My two cents.
Replacing bathroom fixtures is really easy if all goes as planned, but throw in a leaky shut off valve, corroded pipes, or any of the million other things that can go wrong and things get annoying very quickly. If I were a novice, I would make sure I had a friend on standby who knew what he or she was doing and could come over and bail me out if it came to it. Otherwise you may end up shaving (or worse) in the kitchen sink for a few days.
Installing crown molding in my opinion is more difficult to do than flooring, but it's going to be a lot less intrusive on your life style than the flooring.
If you're doing tongue and groove hardwood, you can get by with a circular saw since if you do it correctly, all of your cuts will be hidden by either baseboard or shoe molding so you have a little wiggle room. Rent the nailer, which will put you on a tighter timeline for getting things done, but it's one of those tools that you're not going to use very often. Laminate click and lock flooring is easier and requires very few tools.
I hate installing crown molding. It's a pain in the neck to get it perfect, and it looks terrible if you don't.

Posted by: Bond at November 7, 2009 12:17 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?

When you say buttons, I'm assuming that you mean the breaker switch? Did you switch the breaker off first and then back on? Sorry if you know this already, but when a breaker trips, you have to flip the switch to "off" to reset the breaker. If yours is stuck in that sort of no-mans land, not completely off, not completely on, it sounds like it tripped and needs to be reset. If you have a short, when you flip it to on again it will automatically trip again and you'll actually feel a little bit of resistance in the switch. Don't keep trying to turn it on if if keeps tripping, you have a short somewhere and you can start a fire if you hold the breaker in the on position.

Posted by: Bond at September 6, 2009 9:21 AM in response to Help! AC Blew 7 outlets!

I grew up hearing how vines were bad for masonry structures, but if you go through Europe and Great Britain, you see masonry structures, both brick and stone that have vines on them that have obviously been there for a very, very long time with no visible negative effects. I wonder if it's legitimately a problem, or just one of those things that gets repeated enough that it becomes fact. Obviously some vines like Trumpet vines that actually pull on a structure are a problem, but I wonder about the grapes, ivys,creepers etc.

Posted by: Bond at September 3, 2009 6:36 PM in response to Grape Vines and Brick

While I'm no fan of Joe Sitt, assuming his claims are correct, isn't it a bit unrealistic to think that he's going to let someone operate without paying rent? Everyone was griping about how he kicked out Astroland who had been there forever, but no one seemed to focus on the fact that the owners of Astroland had sold out to him in the first place. If you look at this from a historical, or cultural point of view, the real villians are the owners of Astroland who sold in the first place, and the city for letting it happen, knowing that development was in the cards.

Posted by: Bond at August 24, 2009 9:09 AM in response to Joe Sitt is No Dream Operator

Do you have a picture?

Posted by: Bond at August 23, 2009 5:14 PM in response to Corbel

Is this a floor that you have access to, or something that you saw in an ad? It's hard to be sure, but it looks like wide plank flooring that has been painted in a harlequin pattern. The reason I say that is because the seams one direction are very visible, but I can't see any the other way except for by the vanity. Are you sure it's a tile?

Posted by: Bond at August 19, 2009 7:06 PM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

Robyn at Makeville is very nice, very helpful, but the one class that I took to get certified was a bit simplistic. I understand the logic, but unless you're a complete beginner, to me it felt a little basic. That being said, I second everything else that Frudo said about the space. I'm hoping that as she branches out with classes, the skill level required goes up accordingly.

Posted by: Bond at July 24, 2009 10:17 AM in response to Woodworking Class / Studio Space

be really careful, single edge razors can scratch glass. I would take the corners off of the razor blades before I started (Drag the corners gently on a piece of sandpaper, or an emery board). Another alternative would be the plastic razor blades made specifically for this purpose. I think Lee Valley Hardware carries them (WWW.leevalley.com)

Posted by: Bond at July 20, 2009 7:15 PM in response to Removing Paint Mist from Window?

