For Sale: American Standard Tub and Shower Set


For Sale an American Standard Williamsburg Three handle tub and shower set in chrome. My plumber installed the wrong shower body and now we can’t use the shower set. Selling for half price at $150.

Categories: Kitchen & Bath
By feelyng | 10/24/2010 5:30 PM | Comment

Boiler Turning Off!


Dear Brownstoners,

Starting January our boiler keeps on turning off randomly. Our plumber who installed the boiler said that we need to hit the duct air sensor button behind the boiler (little metal finger tip sized knob with two wires coming of out it) and it worked. The problem is that the boiler keeps on shutting off daily and we don’t know what the problem could be. Our thoughts are: chimney is blocked, sensor is broken or there isn’t enough air flow through the basement.

Any experience with this issue would be greatly appreciated. What is odd as this problem just started and we haven’t changed anything since the boiler was installed Sept 08.

Thanks for any advice in advance,
Faye

Categories: Heating
By feelyng | 01/12/2010 11:10 AM | Comment

Landlord, tenants & bedbugs


Dear Brownstoner,

Need advice on my rights as a landlord regarding bedbugs. Here is the situation.

In early May, my tenant on the top floor says she thinks she found a bedbug but she would monitor to see if finds any more. A week later she emails and says she hasn’t seen another one. Fast forward to early-June, she emails to tell us that now she is finding 3-4 bedbugs a night on the walls although she hasn’t been bitten.

She claims the source of the bedbugs must be from the neighbors to the right coming through the brickwalls underneath the sheet rock. This is debateable as she has had numerous international guest over the past year and we have heard that bedbugs travel mostly this way on luggage and people. Also the tenant below her and our duplex apartment have not had any issues.

Regardless we agreed to pay for an exterminator within in a week of her informing us about the bedbugs. After working around her schedule and rescheduling 3 times, the exterminator comes two weeks later, June 24th.

Now the tenant is screaming that conditions are unlivable and she is having health issues with the extermination residue. As she only has one month left on her lease and had planned to move in mid-July back to Europe, she is refusing to pay for July rent and wants us to give her deposit back in full. She is planning to move all her stuff out by July 1st and couch surf till she goes back to Europe.

Would appreciate any advice or experience you have had on the best next step. Although not ideal in anyway, in most cases a residence is livable after a bedbug extermination treatment otherwise the company would advise tenants to vacate afterward. The tenant didn’t inform us that she was highly sensitive to chemicals but according to her doctor that she saw yesterday she should not be exposed to the residue now.

We have only tried to be responsive and good landlords do I have any rights here? Could I be sued if I don’t return the deposit?

Thanks again for any advice you can give.

Categories: Legal
By feelyng | 06/27/2009 8:24 AM | Comment

What’s Biting Me in the Yard?


We just installed sod in the backyard and it is growing beautifully with all the rain. However I have noticed that I am being bitten multiple times on the ankles when I stand on the grass more than 5 minutes. I don’t see mosquitos so my concern is that fleas are getting me as they do look like flea bites. Is this possible? Any suggestions on what to do to get rid of the problem? Also we have a Mulberry tree in our backyard that is dropping berries all over the place could this be attracting the bugs.

Thanks for your advice in advance,
Faye

Categories: Garden
By feelyng | 06/23/2009 3:27 PM | Comment

Programmable Thermostat….


Hello all,

After installing our new steam boiler in a 4-story brownstone the heat isn’t reaching the top floor. I have Honeywell Pro TH4000 Series programmable but it isn’t ideal for a 4-story steam unit.

My situation:
1) The thermostat is on the 1st floor, shutting off too soon for sufficient pressure to build to reach 4thfloor. Of course the 1st floor warms faster and kicks it off.
2) I don’t want to replace the valves as they are in working order.
3) The unit ‘trickles’ heat all day, off & on, off & on, but only heats the bottom 2 floors, which is an inefficient waste of gas.
4) When the thermostat’s programmed ‘RETURN’ and ‘WAKE’ settings kick in, of course the temperature variance between the current and setting are significant enough to cause the boiler to run 30 minutes, reaching the 4th FL.

What I NEED:
I want a thermostat that can be programmed to cycle every 3 (winter) or 4 (fall/spring) hours. Meaning, it only checks the temp every 3 – 4 hours so that the temperature difference between the current and ‘setting’ is allowed to separate enough to run the boiler for 20 or 30 minutes, thereby reaching the 4th FL. This would easily save sufficient heating expense and appease those upstairs. Also, it would provide better heating as if the unit runs 20 –30 minutes ALL the pipes and radiators heat up, thereby sustaining warmer floors for longer periods of time.

Any recommendations on a programmable thermostat; model/make?

Thank you!

Categories: Heating
By feelyng | 02/14/2009 7:37 PM | Comment

Top floor tenant wants to control radiator heat


Dear Brownstoner,

My tenant lives on the top floor and requested that she be allowed to turn off the radiators on her floor as she says it too hot and the radiator makes a knocking noise.

We just got a new boiler and our old pipes and return system work fine (despite a bit of knocking). Would we damage the system if we allowed her to turn off the two radiators on her floor? Also is there anything we can do to decrease the knocking?

Thanks to everyone in advance.

Faye

Categories: Heating
By feelyng | 11/08/2008 9:57 AM | Comment

Crazy Low Appraisal


Dear Brownstoner,

So I wanted to get everyone’s advice on what to do. I recently bought a three family in early August in BedStuy for $650K. I went to get a Home Equity Line of Credit from M&T Bank to cover cost of renovation overages. The appraiser came to my house twice and the bank declined my application because he appraised the house at only $400K.

I was in shock as I’ve put over $100K in renovations so I would have expected the house to go up versus down.

Have housing values in Bedstuy dropped that far in less than three months? Anyone else have this happen? When I look at realestate listing similar to my house they are all in the 600-700Ks.

Does anyone know another bank I can reach out to submit another application.

Thanks
Faye

Categories: Real Estate
By feelyng | 11/01/2008 5:52 PM | Comment

Old fireplace openings


Dear Brownstoner,

The previous owner removed some plaster walls around old fireplaces to expose the brick. Unfortunately now as winter is arriving I am concerned that we are going to lose all our heat through the fireplace flues? Does anyone have any experience sealing these up besides bricking these over? Much appreciation in advance!

Faye

Categories: Fireplace/Mantle
By feelyng | 10/10/2008 7:53 PM | Comment

Recommendation on Kitchen


Dear Brownstoners,

Wanted to give a strong recommendation for Mentor Frangu if you are looking to redo your kitchen. You will never meet a more honest and genuine guy who takes pride in his work and does it for a incredibly reasonable price. He fixed a few things that I didn’t even ask him to do without charging me any extra. Also I ran into a few issues with getting cabinets in time and he was very patient a didn’t mind coming back to finish the job. Lastly after the countertop guys came and installed the undermount sink, I asked Mentor if he could come to hook up the sink plumbing and he came on a Saturday so I wouldn’t be without. Amazing guy!

Mentor Frangu, Altina Tile Care: 917-692-6234

Categories: Kitchen & Bath
By feelyng | 10/09/2008 4:41 PM | Comment

Brooklyn Water and Sewage


Dear Brownstoners,

I have a very naive question so please don’t post a response unless it is helpful.

We just moved into our Bedstuy brownstone and we don’t know who to contact regarding the water and sewage. We have been here about a month and haven’t gotten any thing in the mail regarding how to pay for water and sewage.

Thanks for passing the contact info.

Cheers
Faye

Categories: Utilities
By feelyng | 09/09/2008 7:19 PM | Comment