Forum Archive: Posts by: abr

We live in a three family brownstone with 2 rental apartments. I had an insurance agent tell me that if children moved in to any of the apartments, the insurance company as well as the state requires that you put bars on the windows. In the front this would not be a problem, as (I think) those expanding bars from the hardware store would do the trick. But we have a fire escape on the back of the building- would I have to put expensive steel gates on these windows were a child to move into an apartment, or does anyone know of a less expensive alternative for bars for fire escape windows that still allow people to get out in case of a fire?

As part of the contracts on our recently purchased brownstone, I had the seller replace the old lead water main with a new one, but they left it looking like this in my basement-suggestions on what I should do? I think I’m probably losing heat through that hole and most houses I’ve been in the water main has been sealed around with concrete. If I go with concrete do I need to get it all the way out to the street connection or is it enough to seal it at the wall there? I think I can dig up a small garden plot in the front to access more of the pipe.

My girlfriend and I are in the process of buying a place in Bed Stuy, but because of bank delays are getting shuffled around, lost our apartment because of a last minute closing date problem etc. At any rate, we need an apartment for october until we can close on our house. We’ve been trying craigslist, but haven’t turned up much, if anyone has anything we can provide plenty of references. We would prefer our own space, not a share. Also Bed Stuy would be great, but we’re not that picky, just want something quiet and clean and probably wouldn’t even need it for the whole month but not sure.