Denton,
I misread your initial post, I assumed that it was DOB,and only after going back and re-reading did I realize it was DCA. I agree with you that DCA coming to check is strange. That being said, I don't think the law, or circumstances change substantially. I've been the site super on multi-million dollar projects and talked my way out of many a SWO simply by not getting into a pissing match with someone who is defensive about their job to begin with. Should inspectors be more professional? Yeah, but lets be honest, most, not all, but a lot of them are in the jobs that they are in for a reason, and it's not because they are hard charging workaholics who know the trades inside and out. Giving them what they want,and moving on has worked well for me. Maybe I've been lucky, we've all heard the horror stories, but personally, the vast majority of inspectors that I've dealt with have been reasonable once I've treated them with the respect that they thought they deserved.

Posted by: Bond at June 14, 2009 2:33 PM in response to Visit from Consumer Affairs

Denton, actually they are well within their rights to act the way that they did. Common law right of inquiry as well as Supreme Court decisions are on their side. Enforcement agencies can use subterfuge. Their behaviour doesn't really seem to fall into thug territory to me, I guess we have different views on thug-like behaviour. But take it a step further. If I'm an unlicense contractor and someone from the Dept. of Buildings shows up, I'm going to swear up and down that I'm the homeowner and just doing minor repairs on my own house. You seem to be the type of person that can look out for yourself, but if the situation was an elderly person being taken advantage of, I'd be annoyed that DOB let it happen. Seems like one of the those cases where no matter what you do, not everyone is going to be happy. In your case, it seems to me no harm, no foul. I hear what you are saying though, when you are a legitimate person, it's annoying to be treated as if you aren't.

Posted by: Bond at June 14, 2009 11:55 AM in response to Visit from Consumer Affairs

So these guys posed as potential customers to see if there was a problem that needed addressing, when they determined that there wasn't, they issued a warning and left? Doesn't sound so egregious to me. You see all the posts that are on here about people getting ripped off by unlicensed contractors, but when the city tries to do something about it, you get your knickers in a twist? They were sneaky? How else are they supposed to get the job done in this case? Do you think that there aren't plenty of contractors acting in a sneaky manner and claiming to be doing favors for friends to circumvent the law? How else is the city going to catch them?

Posted by: Bond at June 14, 2009 8:14 AM in response to Visit from Consumer Affairs

A few times when I walked past, there were five or six apparently homeless guys camped out in the space. On a day that it was raining, it was SRO. I'm wondering if the building just got tired of chasing people off and decided to seal the space up instead.

Posted by: Bond at May 1, 2009 10:03 PM in response to It Came From 4th Ave!

If you get a handicapped permit and you don't need it, you are the lowest of the low. You better hope there is no such thing as karma.

Posted by: Bond at March 29, 2009 12:17 PM in response to Ticketed for Double Parking

Great piece, can I get dimensions on it? Thanks. I can be reached at BDW13@aol.com

Posted by: Bond at March 15, 2009 11:43 AM in response to Incredible Kitchen Island

The guy has been there for months. His family used to be in the scrap metal business. His prices are very arbitrary. One of those places where the price tag depends on how well you are dressed.

Posted by: Bond at February 24, 2009 3:45 PM in response to Architectural Salvage at Lowe's (Parking Lot)

Another vote for shower curtains. They make the space feel much larger than the sliding doors.

Posted by: Bond at February 22, 2009 8:59 AM in response to Are Shower curtains a turn off?

It's probably mice. When something is scrabbling around in a wall, it usually sounds much larger than it actually is. Not that you should be thrilled about it either way. It's easy to blame the landlord, but it sounds like he's trying to address the problem. I doubt if there's a building in New York that is rodent proof. Myself and my neighbors get mice every year in the fall and in the spring they head back outdoors, they have cats, I put down traps, it helps, but you still see one once in a while. Annoying little critters and they cause a lot of mischief in a pantry. If I loved the apartment, I'd put up with it, buying some tupperware containers for my food that stays outside like crackers, cookies, etc. but that's just me.

