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A/C contractor warning
Hi,
I just wanted to report to anyone thinking of installing an A/C system in a brownstone to be very careful about who you use to do it. We used Energy Engineering, which also does business as Golden HVAC, and is run by a guy named Joe Golden. He seems like the nicest guy when you first meet him, but turns out to be a complete slime — adding all sorts of unauthorized charges, dragging a two week project into a 5-month one, not showing up when he says he will, blaming our general contractor for all the problems he created, and installing the system wrong so it broke the first two times we tried to use it. And then when we had a dispute, he’s completely incommunicado. Just a warning to everyone out there to stay away from this guy. He’ll try to lure you in with a low price, but then says nothing you’d assume is included in that actually is. This was a real nightmare for us — just a warning.
12/13/2008 8:57 PM
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Experience with Spacepak A/C?
Does anyone have experience using a SpacePak mini-duct central a/c system, and can advise re how well they work? What are the downsides? Seems much easier to install than traditional A/C and also less expensive. Am I missing something? Would love to hear from someone who uses this system. Thanks!
03/21/2008 1:16 PM
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“Green” kitchen cabinets?
Wondering if anyone has thoughts on whether it’s worth paying extra for “green” kitchen cabinets — i.e., made with sustainable wood and without formaldehyde or toxic glues. I’ve been told wood and particle-board in most new cabinets are treated with formaldehyde and made with toxic glues that can cause allergic reactions and in higher doses are cancerous. Anyone know if this is a real concern or not something we should worry about?
03/09/2008 2:08 PM
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recommend a structural engineer?
We’d like to build a roof deck on top of a brownstone, but I’ve read that to have it built directly on the roof, without supporting steel beams, we should have a structural engineer check the roof and make sure it can handle the weight. Can anyone recommend a good structural engineer who can do this, and not charge a ridiculous amount of money for it?
Thanks!
02/24/2008 10:40 PM
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Advice on buildng roof decks — to suspend or not to suspend?
We want to build a roof deck on a 4-story brownstone, but don’t know if we need to have it placed on steel beams or if we can build directly on the roof. I’m getting contradictory advice form deck builders on this. If we stick to a wood deck covering 20% of the roof, can we do it without the steel and avoid that cost, or is that risking damage to the building? Anyone out there have experience with this and can make a suggestion? And any sense of whether one or the other is more likely to improve the resale value of the building? Thanks!
02/12/2008 12:10 PM
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Gutter repair/roofer
Can anyone recommend someone who’s really good at gutter and roof repair? We had a handyman who did a hatchet job on our gutter and I desparately need someone honest and qualified to fix it and stop the water leaking down from the roof and into our house! thanks-
02/10/2008 11:31 AM
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Contact info for Chris Marcoux?
I’ve seen Chris Marcoux recommended on this site as a contractor, but I can’t find his contact info. Does anyone have it, and would you still recommend him? Thanks.
02/05/2008 5:25 PM
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Installing an A/C system in old brownstone
Does anyone out there have recommendations for the best way (or company to use) to install a central A/C system to cool 3 floors of an old brownstone? We’d like to run ducts down through the closets and keep the duct work to a minimum, even if it means not every room gets A/C directly. Can anyone recommend someone who’s creative and economical in doing this? And what should we expect to pay for three floors? Would love any suggestions.
01/24/2008 2:51 PM
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Looking for Parlor floor deck ideas
Hi, we want to build a deck off of the parlor floor of our house, and we’re trying to figure out if we should do a metal deck across the full width, a wood deck that stops 3 feet from the property line (required by code), or some mix of the two. Does anyone know the pros and cons of a wood v. a metal deck (in terms of cost, maintenance, etc.)? Also, if anyone has pics of their own parlor floor decks they’re willing to share, I’d love to see some to get ideas. Thanks!
01/24/2008 2:44 PM
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Adding a window in back parlor?
We’re thinking of adding a window in the back parlor of a traditional brownstone, between the two tall but narrow windows that are there. (there’s a wide wall space in between, and the back of the house gets far less light than the front.) Has anyone done this, and have any suggestions, warnings, or recommendations of someone who’d be good at safely and carefully creating a new window in a brick wall?
01/16/2008 11:57 PM
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cara
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM