, and it is well insulated. This seems like it would work for us, but it wouldnt let any light through on the bottom half of the window. Any other advice? Thanks!

Meter Consolidation

Deciding to be more "green" in my building, I am finally getting around to moving to an electricity provider that uses some wind energy. I have heard this will cost a little more (20%), but I think it's worth it. Does anyone know of an energy supplier who does this? COn ed will still deliver but from what i understand, i can designate the provider. also, will be consolidating 5 meters (don't ask!) to one and having my tenant pay a portion. Can anyone recommend a decent licenced electrician for said job? many thanks.

Submitting Plans and doing partial work

Let's say you want to do a lot of work to your house, including several independant project that would require plans and permits. Can you submit plans for all the changes you plan on making, but then do the work in stages? Do the plans expire? Can the work be inspected piecemeal or only after everything on the plans has been completed?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on this!!

March 11, 2007

Silent Paint Remover for Test Loaner?

I'm intrigued by the rave reviews for the Silent Paint Remover, especially b/c we just got some sizable estimates for the cost to strip & refinish woodwork in our new (old) brownstone. Does anyone have a unit you would be willing to loan for a wkend, so we could test before buying? Or a recommendation on where to rent in Brooklyn? It sounds too good to be true -- but worth a shot before writing the big check. Post back, then we can get in touch. Thanks in advance.

Wolf v. Thermador

I am renovating my kitchen and will be looking to purchase a 36 inch all gas range. I'm leaning towards either Wolf or Thermador and would be curious for views on these two manufacturers and their products - quality, reliability, etc., or any manufacturer that people prefer. Thermador scored better in Consumer Reports tests, but real-life feedback would be much appreciated, thanks!

Redhook - can development block views?

Does anyone have any information or an opinion with respect to whether or not the Redhook waterfront area or along Columbia Street may be built up in the future to block existing view from bulidling back closer to BQE. I know nothing about regulations or landmarked status or commercial plans for waterfront and fear this may happen. Any thoughts?

Roof fence

We are on the third floor of a brownstone with roof access. We would like to put a fence or some type of lattice around the roof area. Are there any restrictions, etc? What is needed in the way of a permit if anything?

Creative ideas for cellars

What do brownstone owners do with their cellars (below the garden level for some, below the first floor for other buildings with shorter stoops)? I have seen offices, open recreation spaces, laundry rooms. Any ideas? Also, for those of you who have had nice work done, who were the architects? Thanks!

Creative ideas for cellars

What do brownstone owners do with their cellars (below the garden level for some, below the first floor for other buildings with shorter stoops)? I have seen offices, open recreation spaces, laundry rooms. Any ideas? Also, for those of you who have had nice work done, who were the architects? Thanks!

Bed Stuy Parents' Organization

I know this isn't a real estate/architecture related question, but I seem to remember someone mentioning a Bed Stuy Parents' organization in the forum and now I can't find the post.

We're looking for infant child care in Bed Stuy... need help!

Thanks.

March 10, 2007

young family seeking to buy, how do we start?

My husband and I recently had a baby and we need a bigger space (we live in a small rent stable apt. in Clinton Hill). We really don't know how to get started at all. Almost all of our friends are renters, so they can't offer us advice. Is there some sort of non-profit or other trusted organization or group we can go to for the "how to's" of buying a place. Many of the brokers we see recommend that we buy a multiple family building (in Crown Heights, Bedstuy or the like), and rent out the other units...that seems like such a risk but we're open to the idea.

Please...any advice would be so appreciated! Also, advice about an honest and helpful broker, lawyer and whatever else we need would be great! We have about $60K to put down, and would like our own monthly to be somewhere in the range of $2K. School district isn't really an issue, but safety and services are - and we'd love to stay in brownstone brooklyn.

Boerum Hill schools

We just bid on a house on Pacific near Bond. It's not in a good school district, but I'm wondering what the public school options might be around here. Variances? G&T programs? Anyone have experience with this? Thanks.

Architect for low-mid reno

I am going to gut my 650 sq. foot apartment in a wood frame building and am considering using an architect for a little hand-holding. (Really just to draft plans--not oversee the construction.) I have the basic layout in mind, but just want to make sure I don't miss anything. There are no structural/load bearing type changes. (it's been inspected for this purpose.) Is it worth using an architect, or should I just discuss my desires with the GC? I'm a little cash poor after the purchase, but I don't want to be penny-wise pound foolish. Recommendations appreciated.

Daycare Space Sought

My daughter's daycare is looking to expand to a 2500-3000 square feet space in Clinton Hill-Fort Greene. Requirements are: two forms of egress, lead paint free, ground or parlour floor, close to transportation and park. We prefer rent with option to buy but would consider purchasing. Raw spaces will be considered. Contact ThomChing@yahoo.com

putting in french doors to the garden

the only entrance to my garden is through the basement, so I want to replace the parlour floor windows with french doors (or some kind of doors) and put a deck with stairs to the garden. since I'm on a medium-tight budget, I don't want to go custom. Can somebody recommend who to go to for qaulity prefabricated doors. Should I look at Marvin, or are other companies better (quality, value?) Also, since I'll have to open up the brick for the door, it's going to be a bit of a project. does anybody have a sense of how much something like this might cost? (i.e. the door, the opening of the brick, the installation, etc.). Thanks very much for your thoughts.

new front doors

I am considering using Tamer and Tamer Inc. to construct entrance doors for our brownstone. I have been to their shop and by what I could see, they do good work. Has anyone used them before?

Being my own GC

My wife and I just bought our first house, a 1906 row house that was last renovated in the 50's. My background is in industrial design and I work freelance. I'm planning on taking six to nine months off to do a design/build of our house, and act as a GC for the subcontractors. My questions are as follows:

1. If I design what I want done to the space (and do 3-D models and drawings), do I still need an architect to review the plans, or can an engineer take my drawings and turn them into somthing that can be submitted for approval?