Posted by: Bond at February 16, 2009 10:54 AM in response to Creatures scurry above ceiling

Depends on where you are. There are some places in NYC where Romex is allowed.

Posted by: Bond at February 3, 2009 5:54 PM in response to NEC, Right or Wrong

But didn't the people who were running Astroland sell to Thor? Am I mistaken on that, because if that's the case, don't they bear some responsibilty? If that is what happened, their griping over not getting a new lease is particularly galling.

Posted by: Bond at February 2, 2009 4:15 PM in response to So Long, Astroland

I can't say why there are overhead power lines in East New York (except for the obvious- to get electricity to buildings) but as far as the shoes, I would say it's nothing more than kids goofing off. I have never met a gang member, and yes I've met many, who put any credence into territory being marked by shoes, or it being part of an initiation or anything else. I think it's one of those urban myths that just won't die.

Posted by: Bond at February 2, 2009 4:10 PM in response to Closing Bell: Why are There Power Lines in East New York?

I'm confused. What danger is involved? I'm asking legitimately and not trying to be a wiseguy, I really don't see what harm there is in a house trap.

Posted by: Bond at February 2, 2009 8:19 AM in response to Eliminate whole house trap?

I doubt that it happens very often, but my sister lives in rural Virginia and when heating oil spiked recently, they could not get pellets anywhere.The upside to a plain old wood stove is that I've never seen it where firewood wasn't available. The last time I looked a few years back, the wood stoves seemed a little more stylish, less industrial than the pellet stoves, but maybe thats changed.

Posted by: Bond at February 1, 2009 10:02 PM in response to Wood or pellate stove?

Phoned in alarms go to the bottom of the priority list for 911 calls, so you could be looking at a substantial response time before the cops get there. They don't even get called in as burglaries, but as automatic alarms, and since so many of them are false alarms, the cops don't kill themselves getting there. Too many false alarms (it used to be three in a year, I don't know what it is now) and the cops won't respond at all. Personally, I think that alarm systems are a rip off, and I know that precincts used to have crime prevention officers who would do safety surveys on houses and they were taught to recomend bars over alarm systems. Most thieves, obviously not all, but most, will go to the next house if a house is secured with bars, especially if they are exposed and not hidden behind shrubs, trees, things that thieves can operate behind without being seen.

Posted by: Bond at January 20, 2009 9:25 PM in response to Window Guards VS Security System

I like it, especially if the red is going to fade a bit as you think it will. I also have to second MM's comments about grout lines, I think you would be better off with something a little less obtrusive. Of course you could always go out and pick up a roll of electrical tape lay out some fake grout lines and see how it would look with black grout, masking tape for a more tan look, etc.

Posted by: Bond at December 31, 2008 8:44 AM in response to What do you think of this concrete floor?

There are a couple of places on 65th. Street and 7th. Ave in Brooklyn on the North side of 65th. I don't know their names, but you'll see three or four places on the block. They all have tiles up with a figure of how many square feet they have and the price. They also haggle. Happy hunting.

Posted by: Bond at December 30, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Tile Outlet

Well, I seem to be in the minority here, but I think it looks awful. Maybe it's because I have preconceived notions of what a cornice should look like, and this is not it, but whatever the reason, I'm not a fan of the look.

Posted by: Bond at December 30, 2008 12:15 PM in response to Going for the Gold on 9th Street

I put one in my tenants apartment 12 years ago. I've had three tenants since, everyone uses it the first month or so and then abandons it. If I were to do it over, I would because it's a good selling point for the apartment, but for myself, I would prefer more storage. In my opinion, they are just too small to be really useful.

