it is the condensate water leaving the radiators and the steam that is trying to get in that are fighting. are your valves all the way open? if they are not open them....if this doesn't help then your the rust from the radiator has junked up the valve and reduced the opening, thus restricting space there and causing banging (are your radiators getting hot?)

Posted by: Emperium at October 28, 2009 11:03 AM in response to Those Clanging Pipes

well, that bike path is in such bad condition that I always ride the parallel road, which is nicely paved....to bad they are only fixing 3 blocks.

Posted by: Emperium at October 28, 2009 10:54 AM in response to Makeover of Ocean Parkway Mall

get a Bilco insulated hatch, which I did to replace the rickety plywood hatch with gaps I had in my roof.

Recommend to the underside of your roof with Rockwool (Roxul.com), the big advantage besides being recycled is that this stuff doesn't burn...fiberglass and cellulose burn like crazy or have to be treated with a nasty chemical.

Of course it is better to install batts instead of having it blown in because blown in will always settle over time. But of course this would require a lot of the plaster/sheetrock to come down.

You can also blow in insulation behind you plaster and lath if the plaster is not applied directly to the brick on your facade.

Posted by: Emperium at October 21, 2009 9:37 PM in response to Weatherizing My Brownstone

you could get triple panes (as needed for a passive house), but as the rest of the building won't be insulated and tight enough to get to that standard, you probably are spending more and loosing the heat right trhogh the roof.

More appropriate if you are only addressing the window is to get good low-e double pane CASEMENT windows (tilt/turn). D

Double hung windows, no matter how good the seal are, result in air infiltration and thus create a drafty interior with inherent inefficiencies...

Posted by: Emperium at October 20, 2009 7:08 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

cover will block at least 70% of your nice radiant heat....that lovely glow you fell across the room when the radiator is hot.

And besides this, convection is convection...the cold air is already on the floor and the radiator has sections to draw the air through. no reason to add anything that would hamper either natural occurance

Posted by: Emperium at October 14, 2009 7:35 PM in response to Radiator Covers' Impact?

Figliolia shorted my electric and ran away. I mean they finished the job after some pressing phone calls, but now I have to get an electrician to fix the temporary connection to my meter.

Posted by: Emperium at July 2, 2009 9:09 AM in response to plumbing

and sizing the system over 100kbtu in a 4 story brownstone for what...being able to heat the building with the windows open.....just like the deadmen did.

As said your side walls aren't loosing any heat and if you insulate your roof and make sure the wind isn't blowing through your windows - you can make a heat loss calculation and come be perfectly fine with 30% less, at just 130F in combination with right sized radiant panels.

As an example, my house didn't dip below 50F this winter with the heat off....

Posted by: Emperium at March 6, 2009 3:50 PM in response to More Boiler Porn

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/02/two_fulton_lots.php was the lot I was talking about.

However, acris shows no deed transfers on this lot and the putnam/irving lot.

contact me at raggert@fastmail.fm for the neighborhood association

Posted by: Emperium at February 23, 2009 5:06 PM in response to The Co-Op School Finds a Home in Clinton Hill

you are probably talking about the lot with the carriage house on the corner of fulton and downing (massey had that for sale for ever) - that one has recently been auctioned (anybody know for how much)?

the lot on the corner of putnam and irving, pretty sure it wasn't auctioned, however i did see the dumpster on the lot so apparently somebody is doing something...

wasder/putnamD, what about that neighborhood association?

Posted by: Emperium at February 23, 2009 4:30 PM in response to The Co-Op School Finds a Home in Clinton Hill

Birchwoodc....thanks for the positive feedback!!

Posted by: Brooklyn Plumber at March 19, 2009 7:30 AM in response to More Boiler Porn

I think there are two Figliolia companies. I used Alex Figliolia for both my water main and sewer line (several years apart). They did a good job on both.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at July 2, 2009 12:38 PM in response to plumbing

I just had my sewer line repaired by Main Man and they did an excellent job. I recommend them highly.

Posted by: coppermaven at July 2, 2009 2:13 PM in response to plumbing

Grand Army,
I still don't believe Marvin costs that much.
My windows are all new frames and the most it cost was $900 per. All my old frames were ripped out and either new wood ones, or new vinyl ones, were installed. The old windows, frames glass and all were replaced (from between $400-900)

The only windows that I know of costing in the neighborhood of $2k are hurricane rated security glass which is basically impenetrable and required in some states (Florida for example) for insurance purposes. That stuff can withstand minutes of sledgehammer abuse.

Like I said, I still find it hard to believe standard replacement windows/frames cost $2500 per. That is ridiculous...

Posted by: christopher at October 20, 2009 9:41 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

We just got some new vinyl tilt-ins for the Crazy Stable, (blogged it today, actually) from the same place I've used before (Future home improvements, based out in Little Neck), generic or their own brand, they work fine 5+ years out, and the prices are excellent. I am actually replacing the first "new" replacement windows, which were custom insulated wood sash and architecturally "sensitive" and were generally atrocious; I think the place that made them (Millwork Specialties, 4th Ave. and Prospect Ave.) has since gone out of business, deservedly. Can't testify to Marvin, not having used them; 20 years ago we got a few Andersons and didn't like them.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at October 20, 2009 11:19 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

He is (over)paying for the brand.Windows We Are are fine, even Pella or Lowen.

Insulate insulate wherever possible especially roof, but rpelacing the windows does make a HUGE difference. My heating went down dramatically (30%)after all windows were changed. During replacement I had insulation stuffed in any window pockets, under sills behind brick molds etc...werhever possible to cut down on air infiltration. There are lots of nooks and cranies in brownstone exterior walls.

Posted by: argentina at October 20, 2009 11:27 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

I think the cost is way too high. Argon gas and low E in insulated windows for a school we built didn't cost that much. Hey Elvis, I know a contractor that does small jobs. Email at hvacr007@gmail.com. Tell them Anthony sent you. Thanks

Posted by: Aodrafting at October 21, 2009 1:13 AM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

We recently put in new Marvins as part of our renovation and they definitely did not cost that much. I thought they were expensive at about $800-1000 ea for windows (depending on size) and about $300 ea for installation, but can't imagine how your uncle's could be costing $2500 ea.

Posted by: pmmtenement at October 21, 2009 2:10 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

I'd love to know how you got Marvins for so little, pmm. Where did you but them and who installed them? We were quoted close to $8,000 for two large front parlor Marvin windows by EZ-Tilt in Bay Ridge.

Posted by: grand army at October 22, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

Watch out for the blown in insulation it does settle
Definitely look into roof insulation and take advantage of the Energy Tax Credits the gov't is offering (Form 5695).

Posted by: LNBlog at October 22, 2009 5:24 PM in response to Weatherizing My Brownstone