2. What are my insurance and workman comp issues if I'm doing a lot of work with a friend. I know my subs should have there own insurance, etc, but do I need to worry about myself and my friend?

3. Can someone layout the steps and timeframe for the various parts of the approval process. I think it goes something like this: a. get your drawings done by an architect (or engineer?) and submit them for approval. b. once you have approved plans, pull permits for what's being done (with the subs pulling permits for their specialties). c. when the work's completed, have it inspected. If anybody can confirm/flesh out this series of events and give me a sense of the timeframe, I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks in advance for your help with these questions. Any thoughts would be a terrific help.

Bad tenant

I shouldn't really complain because I've finally closed on a three family house. However, I am having my first negative tenant situation here in week 2. In one of the apartments, there are three roommates, whose lease I've inherited until May. (No rent stab.) Two of the roomates are on the lease and seem fine. The third is a new addition (2-3 months) who is not on the lease. He moved in during the closing process and the seller had no motivation to screen him. Now I've been having problems with him, such as him kicking down the front door because his key didn't work, when he has my phone number etc. (I don't have definitive proof, but he left his footprint on the door.) In two week, there have been several "small" issues with him that I know is just the tip of the iceberg. In the first week I also asked for his personal info and he never returned the form to me. I'm not personally afraid of him, but I don't put it past him to vandalize the place if I tried to boot him. I don't want to punish the other good tenants, but ...

Any advice on dealing with this situation?

Chandelier cleaning

We recently bought a house that has a beautiful old chandelier that desperately needs to be cleaned. Can anyone recommend someone to clean it?

Creative Renovations

Has anyone had any experience with Creative Renovations? We're considering them for some work on our place.

Thanks everyone.

Noise through wall

In one room in our brownstone, we hear voices from the brownstone next door. The voices and noise wake us up every morning. What can be done to fix this problem?

Thanks.

March 9, 2007

Painting kitchen cabinets

There are new light maple kitchen cabinets in my new house that are not to my taste. While it feels sacriligious, I've decided to have them painted them, either a creamy white or a white-washed effect.

Is this the type of job that should be done by someone with certain expertise?

Any recommendations for the right type of person to do it would also be appreciated.

Many thanks!

(still feeling guilty about painting over wood, but I've lived with them for several months, and just don't like them...)

Kohler Cast Iron Tub

I have just removed a cast-iron 60" white Kohler tub from my apartment. It needs to be cleaned up but there is nothing (no scratches or chips) that a good cleaning couldn't fix. It is or is very similar to their Mendota model. If you are willing to pick it up it can be yours for close to nothing. I can send photos if you are interested: conley.rollins@gmail.com.

Broker recommendation?

Broker recommendation in Brooklyn?

Continue reading "Broker recommendation?"

Steve Roth Comments on NYC

Continue reading "Steve Roth Comments on NYC"

Contractor Recommendation

Does anyone have a contractor recommendation? My husband and I just bought a co-op apartment in Park Slope and are planning to do some minor renovations. We just got a quote from someone. It was clear he didn't want to take our "small" job, so he built in a huge premium. I guess he figures he would make a ton of money if we were stupid enough to agree to his estimate. I have included a list of the work that we need done. I would love any advice you may have.

Remove old cabinets and pedestal sink
Install new kitchen cabinets and back splash
Install new track lights in kitchen
Install new vanity in bathroom
Refinish floors

When to plant

This is my first year gardening. I have a blank slate of a back yard. I covered it with plastic last year to kill everything.(I know the weeds won't all be gone but I dug up as many as I could before I covered the yard.) It is a shade garden. When should I begin planting? I know it should be after the last frost, but when does that usually happen in New York.. and when should I order my plants? Thanks for any advice

Budget for ironwork?

Can anyone give me a sense of what I should expect to pay to have custom iron grills made for the parlor floor windows of my brownstone? They are quite large (about 3' by 9'). I want a fairly simple design, but I don't want to get generic locksmith-type prefab stuff.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Wood staircase "spindles/spokes"

Don't know the exact term for them, but, we need to have a few copies made of our wood banister "spokes/spindles" made. Any recommendations for a woodworker in the boerum hill/park slope area? Much aprreciated.

washing machine problem...timer?

my washing machine works, but you have to push down on the outer rim of the main button for (i think) the timer to switch onto the next phase. that is the only way it works...it will not work on its own and will keep on spinning, never finishing. anybody familiar with this, know how to fix it, recommendations?

thanks

Calling all Green Thumbs!

This spring, I would like to set aside a small part of the backyard for the kids to have their own little garden. The spot I have in mind gets direct sun for about 6 hrs a day in the summer. Any suggestions for what kinds of flowers or vegetables would be fun and easy for them to grow?

Thanks.

March 8, 2007

Cleaning Company

Any recommendations for a good cleaning company that can tackle a brownstone that has been vacant for over one year and is extremely dusty? Thanks!

Knocking a hole in a brick wall

Want to cut a small (2'x3') hole in a brick exterior wall, and install a window. Does anyone have a Brooklyn contractor or masonry professional who specializes in this?

Check out Pratt Area Council for any workshops they are giving. Going to these workshops as a first time homebuyer can often save you a lot of money in closing fees and get you a better rate, etc.

Painting house exterior

What's a reasonable budget for painting the outside of a house? It's a 2 story house with a small porch. Not sure if this matters, but it's mostly vinyl with some areas (like the façade) having the original wood trim. We'd like to do the common 2-color treatment: 1 for trim and another for the rest. Also, if you have recommendations on good painting companies, that would be helpful as well. Thanks!

Transforming garage into work space?

Hi everyone. I'm considering turning the small garage/shed that came with our house into a workspace. Can someone give me a rough idea what this would cost and how long it might take--it's approx 300 sq ft, walls needs insulation and need to bring in electricity. Painting/cosmetic work not necessary. Also, are permits necessary for this type of work?

Thanks for your advise.

New Radiators

Where can I look at new radiators (hot water)? Either in person or web site?