Posted by: Bond at December 30, 2008 8:54 AM in response to 18 inch Dishwashers

If the cops did find the guy what were they supposed to do? You can only issue a summons for a dog off the leash, if you personally observe it. If the guy says, that's not my dog, but a stray that I was trying to rescue, can you prove it isn't? As far as I know, there is no summons you can issue dogs for fighting each other (yeah, I know, the mastiff started it, but if you ask the owner, what is he going to say? It's not like Spaniels have never started fights, growing up, the most protective dog I ever had was a cocker who would bite you for looking at him sideways). Rh brought up a good point, I doubt that this guy, who seems very comfortable in the park has had many problems, or the other dog walkers would have run him off long ago.
You can't have it both ways, civil liberties, probable cause, etc. or police state. Yeah it sucks when you're on the receiving end, but it's still way better than the alternatives. As far as all the hysteria? It's a dog spat. Geeze people, get over it

Posted by: Bond at December 26, 2008 1:17 PM in response to A Christmas Tale

If I were the landlord and I had tried to work with you (happily supplied a ladder) and you went to the Department of buildings without talking to me further, you would not have a happy landlord.

Posted by: Bond at December 6, 2008 8:13 PM in response to fire escape question

What I'd like to know is how they can build the entire lot, boundary to boundary, no yard left over and at least five stories? What's the deal with the zoning there, anyone know how I could find that out?

Posted by: Bond at December 5, 2008 3:40 PM in response to Development Watch: 398 Bond Street

I may be mistaken, but I'm under the impression that Longleaf pine is the same thing as Southern Yellow Pine which in a pre-made 5/4x 11 1/4 stock with a bullnose goes for about six dollars a running foot. You're not going to get poplar any cheaper, unless you're buying in bulk. Home Depot, not that I think they have the best lumber prices, but they don't have the worst either, charges about six dollars a running foot for 1x8 clear poplar.

Posted by: Bond at December 2, 2008 9:52 PM in response to BASEMENT STAIRCASE QUOTE

I wouldn't use poplar for stairs. Way too soft. As far as pine, some of the pines like long leaf yellow pine will be fine, but something like white pine will be the same problem, it will wear very quickly. If you want a closed tread stairway with risers, pockets cut for the treads, etc., no, it doesn't seem unreasonable to me. If they are going to scab some supports onto a 2x10 and nail treads onto that, yeah, it seems high.

Posted by: Bond at December 2, 2008 5:23 PM in response to BASEMENT STAIRCASE QUOTE

Noodles is right. Uniform cops don't handle drug complaints ever since the Knapp commission, the city is too worried about the possibility of corruption. Ironically this leads to cases where people see nothing being done, so they assume that the local cops are being paid off.
That being said, if you are a big pain in the butt, something will get done. Narcotics has to answer out every complaint that comes their way and if they get enough of them, they will do what they have to do to close the location. I'm just curious as to how many people sit around and grouse about a location, yet have never actually filed a comlaint, waiting for someone else to do it. In the meantime, the situation just continues. Again, Park Slope was downright funky in the 70's and 80's, but a small core of people kicked and screamed and made sure that their complaints were heard and as a result saved their neighborhood instead of sitting by quietly and letting things collapse. Strength in numbers.
It's so easy to push the blame off on someone else, "oh the cops don't care", "the courts will just let them out anyway", "The cops are getting paid off", blah, blah, blah just a bunch of excuses. How many of the people complaining about things actually ever attempted to do anything about it? If you don't fight for your own neighborhood, how can you expect other people to?

Posted by: Bond at November 17, 2008 5:03 PM in response to Notorious Crackhouse at 474 Greene Avenue Up In Flames

Actually Susan, I have to disagree. Most cops that I know, and I know quite a few, agree. Lazy, slacker cops go to good areas. The ones who want to really be cops gravitate towards the tougher areas, which tend to have less money. The cops in the tougher areas tend to really care, but it's not a profession that you wear your heart on your sleeve, so they mask it with a shell of cynicism. But as far as working harder, any cop will tell you that you work a lot more in the 75 than you do in the 19th.

