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Come on by 109 St. Marks btwn 4th and 5th Aves. in beautiful Park Slope and check out all the great things we have for sale—clothing, baby stuff, books, knick-knacks and even an antique chandelier! Also featuring jewelry creations by Skywalk Designs. Starting at 11:00am.

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I need professional advice on a range hood decision. I am absolutely in lust with this Italian range hood and my contractor told me that I shouldn’t get it because it wont perform well with my stove. My stove is 30″ (4 burners) and this hood is 26″. I have read several threads here on GardenWeb that it is mandatory to go with an exact size hood or larger for best performance. However, I want this specific design, it’s gorgeous and there’s absolutely nothing even close to it that I was able to find. I don’t cook a lot and I don’t fry or steam. Can someone please reassure me that going with a 26″ in hood will be okay for my 30″ stove, considering my “non-pro” cooking habits.

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Can anyone recommend a licensed plumber who can inspect/install water meters? We are currently in dispute with the DEP and we think the existing meter is vastly overcharging us. Thank you!

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People
How important is it to have a city permit to an extension to a house – before we decide to buy it? I understand there are many properties with extensions built without permit but I want to weigh pros and cons before putting down an offer. Any insights from people here would be welcome.
thanks

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Unfortunately my 50 year old japanese cherry tree has lost a huge limb compromising the entire tree. In anticipation of having a tree surgeon cut the entire tree down, I wondered if there is any use for old cherry wood. I am an avid recycler and thought it might be of some use to a carpenter/wood craftsman. This wood should be available next week and of course is free if interested. Otherwise I will have the tree service remove the broken limbs as part of their normal service. Thanks dinosaur

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Hello all, I’ve had so many “not so great” vendor experiences lately that I wanted to recommend a good contractor. I had to have some stoop repair done to the inside/underside of my brownstone steps. The cement was cracking/crumbling under the stairs. Once the old cement was removed we realized that most of the mortar between the bricks was turning to sand and many of the bricks had softened nearly to the point of crumbling.
3 Brothers construction removed those bricks, put new ones in, put new mortar between the bricks that were salvageable (sp?), did the scratch coat of cement and then the final color coat of cement. They even added a new door to the “shed” underneath my steps and fixed the hinges on my front door w/o being asked to do so.
They were always on time (and always called if they thought they would be late). They even placed my mail inside of the home since they were working in the doorway when it was delivered every day.
Owner is Mostafa 917.337.5523

On a sidenote, they also painted the front of my brownstone home in 2001 (before I was the property owner). Since this was so long ago I can’t vouch for how well they’d do this type of job now but I will say that the paint job is still holding up very well in comparison to some of my neighbors who have had their homes repainted more recently.
Mostafa also mentioned that he has a working relationship w/Landmarks if that matters to anyone.

Thx

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I am trying to do a cash out refinance on my house but have been denied because it is a legally converted 2 family being used as a 1 fam.(A couple of doors have been removed that separate the units and the 2nd kitchen has been removed)
What I am trying to find out is the easiest way to get the loan approved. From talking to the underwriter I have two options: 1- have it appraise as a 2 fam and 2- have it “re-zoned” as a 1 family.
If I want it appraised as a 2 fam, what is the minimum an appraiser would need to see as far as the 2nd kitchen in terms of appliances, sinks and cabinetry.
If I want it mortgaged as a 1 Fam. what exactly would I need to get changed. What do the banks look at to make this determination(they couldn’t give me a straight answer).
Any help would be appreciated.

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A neighbor of mine has a pair of original french exterior doors circa 1906, also with the original beveled glass. The glass has slipped down indicating that there’s likely some wood rot in the bottom rail.

Does anyone know of a company that could rebuild and refinish these doors? This looks like a shop rather than on-site job to me but she does have an attached garage she can make available.

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I am considering replacing our existing (warping, crappy) wood decking with Timbertech “Reliaboard” decking. Anyone have any experience with this product? Pros? Cons? One complaint I’ve heard is that it really heats up a lot in the sun. OTOH, I hear it is easy to clean. Thoughts? Thanks.

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