Thanks

radiators on or off?

Any informed opinions on this ancient issue: Is it better for a single-pipe steam heat system to leave all steam valves open and, where it's too hot, crack windows, or is it more or less OK to shut some radiators off? Our five-story brownstone has the classic problem: my parlor floor loses heat to the 13-foot ceilings, even as the neighbors' upper three floors are brutally hot. Their radiators have the smallest possible air valves, mine the biggest; still, they can shut all radiators off and still get overheated just from the heat I'm losing. They did a very high-end reno and seem to me to have actually -- never thought I'd say this -- over insulated: given the brownstone heat funnel, "efficiency" on upper floors may be a wrongheaded goal.) Some steam aficionados warn against ever closing radiators. But it's grim to have the things steaming away under open windows. Thoughts?

Good faith deposit for co-ops?

I'm a first time buyer. Was making an offer on a Brooklyn co-op, and seller's agent said I needed to put a good faith deposit in the form of a cashier's check. Amount was less than 1% of offer, but since I wasn't familiar with the term, I was nervous and asked around. People I asked (including 2 co-op owners, 2 other real estate agents, and a mortgage broker) said they had never heard it practiced for co-ops in NYC, only for houses.

When I explained my hesitation to the seller's agent and broker, all I got in reassurance was their word that this was a common practice in real estate. When I insisted for a referral (for people who could give me add'l info or experience on these kinds of deposits), I was given one eventually but told I was being insulting for asking and listening to the wrong people.

Did I listen to the wrong people? Was I wrong to ask for referral? Would appreciate any advice from people with experience with co-ops and good faith deposits. Thanks!

Broken Verizon Circuit Box in Backyard

There is a broken Verizon circuit box on a service pole located in our backyard - it's broken open with wires spilling out and the service wires leading to several of the neighboring houses have dropped as low as 3' off the ground and are resting on the branches of 2 trees in my backyard.

I have called Verizon 4 times and over a month and 3 missed appointments later, they still have yet to do anything about their circuit box.

What recourse do I have to get them to fix it? The pole and box are located on my property.

We have children in the house, so I'm worried about the safety issues of low wires and also of wires resting on branches which could fall on someone.

I have a skype phone so it doesn't service my house at all. I'm so annoyed that I fantasize about taking a sledgehammer to the box and then not letting Verizon in when the whole block complains about their loss of service.

Really though, what can I do to make them remedy the situation?

A to Z Info for a First Time Buyer

I am hoping to buy my first apartment sometime this year and I'm a little overwhelmed by all there is to learn. Are there some sources (books, internet, workshops) that will tell me all I need to know about buying an apartment in NYC? From condo or coop, how to make an offer, whether or not to get an inspection, in short, everything. Suggestions would be much appreciated.

March 7, 2007

Union Street between 8th Av. and Prospect Park West

I'm thinking of buying an apt. in a building located on Union Street right at the intersection of Union and Prospect Park West (across from Grand Army Plaza). The unit is at the back of the building and so doesn't get any noise from the street. Any reason I should avoid living at this intersection? Is it safe? Is it a complete no-no? It appears to be a great location because of easy access to everything, but I also want to make sure that I'm not making a huge mistake.

is there such a thing as getting a residential mortgage for a 6 family house?

I am facing roadblocks at every turn and hope that brownstoner community can help me break through. I am trying to buy a 6 family brownstone which will ultimately be used as a 4 family. Its in a marginal hood so the rent roll is not appraising out on a commercial mortgage and I certainly can not come up with the difference between appraisal and the actual price. My mortgage broker is telling me to give it up but i know there has to be a way. For crying out loud i can put 25% down. Should I be dealing direct with banks? Does my mortgage broker suck? Does anyone have any experience with this? thanks in advance for any and all help.

Insurance replacement value

I'm experiencing difficulty in getting a realistic replacement cost value for my brownstone from my insurer, Brownstone Agency. Can anyone say how replacement cost value is determined. Is this usually done by the insurer, by an appraiser, or what.? According to the NYS Insurance Dept. you should be insured at 80% of replacement cost to get full coverage on a loss.

Opening area under outdoor stairs

I live in a 4 story brownstone and am looking to clear out the area
under the outdoor stairs to the Parlor floor entrance. I believe it
is possible because I have seen other houses with it. I think it
would be a perfect place for storing bikes, strollers, etc.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Do you know anyone that can do this for me? Any advice on this would be appreciated.

local source for countertop

In a post about a month ago, while discussing A&K Tile, I mentioned that I eventually decided to get my countertop from Home Depot because they could give me soapstone. I explained that they subcontracted with local fabricators and someone asked if I could tell them who would be doing it. I'll be visiting Marble Techniques in Astoria, Queens this weekend to select my stone. Don't know exactly how this works, but Home Depot uses Innovative Stone which eventually sets you up with the local fabricator -- talk about your middlemen! Still, price was less than A&K. The templater just visited today, was very professional, quick and accurate. Expecting countertop in 2 weeks; hope everything continues to go this smoothly.

interior doors locally

I'm looking to install very basic 8'0" single panel doors in my house -- the really simple solid core ones with shaker-style sticking and no fancy bevelling. i've seen them online for good prices but can't find them locally. home depot and lowes only have the ornate crap. is there a local supplier (ny metro area) i could source these from?
thanks for your help.

Belltel vs. 110 Livingston

Any thoughts about Belltel v 110 Livingston? I've seen Belltel and will be seeing 110 Livingston shortly. I have no problem with the nabe and think the city is going to deliver on its development plan. So, with prices per sq foot less at Belltel, who likes 110 THAT much better b/c of the sub-zero and finishes? And how important is that extra window at 110 when it comes to resale?

Contractor: Exposing a Brick Wall in a Co-Op

I'm looking to remove the sheetrock from a 19" by 12" wall in a co-op to expose the brick underneath. This is sheetrock -- not plaster, and will probably involve temporarily removing the baseboard heating to access the sheetrock and then reassembling it after the brick is sealed. Does anyone know of a reliable contractor who could do this? How much do you think it will cost?

