Brownstoner is Brooklyn's most read
website about real estate, renovation
and neighborhood news. Read More»
Epoxy Debacle – Advice Needed
We epoxied our rough concrete basement floor over the weekend and it looks awful. Since patches were poured at different times (before we lived there) it absorbed at different rates and the coverage is very uneven. Some spots are so slick and glossy it looks like a puddle of water on the floor, while some spots look like they weren’t covered at all. We’ve also discovered that the hi-gloss finish just makes the rough surface look rougher and now think a satin finish Benjamin Moore floor paint is the way to go. But can we paint over epoxy with a latex paint? I know we’d need to sand it, but because the surface is so bumpy I’m concerned that sanding won’t get down into the grooves and the paint won’t stick there. Should we just bite the bullet and diamond grind the whole thing to start afresh? Help!
04/05/2010 10:47 AM
Comment
Basement Floor Epoxy Advice
We have a raw cement floor in our basement that we need to seal so we can have our home office down there. The cement wasn’t ground down after application so it’s rough though relatively level with some hairline cracks and a little chipping in places. The color is very ununiform too, so we need something that will opaquely cover the whole thing. We’ve been looking into self-leveling epoxies but have no experience with these, and can’t find advice on any other options. Ultimately, we’d like a floor that looks nice but don’t need it to be showroom perfect since rugs will go down in some places.
Anyone ever worked with epoxy or another solution? And is this something we can do ourselves or should we pay someone with experience to do it?
03/10/2010 3:13 PM
Comment
Condo Liable for Dry Cleaning?
I live in an 8-unit self-managed condo in Boerum Hill, and recently one of the sprinkler pipes leaked through the ceiling of another unit, causing damage to the ceiling but also soaking some clothes that the renters say need dry cleaning. The condo will foot the bill for the plumber and the ceiling repairs, but would a condo association normally be responsible for the dry cleaning? I feel like that’s the reason people should have their own insurance, and if the renters didn’t have renters insurance that’s on them. If we imagine the situation in the extreme, would paying for dry cleaning now set a precedent that we’d need to pay for an apartment’s worth of personal property if the whole unit flooded, etc?
Or on the other hand, should we pay it since it’s so minor and probably smaller than our insurance deductible, while larger damage would be an insurance issue.
03/10/2010 12:03 PM
Comment
Rental Broker Recommendation?
I’m trying to rent my Park Slope condo but having no takers with Craigslist, StreetEasy and the NYTimes. I’d like to work with a broker now but haven’t worked with a rental broker in years so would love any recommendations for brokers people have personally used.
Thanks!
02/16/2010 11:32 AM
Comment
Staining Outdoor Tile?
Our backyard was tiled over by the last owner with these assertively terra cotta tiles, but we’d prefer something darker or more slate colored. Does anyone know of a way to stain or glaze tiles like these?
11/16/2009 5:48 PM
Comment
Bedbug Clause in Lease?
Has anyone heard of adding a bedbug clause into a rental lease? I’m going to be renting the top floor of my brownstone soon and since neither I nor my house has a history of bedbugs, I’m considering adding a clause that says if a tenant has a bedbug problem after moving in, they’d be required to cover all necessary treatment for their unit and even mine if the problem went into the walls as its known to do. But I can’t tell if this is a good idea or if it would make me a jerky landlord adding to an already traumatic experience.
11/16/2009 3:25 PM
Comment
Stove next to Dishwasher?
I’m considering buying a house with an admittedly small kitchen (which I can deal with) but the only place to install a dishwasher is right next to the stove. Anyone know any logistical problems with doing that? I’m not worried about cutting up the counter or cabinets as we’ll want to change them eventually.
09/18/2009 5:13 PM
Comment
Cost to Move B’stone Kitchen?
We’re considering buying an 1890′s brownstone in Bed Stuy that needs some work. The kitchen is currently on the ground floor but it would be much more ideal to move it directly up one floor so it would be next to the main living area (we’d make the old space into a bedroom, so all bedrooms would be on the same floor as the bathroom). We’ve seen it done beautifully, but don’t know what it would cost. Besides the cost of new cabinets, does anyone know ballpark how much the replumbing, electric, etc runs?
07/28/2009 3:35 PM
Comment
Townhouse for $600k?
My husband and I are looking to buy a 3+ BR place so we can start a family (we currently live in a little 700 sq ft Boerum Hill condo). We’re open minded about neighborhoods in Brooklyn (preferred) or Queens but want a commute to mid-town that will be less than an hour. We could swing $600k and it would be a dream to have a townhouse but from what we’ve seen that puts us in Bed Stuy or Bay Ridge. Would anyone have advice on what it’s like to live in either community today? Safety is a question, and value for the money. We’d also love recommendations for other neighborhoods we haven’t discovered.
06/24/2009 9:43 AM
Comment
artistgarden
May 21, 2012 | 02:16 PM