Dean5th's Profile
Author's Posts
October 16, 2009
Chimney and fireplaces
Yesterday I posted some questions and some were answered and most of them not. I am thinking about fixing some of the fireplaces of a brownstone. I have read many opinions but I couldn't find an answer to some of my questions:
– Anybody has purchased the stainless steel liner and installed it with the help of a good mason instead of going to a 'chimney contractor'?
– What kind of damper do you recommend?
– Where did you purchase the firebricks and the refractory cement?
– Any recommendation about the best stainless steel liner company?
– Apparently the 'chimney contractors' recommend the round stainless steel liner but the companies that sell liners are recommending the square chimney liners to reline a brownstone chimney because originally were square and they say that you shouldn't make it much smaller... Anyway, the more you investigate the more you know the amount of choices that contractors don't even tell you about.
– Any additional recommendation?
– The last question: Anybody has ever asked a permit to the DOB to fix a fireplace or to reline a chimney?
October 15, 2009
Chimney Liner Advise
I am thinking about fixing some of the fireplaces of a brownstone. I have read many opinions but I couldn't find an answer to some of my questions:
– Anybody has purchased the stainless steel liner and installed it with the help of a good mason instead of going to a 'chimney contractor'?
– What kind of damper do you recommend?
– Where did you purchase the firebricks and the refractory cement?
– Any recommendation about the best stainless steel liner company?
– Apparently the 'chimney contractors' recommend the round stainless steel liner but the companies that sell liners are recommending the square chimney liners to reline a brownstone chimney because originally were square and they say that you shouldn't make it much smaller... Anyway, the more you investigate the more you know the amount of choices that contractors don't even tell you about.
– Any additional recommendation?
– The last question: Anybody has ever asked a permit to the DOB to fix a fireplace or to reline a chimney?
February 3, 2009
Carpenter to fix the stairs
We just started renovating a brownstone and we are looking for some professional help. We don't have the budget to hire a contractor who will hire subcontractors who will hire carpenters. We would like to find a reliable carpenter who is willing to work with us. We will have plenty of work, but not everything at once. The first major project is the stairs (see detail). Anybody has ever fixed some similar problem? How much? Any names and reference of prices would be really appreciated.
Author's Comments
If you need to fix your stairs do not look for any other place and call Mike from JMP Stairs. Can't recommend them highly enough: Giuseppe Cangelosi. If you need to replicate balusters (spindles) or you need any stair parts, it's worth to visit them. The business is operated by father and son. They replicated balusters and made all the parts to replace the stairs for our brownstone. Beautiful job! Great guys. HIGHLY recommended.
web: http://jmpwoodstairsandrails.com
email: info@jmpwoodstairsandrails.com
Phone: (718) 649-0333 Mike Cell (917) 468 7876
Posted by: Dean5th at July 16, 2009 6:27 PM in response to Interior stair repair
Anybody has any suggestion about getting access from the parlor floor (occupied by the owner) to the cellar without taking so much space from the garden floor (rental)?
I am sure many people had this problem and I am also sure somebody must have a good solution, using the least amount of space. The building is 20 feet wide.
Posted by: Dean5th at March 20, 2009 4:00 PM in response to Cellar access
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
1. cut 2-foot hole in floor on parlor level
2. cut 2-foot hole in floor on garden level, immediately below the parlor hole
3. hang shower curtain in cylinder shape between the two holes
4. install fireman's pole and/or rope ladder from parlor floor to cellar
Posted by: z at March 20, 2009 4:41 PM in response to Cellar access
I just kept the stair hall for the upper owner's duplex.
I reconfigured the garden floor rental so that the tenant enters under the stoop into the vestubule and then an immediate 90 degree turn to their front door.
The door in front of them leads to the stair hall and is locked and a secondary entrance to the upper duplex. (this door was needed in addition to the locked pocket door from the stair hall into the tenants front parlor for some of their furniture moving as the hard turns into their entrance is too tight for some larger pieces.
Posted by: SenatorStreet at March 20, 2009 6:02 PM in response to Cellar access
Yes, I would like to just keep the garden level hallway free for our access to the cellar, but the bathroom on that floor opens to the hall (it is in the center of the garden floor, halfway in from the front door) and to flip the bathroom opening to the other side will involve moving both the toilet and the sink(which means new floor) and taking out a wall of nice built-in bookcases/cabinets on the interior wall. The least costly option, and the one that gives the future tenant the most space, is to leave the layout as it is so the tenant has full use of the hall, with the provision that we may be passing through their space sometimes to access the cellar. I would call the tenant first, but do you think it would be a big turn off to the tenant to know I might be passing through the hall while they are at work?
The other option is to build in a lot of doors and walls to close off the back hall from the tenants, and I would access the cellar via the garden to the back door, through the back hall and down the stairs.
The tenants will also have access to the cellar as I will give them use of the washer and dryer there.
Posted by: smokinbarn at March 21, 2009 1:24 PM in response to Cellar access
I'm not sure that we understand each other with regard to the layout (and not being able to post images here doesn't help).
Please email me (ron @ senatorstreet . com) and I'll send a couple of diagrams showing what I mean.
Ron
Posted by: SenatorStreet at March 21, 2009 2:44 PM in response to Cellar access
We also hired Andre from A&A and were pleased with the work he did. Infact we had to call him back to fix a mistake but he did come back -- more than once. Unfortunately it involved re-opening the chimney to plug a hole in the smoke chamber but he did fix it. I mention this because while in an ideal world it would have been done right the first time, it's reassuring to know that he won't disappear on you if there is a problem.
I also strongly recommend that you do careful research before restoring your fireplaces to woodburning. There are a lot of safety issues to factor in and -- surprisingly -- many brownstone fireplaces weren't build for the very hot temperatures created by woodburning. Some only burned coal. Other were used as hot air vents and their appearance was otherwise purely decorative. Professional advice is probably the wisest choice.
Posted by: grand army at October 15, 2009 7:22 PM in response to Chimney Liner Advise
The fan really helps with the draw....especially if you have a shallow firebox. When you drop the lining in, mortar should be placed around it to "seal" it. once that is done you souldn't have any issues with it not working properly.
Posted by: moreteasir at October 16, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Chimney Liner Advise
Thanks, yaakovdoe. I know there are plenty of companies that advertise and I am sure they are great, but this time I would like to know any opinions from any homeowner who didn't hire any company and decided to do it by himself or herself and maybe with the help of a good mason. I am sure there must be somebody who didn't have enough money and decided to take the risk. I would really appreciate any advise. By the way, moreteasir, the Exhausto fan could be a good choice if it doesn't really work properly after the relining. Thanks!
Posted by: Dean5th at October 15, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Chimney Liner Advise