Thanks, all.

J-51 vs 421-a tax abatment

I am looking at buying a condo which is awaiting J-51 tax abatement. With abatement taxes should be $65. Without it will be $670. Basically 10 times more. Is this always the case? I believe with 421-a abatements it is only 5 times more.

Does anyone have any experience with J-51 tax abatement? Is there a better chance of getting a J-51 as opposed to at 421-a?

Roof Rights

If a top-floor coop apartment has exclusive roof rights but the roof access point is off of the common stairway of the building, assuming the apartment owner makes access available for roof repairs and for other residents' satellite dish installations, etc., if someone is injured while up there is the unit owner with roof rights legally liable? Anyone have a rec for a lawyer who can assess these issues and maybe set my mind at ease? Thanks in advance.

purging water from pipes

We need to drain the water from our heating system. Beyond opening the spigot in the cellar, what options are there to push/pull the residual water out? If tools required -where can we get them and are they easy to use?

Thanks

Average Cost of Reno?

I would greatly appreciate some rough general estimates of how much a renovation / apartment combo will cost us in Manhattan. We are considering turning our duplex (in a brownstone) into a triplex by taking over the apartment above us (combined space will be about 2000 sq ft). We will require an architect to put up and take down walls, connect the 2nd and 3rd floors and move the stairs between 1st and 2nd floor to a different location. We'll also need to renovate a kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and transform the kitchen on the 3rd floor into a master bath.
We would greatly appreciate a rough mid-range estimate (not too high end, but not low end either). Just trying to figure out exactly what we'll be getting ourselves into if we go ahead with our plan.
Thank you!

one handed typing

can anyone suggest good techniques for posting when you only have 1 hand free NO THIS IS NOTHING DIRTY OR UNSAVOURY

i have a 1 month old baby who wont stop sucking my pinky and its affecting my posting especially my punctuation

help exclamation point goes here

Basement / Exterior Wall Contractor recommendation

It seems that there are no really good recommendations for any contractors on Brownstoner and the ones that are recommendating people are ANON and cannot be trusted. Does anyone have any local recomendations for polish contractors in Greenpoint for a 1000 sq foot basement concrete slab pour and re-build (and some slight underpinning work) on an exterior wall with frame with brick filled wall?

What kind of rental would you make this into

We currently live in a 2 bedroom co-op with ample space. Even with the addition of our now 3 month old daughter, I think we can live in this space maybe until we have another child. I recently entered into contact to purchase a 3 family being used as 1, 3 story brownstone in BS. So here comes the question. I plan to move into the brownstone maybe in the next 4-5 years, or whenever we have another child. What kind of rental should I make the brownstone into. I was thinking of doing a full reno and just have it as a one family with 5 bedrooms, and charge enough to cover the mortgage plus incidentals. Then on the other hand I can make it a duplex and garden apartment w/ finished basement. I would love to hear what other brownstoners think. Thanks in advance for your advice.

Custom iron $$$?

Hello all,
I am looking into getting custom security bars made for my windows, and I just got a quote of $1000 for a flat grill, $1300 for a grill with an A/C cage, and $1400 for a fire escape (openable) grill. My windows are about 3.5' by 9', but my design is not very complicated at all (basically just 8" by 9" squares with a few curved pieces at the very top) so I'm in a bit of shock. (I have 11 windows total, so this adds up to a good chunk of change.)

So, for those of yoou you've had iron work done, does this seem high to you? And if so, can you recommend anyone i should speak to who might be able to do this job well but more affordably?

Thanks in advance.

Grass Back Yards for Brownstones? Possible or not?

I am planning to purchase a brownstone within the next year or so. My family is very intent upon having a back yard that can be laid with true grass for our kids and dog. Most of what I see out there is either concrete covering the entire yard (I'm aware of leakage into basement issues that this helps avoid) or stone work with plantings. I see alot of plain dirt with moss as well. I'm beginning to wonder if it's even possible to have a healthy lawn. The back yard is on the south side of the building i'm looking at now, gets some good light, but certainly not for too many hours. Any help on this issue would help me address this with my family and we thank you in advance!

Aguayo & Huebener - bidding process

Has anyone been asked to make a blind "best & final" without any info on coop financials??

A&H claims that info would be provided to our lawyer post accepted offer. They are also pushing very hard for a specific mortgage broker - this is very suspect to me. We have an up-front broker that we trust but A&H are almost insisting on their recommended broker saying the seller would feel uncomfortable with anyone else! (Of course, they deny any self-interest in the transaction.)

A&H was discussed last week regarding the Carroll St apartment listed at $799 - rumor being that it generated a bidding war - is this the realty company's modus operandi - are they reputable?

Why Do These Original Brownstones Have No Insulation?

Every Winter I'm faced with drafts leaking in from any small opening the cold air can find. Can anyone explain why these old buildings were built 100 years ago with no insulation?

March 6, 2007

Rebranding Campaign for Landlords

Hey there.

In a recent post, someone said "...people wonder why "landlord" has been a dirty word since the Dark Ages."

It's occurred to me that landlords need a rebranding campaign.

Gone are the days of the oppressive, cruel landowner lording over the serfs and attempting to clear their rent-stabilized feifdom.

We need to do a bit of rebranding for us landlords.

I'm proposing we rebrand the role of "landlord" - perhaps "R.P.R.P: - rental property relations professional" or in a nod to the wal-mart style job title, "domicle letting team member".

What are your suggestions to bring the image of the landlord out of the dark ages?

Exterior Wooden Doors

We are looking into purchasing and installing new wooden exterior double doors for our enclosed porch. Our existing doors are about 25' inches wide and 84" tall. Lowe's told us that our doors are not standard and will have to be made custom. Does anyone know of a good exterior door company that can make and install wooden doors inexpensively?

