Cash for Caulkers


Has anyone been following this proposed program? Sounds great to me. I wonder how to take advantage…. Is a Forum category for Energy Efficiency warranted?

By LisaFG | | Comment

Bathroom Reno


I recently had a major plumbing problem and had to knock out a couple of walls to fix it. Now I need to do a bathroom reno and don’t want to spend a lot of money. I am also feeling overwhelmed by all the design, tile, and fixture choices. I have identified a handyman who can do all the work, but he isn’t a designer and will need guidance from me. Any tips for how to go about this? I have a general idea for a classic bathroom, but am unsure what will look good.

By LisaFG | | Comment

Contractor Recommendation


I’m not sure if this is still allowed on the Forum, but I recently had such a positive experience with a contractor (!) I wanted to share his name with others. I recently had a flight of stairs demolished and then a new flight installed in my brownstone. To my amazement, despite the enormous pricetag ($12k) the stairs company informed me that I’d have to find someone else to “finish” them after they were installed. My neighbor recommended a local handyman – Brendan Cole 347-579-7398 – with woodworking and furniture experience. Brendan gave me a very reasonable price and was a pleasure to work with. Halfway through the job, I could see what care he was taking and started adding other small details to the finishing project. By the time we were done, I had added many many things and the price was still totally reasonable. He did a beautiful job and significantly improved the stairs, landings and entryway over the course of 2 weeks. In my experience, it is very hard to find a contractor willing to do this kind of detail/clean-up work at an affordable price. I look forward to him helping me with many more projects to improve my brownstone!

By LisaFG | | Comment