Exterior Stairs


Looking around the site I found recommendations for Adama, Progeny, Pinnacle, Jahan and Metro for exterior work on stairs (we’re thinking about completely renovating the orginal wooden ones–now decrepit– with stone/concrete ones.) I was unable to find contact information for most (looking online and in the yellow pages). Any thoughts on using them and/or any contact information available? thanks!

By | 12/31/2006 3:48 PM | Comment

Recurring Shower-Drain Clogs


Someone posted awhile ago about how to keep kitchen sinks from regularly clogging without Draino and other bad (ineffective and damaging) chemicals. I can’t seem to find the post, and anyhow, my problem is a recurring clogged shower drain. Though both people using the shower have very short hair, our drain seems to clog up about once a month– and yes, we use one of those little plastic drain covers to catch the hair etc. I have to unscrew the drain cover and pull out the corkscrew shaped thing (name?) and clean off the month’s worth of scum, gunk and hair (yes, very nasty). What else can i do to keep my drain clear and running smoothly without damaging the house’s plumbing? Boiling hot water once a week? are there other “natural ” solutions? (Baking soda??? Magic fairy drops??) Thanks in advance. And have a happy new year!!

Categories: Plumbing
By | 12/31/2006 11:32 AM | Comment

heating problem with one riser


Master plumber, i am looking for help with a heating problem with seem to have begin when i decided to move my boiler 20 feet closer to my hot water heater in my basement. The plumbing work was done by my father, the electrical work was done with co-workers and the circuit breaker was mis-labeled and the electrican tripped the breaker while wiring the boiler at its new location. The transformer was thought to be burnt and the second electrican jumped out all the safety control and direct wired the gas valve at this point i only let the boiler run one night and had to manually feed water into the boiler. i must of over feed water to the boiler because water was pouring out of the air valves at the 1st and second floor. the third electrican who is used to control wiring, re-wired the boiler with the old transformer and everything worked, except that i don’t get heat out the the rear radiators i decided to take all the air vents off the rear radiators and now get heat off and on at the top floor ( 3rd floor ) rear radiator but nothing at the 1st, and second flooor. i was told to check the radiator for correct pitch and to disconnect and drain the radiators. after completing this still no change. i was also told to increase the pressuretrol from 1-2 lbs to 4-5lbs and still no change. i was next told to replace the air valve at the bottom of the riser ( below the ceiling of the basement ) still no change. the riser gets hot but the radiators are cold and there is very little steam coming out of the valves when the radiators are disconnected and the valves opened. my father wants to add in another air vent to the bottom of the riser, and call keyspan to complain about gas pressure but last winter the heat system work fine. My father is a plumber with 45 years experience, specialize in boiler installaton and heating, has his own company his partner has the license but this problem seems to be stumping him. I would appreciate any sugguestion or recommendation to another plumber / heating specialist

Categories: Heating
By | 12/31/2006 11:30 AM | Comment

2nd mortgages


here’s the scenario. first mortgage was opened to purchase a condo, which is currently being rented, ie investment property. want to get a second mortgage for personal residence.

questions:

1.how does the lender decide how much to lend me? since my max. mortgage is based on my salary, down payment, etc, how does the lender work the second mortgage?

2. if i am making $500 bucks over the carrying costs of my mortgage, does this play into the scenario, ie is the lender more amenable to lending me more money?

thanks for everyone’s knowledge in advance!

Categories: Mortgage
By | 12/31/2006 1:01 AM | Comment

Radiant Vs. Forced Heat


Sorry for slightly off topic post, but this is the best resource I know of so… My mother is currently completely redoing a weekend/second home out on Long Island and is at the point where she has to make a final decision on heating. I have told her to go with Radiant floor heat wherever possible but her contractor is telling her that she should go with Forced Hot air because (in his words) Radiant takes too long to get the house warm. This is a second home so will be used only on weekends during the winter- therefore heat will be down all week. I guess the concern is that when someone shows up on Friday Evening for the weekend, the place will be cold for too long. The ductwork is going to be in place for CAC so the issue is really one of comfort. Intuitively I know the answer, but the contractor is making me second guess myself.
Any thoughts?
-PK

By | 12/30/2006 7:01 PM | Comment

Freaky weather patterns


Just curious if anyone else has spring plants coming up in their garden. I don’t know much about botany but this strikes me as a bit scary.

Categories: Garden
By | 12/30/2006 2:32 PM | Comment

Permits and fines


If I was caught doing renovations without a permit, what kind of fines am i looking at? has this happened to anyone?

By | 12/30/2006 12:51 AM | Comment

Good Inexpensive Painter



We just finished having our apartment painted and want to recommend our painter. Please use my name (Jennifer in Clinton Hill) when you contact them…

Hans Jensen at EarthTones
347-228-0178
earthTonesNYC@yahoo.com

I got three quotes (two from painters recommended in the posts noted below and one from a friend). While I liked each of the painters, this one came in significantly less in price but was still attentive to detail (patching, sanding, electrical outlets, etc) They price walls by linear square foot (at the time of this posting $3.50/lf for a standard height wall) … doors, window jambs, ceilings and other areas that have to be painted by hand are extra and priced individually. I particularly liked that he personally measured the apartment and then itemized every aspect of every room by price so I could decide which areas were worth painting (after seeing their work on the first room, we ended up having them paint everything, ceilings and all).

The only drawback is that (at the time of this posting) he and his partner are only working nights and weekends (as they have other day jobs). But it was worth the inconvenience for such a low price. Though we live in a co-op, they were super quiet, so as long as they got in before the “work cut-off” time, no one seemed to care.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions…
Jennifer in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn 917-697-9794

Categories: Painters
By | 12/29/2006 11:43 PM | Comment


1st time poster. I am wondering, when I install a carpet runner on an old staircase, what do I center the runner on? on the space between the inside of the newel post and opposite skirt board/wall (or) center on the upper landing and have it fall wherever it hits?
Thanks for your help.

Categories: Stairs
By | 12/29/2006 10:23 PM | Comment

A shell of a House


I am a home owner in Clinton Hill. Currently there is a “shell” of a house next to ours. It has no windows or floors in it and the facade is in terrible disrepair. We have tried to contact the owner to purchase this eyesoar but there were no responses. This home is currently providing shelter for about two dozen cats, rats and the neiborhood kids use it as a hang out and as a bathroom. What is a person to do.

By | 12/29/2006 4:47 PM | Comment