MM

Leadking roof

Hi
My 4 story brownstone on the top floor my tenant is complaining of a leak. The leak is in one of the bedroom. The roof is suppose to be new and it 's a flat roof, I'm not looking for a big time contracter. Its not the whole roof that needs to be done. Can anyone recomend some one or a company. I'm looking for the work to be done ASAP weather permiting. Any good recomendations would be deeply appreciated...

.

re-pouring concrete floor in basement

does anybody know what it would cost to have a concrete basement floor repaired or re-poured?

my basement is about 19x43 and the concrete that's currently there was done improperly. it's just a top coat and is cracking and, in places, the dirt below is exposed.

anyone with any experience with this?

Silent Paint Stripper?

I’m thinking of buying a Silent Paint Stripper ($400) to strip the 100 years of thick paint on all the interior wood work in our 2 story row house. It’s mostly window and door moldings – some details but nothing too detailed. Has anyone used an infrared striper? Is it worth the money?

Interest on security deposit?

Are landlords in NYC supposed to pay their tenants interest each year on the security deposit they are holding? Our lease is one of those standard stationery-store leases, and it says the security "will only bear interest if required by law." Is it required by law here? Thanks.

venting a dryer in a basement

Is it safe (and a good idea) to vent an electric dryer in a basement to the main sewer vent.

We're thinking of putting an electric dryer in the basement but to vent it we'd either have to cut through the foundation (too hard and probably not a good idea) or find another way to vent so the humid air doesn't empty into the basement. There is an upside down elbow shaped pipenext to to the stoop that is a vent from the main sewer line. Could this be used as a vent line (withs some sort of one way flap in the vent tube so stinky gas wouldn't come back into the dryer/basement)?

If MasterPlumber still posts, his views would be appreciated.

Tax Abatement

I am looking at a few of the new constructions in brooklyn. Most of them claim to have applied for the Tax Abatement.

Is there any gaurantee that the tax abatement will go through? Is there any recourse for the buyer if the abatement does not get approved?

What to paint heating pipe?

Along the lines of the recent "oil vs latex" post I am wondering what to paint the heating pipe running up through my kitchen. My painter told me to get oil paint but if the EPA is banning it I do not really want to use it. I am not interested in the look of oil paint anyway but I am wondering how best to finish the pipe (isn't it weird that we paint these pipes in the first place??). The pipe is covered in a couple coats of flat paint now. Is there a school of thought on paint and heating pipes? Thanks!

Are sprinklers needed after a gut reno?

Do you need to install sprinklers in a two family brownstone if you do a gut reno? I know that you need to install them in all new construction—but does a gut reno qualify as new construction? Thanks.

How to heat new rooms?

We have a 2 family brownstone with forced air heating.
We are renovating the 1st floor kitchen and replacing an (unheated) hallway and part of the kitchenn with a smal laundry
and a half-lav. This area does nto have heating vents at present.
What should I do to provide heat to thse areas?
I'm thinking either run new ductwork and vents from the existing heat system in the bsement, or some sort of baseboard heat tied in to the electric system.
Ideas and/or suggestions?
Also - any estimate as to price for either solution?
Thanks!

March 5, 2007

Construction lien from bad contractor

Six months ago I started dealling with with a marble instalation contractor on a bathroom reno that is part of our larger house reno in CG. The whole experience has turned into a nightmare. - No shows. Shoddy workmanship. Lackluster attempts to and patchwork solutions and a lot of lost time and money later, I am at my wits end. Today he final installed the baseboard and the work is so shoddy that I cant accept it. Our budget is tight and I cant in good consience pay for the work that I will have to have someone else redo. Therein lies the rub...He is threatening a lien, if I don't pay the last payment!! What recourse do I have? Is this a big deal? What are my rights?
Has anyone out there been though this? I could really use the advice.

Vestibules

Just wondering what you all do with your vestibules. Ours has great details and looks good. Just wondered if there is anything practical you can do in there, like having a bench to sit down and take off (or put on) shoes. Or a hooks to hang coats? Its kinda visible in there so we haven’t put a bench or hooks in there yet. What do you all do with your vestibules?

Buffing and Finishing Wood Floors

We're going into contract on an old Victorian in Ditmas Park, and will be buffing and refinishing the wood floors. I read on a previous post about using polymerized tung oils. Can they be used on floors that aren't resanded?

Cabinetry Supply? Better lumberyard?

I want to build some extremely simple cabinets and some built in bookshelves for my apartment, however the lumber selections at the big box stores don't really have what i'm looking for. I'm looking for MDF (medium density fiberboard) in a variety of board sizes, and preferably some pre-drilled for adjustable shelves. Anybody know of such a place in our neck of the woods?

thanks!

Oil Based vs. Latex Paint Finish

We have stripped our moldings and woodwork and are ready to refinish. We really like the look of the oil based paint glossy finish as opposed to the muted glossy finish of latex. However, we just found out that it is "illegal" to use oil based paints inside a house in NY. We were also told that the oil based paints should only be used for metals. Is anybody aware of this new law...can anybody clarify this law?? Also, does anybody have any finish options that would compare to glossy oil?? Thanks for your time!

Finish for wood floors?

I'm buying an old house with wood floors (narrow planks) throughout. The floors are in good shape, just a little scratched and scuffed. I really don't like the shiny, plastic look of polyurethane, or the horrible smell. Are there any reasonable alternatives? Is there un-shiny polyurethane? I have two bigs dogs so whatever goes on the floor needs to be able to stand up to dog toenails.

anyone see 394 Pacific?

Anyone go to open house at 394 Pacific Street? If so, what were your thoughts? Think that they will get even near asking price?

Cost for a NON-gut renovation?