Posted by: Bond at November 16, 2008 3:07 PM in response to Notorious Crackhouse at 474 Greene Avenue Up In Flames

There's a few different factors at work here. One is that the police blotter shows numerous arrests at that location. Once an arrest is made and the courts get it, it's out of the cops hands. As GreneAveGuy points out, arrests have been made.
Another big part of the reason why it wouldn't happen in Park Slope is that there is no "stop snitching","If you see a cop, Warna Brother", "snitches get stitches" etc. For better or worse, some people seem on the fence about who they hate more, drug dealers or cops, so things like this go on.
The people in the neighborhood who want to see things like this stop in many cases are outnumbered by haters, apathetic individuals, or people who are afraid, so the status quo keeps on keeping on.

Posted by: Bond at November 15, 2008 6:10 PM in response to Notorious Crackhouse at 474 Greene Avenue Up In Flames

They're a pretty good bunch who are trying to do the right thing. Most of what they have is used, but in decent shape. They do have some new stuff that was a misorder,overages, change in plans, etc. As far as the granite, it could be either, but they would tell you. They're closer to tree hugging hippies than money grubbing shysters if that helps.
With the stove, it's probably used, so you ultimately don't know what you are getting, but again, they try to be honest about what they have.
If the person giving something to them lied...not a whole lot to do about that. The last time I was there, they were pretty much taking people at their word and not hooking things like major appliances up to test them.
They also haggle, which as far as I'm concerned should be an Olympic sport.

Posted by: Bond at October 19, 2008 10:23 AM in response to BUILD IT GREEN NYC

Lee Valley (a tool, hardware and gardening supply company) has hooks that are sort of spring loaded so that they can clamp onto the top and bottoms of bricks without doing any damage. I don't know if you have any projections small enough for them to fit, but it might be worth checking out. I think that their website is www.leevalley.com

Posted by: Bond at October 5, 2008 10:28 AM in response to How to affix holiday decorations to limestone?

I have bought mail order/online several times, and pretty much got what I expected. Bare sticks that took a year or two to turn into anything halfway decent. I had a house on Long Island with a little over an acre, so it wasn't a big deal. I had plenty of plantings and the patience to wait for things to develop, so it was the way to go. Now with my tiny little Brooklyn yard, I want instant gratification, so I go with nursery plants, especially if I were talking trees or shrubs. I was at Lowes today and the stock looked pretty tired and stressed unless you're in the market for mums or Montauk Daisies. I think that when you figure in product,time and gas, you're better off with local nurseries. Of the locals, Gowanus is my favorite.

Posted by: Bond at September 30, 2008 6:13 PM in response to Buying Outdoor Plants Online

I had to attend a NYSerta class on insulation/weatherproofing for my job a few years back and they set up a little demo using different kinds of insulation in boxes set up around a light bulb with a thermometer in each box and we measured the differences in temperature over time. The box with cellulose in it came in first by a fairly clear margin. The test was low tech enough that it would be very difficult to rig.
I have never used cellulose for a multitude of reasons, most of them having to do with installing insulation in new construction, but if I were going to have someone retro-fit my own home, after what I saw, I would go with cellulose.

Posted by: Bond at September 26, 2008 6:27 PM in response to blown-in insulation savings

I spy...a really lame blog entry.

Posted by: Bond at September 21, 2008 12:24 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 54

If you don't get carried away with pricey materials, you can have a very respectable renovation done for that price.

Posted by: Bond at September 15, 2008 7:29 PM in response to Is it possible to renovate a 6 by 8 bathroom for $12,000?

DEP doesn't even include your name on the bill (at least they don't on mine) it's just addressed to occupant. When I closed, they prorated the bill at closing and I paid it when it showed up. I don't know if all of Brooklyn is on the same billing cycle, but I just got my bill last week, so it will be another three months before I get a new one, it might be the same for you.

