Cell Tower/Repeater


Anyone know of laws on cell phone repeaters on top of buildings in residential areas? There’s one being installed basically in our back yard on an adjacent taller apt. building. What are the health effects of something beaming directly at us at all times?

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jacuzzi/hot tubs


Hello.
Has anyone out there installed a jacuzzi in their yard/deck??? I realize it’s a bit self indulgent, but my heart is set on one for my renovation. I’ve been quoted $8,200 for a mid-upper style “jacuzzi” brand tub. With the crane (to get in the backyard), installation, plumbing,electrical, structural,and the tub itself… we’re looking at $12-15K… Insane!! My brother in California did it for $5K. If anyone has a recommendation, experience, or advice please post or contact me @ mike@apt168.com
Thanks a million

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Who built a deck?:


The building regulations for decks seem to be quite restrictive. They list:
* minimum height of railings, 42 inches
* maximum protusion from rear: 8 feet
* five inches max between columns
* 3 feet between edge and property line

so for a typical 17 foot wide brownstone this appears to leave a parlour floor deck a max of 8×11 = 88 square feet and chock full for supports (it isn’t clear if supports refer to railing supports or what).

Yet when I see decks at open houses they rarely appear to take much notice of some of these regs..

So what is the real deck story here? Can I build my dream steel and terracotta tile deck full width, going back 10 feet with tempered glass panels around it? or c’est impossible?

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Small Plaster Job


I have a small plaster job that needs to be done to my ceiling (6′x6′ space). It is approx. 15ft. from a very coveted plaster medallion and there is addition cracking in the surrounding areas. It is possible that we may have the ceiling done entirely, but I really just need this work done now. Any recommendations?

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Oil Vs. Gas


I’m a first-timer here and didn’t “allow comments” with my early post. Sorry, here it is again:

My 5 story 5,000 sq. ft. single family townhouse uses forced hot air coming from a large and quite old, but functional oil burner. I just learned I have water in my oil tank as a result of a leaky oil filling pipe coming from the street. Before paying for repairs I want to consider conversion to gas heat.

Does anyone know the costs of a new gas furnace/burner plus installation? I would also need new (larger) gas service brought it from the street. Con Ed is my gas supplier.

Also, does anyone know the difference in heating bills with gas vs. heating oil these days?

Thanks.

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Washer Dryer Hook-ups – forgot to allow for comments


Hello,
We’d like to install washer/dryer hook-ups for our apartment and our two tenants. I want to know what all is involved. We have 100 amp service for each floor, so we probably have enough electricity, but do we need to upgrade the electrical recepticals in which they will be plugged? If we get gas washer/dryers do they both run on gas or partially run on gas and partially on electricity? What modifications will I need to make to the gas lines? The tenants already pay for their cooking gas – will they also also be paying for the gas used to run the washer/dryers? How much will this work cost? Has anyone else installed washer/dryers and if so, was it worth it?

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Need a Contractor


alright, so i’ve contacted most of the contractors over at Apartment Therapy, but for some reason, they don’t like Brooklyn or Co-Ops. argh.

so i reach out to you…

Does anyone know of or can recommend a decent contractor for minor repairs (new trim work, sliding doors (not pocket), wall repair…) that is willing to work in a Co-Op in Brooklyn!?!

I would love to do this work myself, but I get overwhelmed when I try to figure it out, i.e. no experience!!!

so, any recommendations is much appreciated.
-geralyn
ggirl@eyemaze.net

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Double Parking


Maybe a bit off topic but I have a question for people who park on the street. I just moved here with my car and rarely use it during the day while I’m at work. This morning I found that I had to go somewhere during Street Cleaning and found cars double parked next to mine. I understand that this is normal procedure and I saw that the person who was next to me left a phone number on the dash telling me how to contact them. However, when I did they didn’t pick up so I left a voicemail. They didn’t show up until 11am when the parking restriction ended and were quite surly.

My question is, how should this be handled? Was it okay to call them or is that one of those things for appearances? If I call the police will they help or laugh at me? I find it funny that this double parking happens when the NYC DOT site says it’s illegal and you will be ticketed, but I also know that parking can be tough. Do I really have to put my car in a garage overnight to guarantee it won’t get blocked in?

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$3 a sq foot for floor refinishing?


I am looking to refinish about 350 sq ft in my co-op. I got an estimate of $1050 from Precision Flooring which was recommended in this forum. That comes to $3 a sq ft which seems high to me, I had thought this shouldnt be more than $2 a sq ft. For this price they are doing 1 coat of sealer and 2 coats of poly (water-based). Does this sound expensive?

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Oil vs. gas heat


My 5 story 5,000 sq. ft. single family townhouse uses forced hot air coming from a large and quite old, but functional oil burner. I just learned I have water in my oil tank as a result of a leaky oil filling pipe coming from the street. Before paying for repairs I want to consider conversion to gas heat.

Does anyone know the costs of a new gas burner plus installation? I would also need new (larger) gas service brought it from the street. Con Ed is my gas supplier.

Also, does anyone know the difference in heating bills with gas vs. heating oil?

Thanks.

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