We are looking at a 4 story brownstone that needs a lot of work, but not a gut renovation. (What I mean by that is that hte electrical and plumbing have been redone in the past 10 years.) Any way, I was hoping to get a ball park figure on the following work:

1. Add a two story extension in the back, both of which would be kitchens. (The lower kitchen would be for the rental and low-end, which the upper kitchen would be nicer.)
2. Repair a lot of floor boards, as some are original and have holes in them. (How is this done, by the way?)
3. Add a bathroom (there is plumbing present in that location).
4. Redo the staircase. It is original, and we'd like to keep it, but it needs to be refinished, stabilized etc....
5. Reconfigure a couple of rooms (ie add walls, closets...)
6. Redo two existing bathrooms.

So, if anyone could give me an estimate for the above work, that would be greatly appreciate. (Obviously, a range of costs -- middle of the road to high end -- would be great.)

Lasly, how long would all at this work take....

thanks....

Stair Replacement

Does anyone kow a handyman or company that replaces stairs. We are in the process of renovating a brownstone and the old stairs can't be fixed. All help is appreciated.

March 4, 2007

Impatient Tenant

I have a tenant whos refrigerator died thursday night. He left me a message thursday evening, say 7pm, and i didnt receive the message until 11pm. Friday morning, he leaves me a message saying that he can't wait to hear from me regarding the matter, and that he is going to go to HomeDepot later that afternoon and pick up a fridge himself, and that he will deduct the cost from this months rent. I get the message sometime around 2pm and try to call him before he tries to make the purchase. He winds up buying a refrigerator that costs $600! Which is a considerable figure considering I had one picked out for less than $400, and what he was replacing was a basic, bare minimum unit. Tonight, I get his rent check minus $700, which includes the cost of the fridge, tax, and delivery.
In a situation like this, am i responsible for the entire cost of his appliance considering the difference of what I would have purchased? Is it unreasonable to only reimburse him $400 and try to collect? Any advice is much appreciated

New sprinkler rules

I have read that the sprinkler system inspection rules have changed. I own a Class 1 three family house and had my sprinkler inspected annually, spending in the inspection report to the Dept of Housing Preservation & Development. Now I hear that I need to get a pressure value put at the top of my system (which the fire dept. must inspect initially) and have a certified inspector look at the system monthly. I also heard that the test to become a certified inspector is straightforward and most owners can get it. Seems like a lot more complex than the other regime but maybe they are simply extending the rules for bigger buildings down to guys like me.

My question are: is this true and when is it in effect (am I already behind?), anyone suggest a licensed plumber who can do the value work and make sure my sprinkler heads are up to snuff? Where can I get the info on the test? Thanks...

wood frame house

I am thinking of buying a 100 year old wood frame house. Has anyone had experience with these kind of houses?....How exactly are they constructed?...there appears to be brick around the base, with aluminium siding above that. Will the insulation be awful?....I'm really clueless and would appreciate any information or advice.

gas firwplace

We would like to open up some of our fireplaces for gas. We've already run a gas line for one, and would like some recommendations for gas systems that don't look fake. Anyone do this?

To File Plans with DOB - or Not?

We are planning to convert our 2 family brownstone from a double duplex to a triplex with garden rental. The bulk of the work will involve ripping out a kitchen on the 3rd level and installing a much smaller one in the garden simplex. No structural elements will be changed; plumbing/gas lines are in place in the garden unit from a kitchen that was there years ago. Will this require DOB approval?

Tax question - rental income on illegal apt.

We earned rental income in 2006 on a basement apt., without which we couldn't pay the mortgage. We want to declare the income on our tax return, however the certificate of occupancy for our 1 family home doesn't show a rental unit. Does anyone know if we increase our risk for a housing violation by doing the right thing with the IRS?

Structural engineer vs. Architect

I'm getting ready to remodel the middle apt. on my three family house. It'sballon wood-frame construction. It's not going to be a high end type job. My question is this, I want to remove a couple of internal walls, but want to make sure they are not load-bearing. Two contractors have told me they are not load bearing, but still have my doubts because there is a bathroom above one of the walls I want to remove. Anyhow, who is more productive to speak to about this-- a structural engineer or an architect? Can anyone recommend someone?

Aesthetic Chimney repair -crumbling brick

I have just opened up the walls in my new place to discover two red-brick chimneys. They are non-functional, but are in terrible condition. I just want to expose the brick and clean them up. Has anyone done this or can recommend someone who fixes up chimneys for aesthetic appeal? Thanks!

Is there such thing as a reputable flood cleanup co?

I had the worst experience getting a company to clean and dry our basement after some flooding during the heavy rain on Friday. I googled to find places to call. First company I call I get a guy who outright refused to quote me a price or any kind of range of price, and his explanation was that he'd "be getting a lot of calls today and doesn't really need this job". Okay, buh-bye. Then I call Servicemaster Clean who at least quote me a range of prices, so I schedule them to come. Mind you this is 9am when I call. They arrive at 5:30pm. By that point there's mud to clean up and it's damp, but there's no standing water. They clean up, they sit out 4 blowers and a dehumidifier they say I'll need for 3 days. So I pay in advance nearly $1000 for 3 days of use of the equipment. They say they'll come check on the equipment the next day. They don't, I call, they say they don't need to check on it. Then I get a call on Sunday morning at 8:30am and they say they are coming to check on things and pick up the equipment. I say, it's been 2 days, not 3 days. The guy rudely insists "it's like a car rental, we don't count the time of day, just the days and we can leave them another day but we'll charge you." So in other words, I've paid for 3 days and only get 2 days! More like a day and a half. I KNEW they'd come and say it's not dry yet so we'd have to pay for more days. Which they did. We said forget it, take your stuff and go. Again these people are Servicemaster Clean, so buyer beware. But I beg to know, who is good and honest? ANYbody in this cleanup business? Or is this exactly what the poor people in New Orleans are experiencing, that this field is full of jerks who take advantage of desperate people?

Fireplace Help

My first floor / kitchen currently has a firebox and slate (I think) slab in horrible condition. Looking for someone to 1)polish or possibly replace the slab, 2)Install a mantel. Suggestions?