Posted by: Bond at September 9, 2008 8:24 PM in response to Brooklyn Water and Sewage

You're going to need to neutralize the stripper that you used. Most strippers will tell you right on the package what you should use to neutralize it. Then I would follow Steve's advice and seal and poly. Tung oil (In my opinion) just doesn't hold up and with that much contact will become tacky to the touch. I would not use any type of vegetable oil, they can go rancid.

Posted by: Bond at September 7, 2008 11:38 AM in response to stair rail

Do you have a picture of the vent? From your description, It's hard to tell if the water is coming into the vent itself, or the flashing around the vent.

Posted by: Bond at September 7, 2008 11:31 AM in response to Bathroom roof vent for a flat roof

It sounds like something got lost in translation. I've never heard of a mantle being plastered over. Fireplace yes, mantle no.

Posted by: Bond at September 4, 2008 7:45 PM in response to Digging out a fireplace mantle

I saw my first one out of the corner of my eye about a week ago in Boerum Hill and pulled over to let traffic go by so I could back up and check it out. Having seen the pre-publicity for them, I was really curious.
The water outlets from each tub is a tiny little dribble. I'll let you use your own imaginations to figure out what it reminded me of. I guess if you made them any bigger, they would need pretty substantial pumps, but the way they are now they just look cheesy.
I like the idea, but the execution really leaves something to be desired.

Posted by: Bond at September 4, 2008 5:51 PM in response to First Font Adopted in PLG

Sorry, I should have qualified my comment to include neighborhoods near Manhattan. If you are willing to go a little further into Brooklyn, you will definatly increase your chances. I agree with SenatorStreet about Sunset Park and Bay Ridge, two nice areas with some good values.

Posted by: Bond at September 1, 2008 5:33 PM in response to two family in brooklyn????

I've seen two things recently in Brooklyn for the mid 600 range, one was in Red Hook and one was in that sort of no-mans-land between Park Slope and the Gowanus Third to fourth Aves. and both in my opinion were tear downs. If you are firm in what you are looking for, be ready to act on a moments notice. If you hear about something that you think will match what you are looking for, don't wait for the weekend, go as soon as possible with your checkbook, because it will go quickly if it is in anywhere near decent shape.

Posted by: Bond at September 1, 2008 4:04 PM in response to two family in brooklyn????

I'm guessing that there is a little more to this story than meets the eye. However, if you don't want to go the whole route of getting a lawyer (which is the intelligent way to handle this) here's what I would do.
Cops hate to get involved in evictions one way or the other. There are always at least two sides to the story and it is a real pain figuring it all out. That being said, you have a right to protect your property. If you go there and the house is open and empty, you have the right to protect your house, so you could change the locks. A lot of homeless people are going to take the path of least resistance, so if they come back and everything is buttoned up nice and tight, there is a real possibility that they will just move on. If they break back in, you could be pro-active and call the cops for a break in. Cops tend to give credence to the person who calls first, unless you are a complete nut job. It's going to be a much tougher sale however if the guy has a whole house of furniture.
In a worse case scenario, the homeless guy returns, calls the cops, they track you down, you admit to changing the locks, and they insist that you let the person back in and you get a summons to appear in court. If you refuse to let them in, you will be arrested. But before that happens, the homeless guy is going to have to show the cops proof that they live there and have done so for over 30 days. If they can't and the cops insist on going ahead, you need to insist that they call their sergeant.
It's a more drastic approach and could result in your getting a summons, but it will definately bring things to a boil a lot sooner than the whole housing court route.
If on the other hand they have been there longer than you are saying, or your mother has been living there and invited them in, things are a whole lot more complicated and in that case you have to go through court. I wouldn't change the locks if they have a house full of furniture. The cops will not be sympathetic. If they are sleeping on the floor and the place is obviously a crash pad, the cops are going to be more understanding. They are not going to be understanding at all if the individuals appear to be legitimate tenants, with phone service, payed utility bills, etc.
The alternative is to go to the local precinct and speak with the desk officer, making sure that you get his name and badge number. This has to be a ranking officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, or Captain. Honestly, they probably are going to just refer you to court, but you will be on record as having asked for an eviction before the 30 days, which will help your court case if it comes to that.
The courts USUALLY consider the case from the time it is brought to their attention. It's sort of like child support. I can drag out a case for years, but when the case is settled, I'm going to owe back pay. Same thing with the tenants, they can't drag it out for over thirty days and then use that as justification.

