Uses for Single Egress Cellar?


Hello, I’m having a heck of a time finding code or forum posts that would answer my question. I have a cellar, with one egress, which I want to use as an office, workshop, have band practice, and maybe keep a fridge.

The boiler is behind closed doors down a long hallway, and no part of the cellar is more than thirty feet from the egress point. By the way, this is an eight unit building, in which I live and rent out the seven other apartments. What is the code regarding such a situation?

Thanks in advance!

Categories: Cellar
By RvN | 04/28/2011 9:45 AM | Comment

Rec’s for Advisor with regard to rent stabilized building?


Hey there, I have two questions:

1) With regard to individual apartment rent increases for rent stabilized apartments, does anyone know of expenses that cannot be included? On the DHCR fact sheets I see that keeping existing appliances maintained and painting every three years of course cannot count. What about, for example, sanding the floors or installing baseboards? I just want to be sure, because I tend to find that information in one fact sheet occasionally contradicts information in another.

2) Can anyone recommend a good lawyer or code consultant who can advise with regard to issues like the above and MCI increases, etc.? I had inherited an issue with regard to the number of apartments in my building when I pulled a permit and I need someone to help me navigate these processes so that I don’t run into trouble again.

Categories: Legal
By RvN | 04/18/2011 4:23 PM | Comment

Must I Read the Whole of Building Code?


This is a question that somewhat takes the form of a rant. Please forgive me.

So a building inspector is coming to check out our window guards, since a tenant has a child. We now realize that they are not NYC approved and don’t come with the required window stops. Are we likely to get busted for that?

This is really the motivation behind this post however: a violations removal consultant guy came by and told us we also need peep holes in our doors and a sign about CO detectors in the hall. The CO sign manufacturer says that they have recently had a run on 4 other kinds of signs that people have been getting busted for not having.

So I suppose my question is: how am I supposed to know all of these things in advance without dedicating my life to studying the Big Book of Code? Is there some kind of centralized location for things like this, say a cliff notes version? Or can I only wait for violations to be delivered?

Thanks in advance for any solace provided.

Categories: Building Code
By RvN | 01/11/2011 10:47 AM | Comment

Carbon Monoxide Sign? Where to Get?


Hi there,

An inspector has told us that we, like most buildings, need to post a sign regarding CO in a common area. In the code I found what it is supposed to say, and that it must be on plastic or metal. Can I buy one of these somewhere or do I have to have this custom made?

Thanks in advance!

Categories: Inspector
By RvN | 01/06/2011 10:45 AM | Comment

Stopping Water When Soldering Pipes?


I’m trying to solder a connection in an old building in which we just got the water turned back on. For the life of me I cannot figure out how to stop water from being attracted to the joint, or where it is coming from. I stuffed the better part of a bagel in there, but water still comes bubbling through. I left the nearest faucets above and below it open, and I’m not sure what else to try. Any ideas? Wonderbread?

Thanks in advance.

Categories: Plumbing
By RvN | 08/10/2010 9:45 AM | Comment

Boiler only stays on for a few minutes, what could it be?


Hi there,
My friend has a Burnham V904 boiler, and the burner was converted from burning oil to gas last fall, and since it was put into summer water-heating-only mode, the boiler only kicks on for a few minutes – not enough time to make hot water. So now the aquastat on the hot water tank is set at 140 (like it normally is), and the aquastat on the boiler at 212 (supposedly it should be set to 190), so that it will stay on long enough to make hot water. So now there is steam running through the heating pipes near the boiler and it seems very inefficient.
A guy looked at it and advised to replace the aquastat, which did nothing. I suspected that maybe the water pump wasn’t working at full strength, and thus the boiler was clicking off because the heated water was not being moved out of the boiler quick enough. However, my friend says that this is unlikely, since the boiler apparently behaved the same way when the backup pump was used. Any ideas? Is this normal? It’s only hot in the bathroom nearest the boiler and in the unit above it, do they just have to endure?

Thanks in advance!

Categories: Heating
By RvN | 07/09/2010 3:47 PM | Comment