Steam vs. Hot Water

I currently have steam heat, which is fine, but I am considering converting to a hot water system to get more control over individual rooms. Looking for opinions on the pros/cons of doing the conversion. Thanks

Looking for Steel Support

I am looking for reccomendations for someone who can add some steel support beams in my basement, including properly digging out the footings, etc.

Re-lining chimney/furnace

Hello brownstoners! We're about to get into contract on a brownstone purchase, after years as apartment-dwellers. During the inspection, we discovered that the gas furnace in the basement is vented through an un-lined chimney. The inspector emphasized the danger of that situation (danger of fire, asphyxiation, etc.). We/ the seller obviously need to correct this ASAP. Any idea what this might cost? How is the actual re-lining done (i.e., tearing down the chimney walls inside the house, God forbid)? Thanks.

Refinishing small section of floor

During a kitchen overhaul, we removed a poorly placed island and an ugly radiator enclosure and want to refinish the small sections of wood flooring beneath them. The floors (narrow plank pine or fir?) were refinished in the last 10 years or so, but those two areas weren't done. We would like to do it ourselves and are wondering what type of sander to use, how hard it might be to blend in the new refinishing, etc. Any advice appreciated.

March 3, 2007

Whole House Water FIlter

Continue reading "Whole House Water FIlter"

insurance for a 4 family

I would appreciate any help, I can not seem to find a company to insure a 4 family home in brooklyn that i am in the process of purchasing . I called the firemans fund and chubb who apparently do not insure 4 family homes. Any help would be great. thanks

crown molding replacement

I am going to replace all crown molding (which has been stripped out) on parlor floor. Does anyone know of any good references? Recommendations?

thanks

nose treads and procelain tiles in hallway

are procelain tiles durable for the first floor hallway of a 3 family brownstone? any other recommendations...?

also we are looking for nose treads (my terminology maybe wrong) that cover the nose and the enitre tread/step?

thank u.

help needed to knock down a seperating wall

we are pricing out moving a seperating wall 3 feet to change the interior layout of a condo an engineer inspected the place yesterday instead it would be no problem to move/remove the wall- anyone have a referral for someone to hire?

thanks for all you help in advance, just discovered this site recently its great!

help needed to knock down a seperating wall

we are pricing out moving a seperating wall 3 feet to change the interior layout of a condo an engineer inspected the place yesterday instead it would be no problem to move/remove the wall- anyone have a referral for someone to hire?

thanks for all you help in advance, just discovered this site recently its great!

Info needed about celler renovations

Can some good Samaritan help me navigate the DOB codes online? I'd like to learn what is permissible for a cellar renovation. I'd like to turn mine into a rec-room / exercise room with a full bath, but past posts have indicated that the shower would not be legal. I wouldn't be surprised, but I'd like to know for sure. Thanks in advance.

Brownstoner --> archive sucks!

I thought things would improve when brownstoner went full time... Fine for a hobby but now the technology side could get a bit more professional. I am just looking for a recent (late feb) post but the archives show the very last day of Feb! Can this get fixed? Thx.

PS lots of value could be added by digesting & structuring info on various subjects of repected interest on the forum.

Groceries in Boerum Hill

We are returning to NYC after some time away, considering a move into a Boerum Hill brownstone apt (on Dean St). We would love to get rid of our car and the expense/hassle of parking, insurance, etc, but are concerned about whether there are decent grocery stores/markets in the area accessible by foot. I know there's a big Fairway in Red Hook, but depending on that for our daily lives would lock us into being car people, something we'd rather avoid. We would love to hear whatever feedback you might have on this.

March 2, 2007

1st st. condos?

Does anyone know about the brownstone being renovated on 1st st. between 7th and 8th Aves. in Park Slope? I think the exact building is 502 1st St. It seems as though it is being made into condos, anyone have any information?

Dog broke window! Serious!

In her dedication to the mission of saving our home from the seemingly vicious dogs and puppies walking innocently by on the street, our dog ran into our double paned vinyl window and smashed the inner pane. Bad dog and all that, but what are our options now? Not for the dog, she's fine, but for the sash. It's only the innner pane of the lower sash. Park Slope glass quoted us $189 to replace just the glass, but I am not sure how they plan to deal with restoring the vacuum/ gas filled space between the two panes by just replacing the glass. Any recommendations or ideas?

Under or Over

OK, so what's the difference (other than the obvious) and people's preference for over or under mount kitchen sinks? Thanks for the input.

Drip...Drip...Drip...Roof Help....

Our newly purchased brownstone needs to have the entire roof ripped to the plywood\sheathing and replaced due to many many years of neglect and active leaking. It’s 20X48, with two skylights, and a hatch that also would need to be replaced. Any recommendations any\or approximate cost estimates would be appreciated. (I know Greene and Premier roofing are mentioned a lot on the site, (LeakMaster won't do tearoffs anyomore) anyone else I could try?)

Thanks in advance.

Haul Away Company for small reno

We are having our old kitchen cabinets & countertop demo'd and new stuff installed and need to find a company that does haul away service. Don't need a big dumpster just a truck and some guys to pick up & dispose of the materials. Apparently 1800GOTJUNK doesn't service our Boerum Hill nabe. Any thoughts?

Cabinet Shop in Park Slope - decent?

We're considering getting some custom bookshelves from the Cabinet Shop on 7th Ave. in Park Slope. Anyone know if they do a decent job? I've had bad experiences with Gothic Cabinet Craft and I'm wondering if Cabinet Shop is any better.

Kingsway Termite Inspection

Has anyone heard of Kingsway? Are they reputable? We are thinking of using them to do a termite inspection for a house we are about to buy. Thanks!

Approval to build extension on landmarked house?