Posted by: Bond at August 31, 2008 12:30 PM in response to Need advice on evicting squatter

Its a painted wood floor. I like the harlequin pattern -it shouldn't be too difficult to do. But you could probably reproduce it with cut tiles in 2 colors.

Posted by: bxgrl at August 19, 2009 11:27 PM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

There was something in This Old House Magazine this month about creating a floor like this.

Posted by: new2hood at August 20, 2009 10:25 AM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

They make these out of linoleum now. Linoleum is on the rise lately, surprisingly.

Posted by: Adam Dahill at August 20, 2009 11:12 AM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

Linoleum is one of those great forgotten products. It went out of vogue when vinyl tile came in. At the time, linoleum was just a sheet good, so installation was difficult. Vinyl tiles were so easy to install that linoleum lagged behind.

However, some manufacturers are now making real linoleum tiles that are easy to install. Linoleum is a better product for the environment as it's 100% natural materials, naturally anti-bacterial, and doesn't offgas VOC's during the manufacturing process or after it's installed. From my standpoint, the only reason not to install it instead of vinyl is because vinyl's still cheaper, but not too much.

If you were to factor in a little more per square foot to offset your carbon footprint (not to mention the long term health impact), you'd find that the linoleum is a cheaper product.

Posted by: JimHill at August 20, 2009 12:01 PM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

Hard to tell but looks like a painted wood floor to me too.

Lino is fabulous if you choose the right colors -- there are lots to choose from and many fun ways to mix different colors together with borders, patterns etc. Great retro look and very hard wearing. I believe Marmoleum is the manufacturer of "real" linoleum.

Posted by: grand army at August 20, 2009 6:42 PM in response to What kind of tiles are these?

I think some vines definitely are trouble. I once lived in an apartment in London where vines were growing over the window. One tendril actually grew right through a 2 inch thick wooden window frame and into my kitchen. That can't be good for brick.

Posted by: ralph gardens at September 3, 2009 7:22 PM in response to Grape Vines and Brick

Re: grapes—my grandfather grew grapes, as did most of our (Brooklyn, first-generation, immigrant) neighbors. Most of the older vines in Brooklyn are Concord Grapes producing an irresistible fragrance and a decent table wine (if you know how). Also good for preserves, straight-off-the-vine consumption, and birdfood.

Re: ivy damage to mortar—This is not an urban legend, but neither is the issue/damage always clear-cut. Some references:
http://www.gobrick.com/pdfs/Ivy%20on%20Brickwork.pdf
http://www.gobrick.com/bia/technotes/TN46.pdf
http://www.nps.gov/history/HPS/TPS/briefs/brief01.htm
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/article/0,,197133-3,00.html
A segment of the TOH Boston project covered a stucco exterior damaged by vines.

Posted by: vinca at September 3, 2009 7:40 PM in response to Grape Vines and Brick

Try making a Concord grape pie -- like a delicious cross between blueberry and tart rhubarb.

Posted by: slopette at September 3, 2009 10:12 PM in response to Grape Vines and Brick

flip all your breakers to the full off position, and then back to the on position...if that does not work, make sure that one leg of your main breaker is not tripped

Posted by: eman1234 at September 6, 2009 10:55 AM in response to Help! AC Blew 7 outlets!

thanks all flipping all the breakers off and then on worked. I GREATLY appreciate it. Happy Labor Day!

Posted by: brooklyncurious at September 6, 2009 11:27 AM in response to Help! AC Blew 7 outlets!