How hard is it to get approval to build a 2 story extension on a landmark brownstone? (The extension would not be visible from the street.) What does the LPC look at/consider in making such a determination?

thanks

Fiberglass Marvin Windows

So I've read every window post but haven't seen anything on this topic exactly. We are considering using Marvin Fiberglass windows. Has anyone tried these? And how do they compare to high-end vinyl or wood? Thanks

PVC vs. Cast Iron Piping

I'm renovating a single family brownstone in Brooklyn. I'm redoing the entire plumbing system. Last year the DOB passed new regs which permit the use of PVC piping for single family residences. Can anyone please explain the pros and cons associated with using either PVC or cast iron? Any master plumbers out there?

Thanks

digging out the basement

I want to upgrade the basement of my rowhouse, which is now basically a hole in the dirt. I'm looking for a contractor with some expertise in this area. Does anyone have any recommendations? I need to have the basement dug out and lined with concrete and the house shored up as necessary. I'm hoping to use the space as a workshop for my hobbies. Unfortunately, my computer was out of commission for a while and I missed a recent exchange on this sujbect. I'd be grateful for any information. I'm reachable at be2@mindspring.com

Backyard fence

Has anyone had experience with Amendola Fence Company of Long Island. Am looking for a wooden fence (perhaps board on board for my brownstone back yard. If not Amendola, any other suggestions would be appreciated. THanks)

Another round of Forced hot air and CAC questions

I’ve read a lot of anti forced hot air opinions here—is it really that dry? What steps can be taken to improve the quality of the air?
Additionally, are there any downsides to central AC? It seems that the consistent temperature in the house would be a wonderful feature, but I am sure that there are some pretty strong opinions out there….

Who to call about storm drains?

So which one of the various people who have been working on our house, should have told us our gutter and storm/roof drain pipe thing are not done properly - the roofer, the handyman/contractor or the plumber? It's so frustrating today with this downpour to have a flood in our backyard and water in our basement simply because none of the guys hired to work on the house were alarmed in any way by the drain for the gutter off the roof being sealed up, and the gutter instead being aimed out into the yard. Now that we know we have to direct the water out of the yard and away from the foundation more effectively, who do we call to repair the sealed off storm/gutter drain and put in other kinds of drains in the yard? Is that a plumber or roofer's job? I don't feel like calling our roofer again, since he was so cavalier about the drainage from the roof when I had asked him about it weeks ago.

March 1, 2007

Carpet in Rental Units

Is it a law to require your renters to have carpet or rug in 80% of their floors (except kitchen and bathroom)?

I have 5 other tenants in my building and would like to know whether this should be in the lease, or if I would be able to include some other wording that allows more flexibility. Is it truly a law or do we have the option of wording the lease in anyway we wish?

Taxes & basis for depreciation

Full disclosure, it's a stupid question, but here goes:

How do I calculate the depreciable basis of my rental property for tax purposes? I bought the rental property at the end of last year, so this is all new to me.

Yes, I know I should be asking a tax person, but I'm my tax person. I'm doing my own taxes and I'm using TurboTax.

So...say I paid $1M for the property (land + house). How do I figure out the depreciable basis of the house (not land)? The "Notice of Property Value" from NY Dept of Finance shows a market value, an assessed value and a value that my tax is based upon. How do these fit into this, if at all.

Continue reading "Taxes & basis for depreciation"

Really nice radiator covers for sale--cheap-a-licious!

Need radiator covers? I have seven really well-made, wooden ones, custom made for a big ol' Clinton Hill brownstone. Cabinetmaker quality woodwork with unpainted goldtone aluminum screeny stuff. Condition is good to great. Six are painted white-ish, one is stained oak. Here are the dimensions (as measured from the inside of the boxes--check your radiators): Cover number 1: 24&3/4" wide, 26&1/4 tall, 11 deep. Number 2: 25 wide, 16&3/4 tall, 13 deep. Number 3: 24&1/2 wide, 17 tall, 13 deep. Number 4: 28 wide, 20&1/4 wide, 14&1/4 deep. Number 5 (which is the oak stained one): 29&3/4 wide, 20&1/4 tall, 13&1/2 deep. Number 6: 31 wide, 20 tall, 14 deep. Number 7: 30&1/4 wide, 20 tall, 12&3/4 deep. If you're interested, post your email address and I'll write with photos.

Adding a bathroom?

So supposing one can get the coop board approval, does anyone know the ballpark cost for adding a small full or half bath to an apartment? Is it possible to route the new pipes over to the existing lines or do they have to go directly downward? Trying to decide if we should buy a one-bathroom place or hold out for a 2-bath... thanks in advance for any advice.

Lauren

Decks and terraces

How are the floor areas of roof decks, balcony and terraces calculated? Is it full FAR or half-FAR? Thanks.

Gas logs - fireplace

We recently purchase a brownstone with a lovely fireplace in the parlor, only it's sealed and the chimney/flue has no lining. We've thought about lining it to make it acceptable for burning wood, but then wondered whether gas logs might be a less costly option. Does anyone have experience with this, and/or a good contractor?

Federal preservation easements

I would like to apply for a federal preservation easement for my non-historical district brownstone. Would be nice to get some money back for my promise not to change the facade. Because I am not in a landmarked district, the only way I see this working is to get my
brownstone on the National Register as a non-landmark building.
Are there any consultants that you have worked with to get this
designation? Thanks.

Historic Preservation Tax Credit

Does anyone have any experience/guidance regarding the historic preservation federal tax credit of 20% for income producing properties? I just learned about it and will starting the application process. Thanks.

Historic Preservation Tax Credit

Does anyone have any experience/guidance regarding the historic preservation federal tax credit of 20% for income producing properties? I just learned about it and will starting the application process. Thanks.

Code for Stairway Hallways?

Can anyone tell me the code for storing things in a brownstone stairway hallway? Is there a minimum clearance requirement? Our tenants have built shelves in the common stairway hallway (with out permission) and I am wondering if we can allow them to keep them there or if they must be removed. Thanks!

Asbestos?

A house we're considering has a finished basement with pipes wrapped in asbestos. Is this safe as long as it's intact? Does it lower the value of the property? Anyone have any advice on this?

Thanks in advance.

Forum: March 2007

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