Door plates

Don't do it, even if people offer to pay for the two months upfront. The risks aren't worth it, especially where you have just spent the time and money rennovating.

1. You aren't going to be there to check on anything and the renters will know that. So you're home is open season for all kinds of criminal mischief. Do you really want someone to potentially use your house for illegal activity, wild parties, possibly burn it down?

2. The types of people who will rent a place for only two months aren't always the most savory characters. Even if you have legitimate people, i.e. someone on vacation themselves or on short business, they aren't going to rent a house shared with other renters.

3. Legal and insurance issues will come back to bite you in the ass as if 1 & 2 weren't bad enough already.

Posted by: FenFen at November 30, 2008 1:21 PM in response to how to sublet 5 bedroom brownstone

Concrete pad, floor drain if you can afford it to prevent any disasters (it'll make your insurance very company happy too), waterproofing around the base of the immediate surrounding walls, and a rubber isolation pad is a must to keep the tremors at a minimum.

Posted by: FenFen at November 28, 2008 2:50 PM in response to experience installing W/D/ combo?

Let me guess, the neighborhood around it has burned down to an urban wild and the interior has had ever bit of wiring, plumbing, fixtures, etc. stolen for scrap by crackheads.

Posted by: FenFen at November 5, 2008 2:01 PM in response to Handyman special in Detroit must be sold - $100,000 below market

Bloomberg canceled the rebates, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/nyregion/05budget.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Going to tax all of us more and spend our money because dear leader knows best. Term limits? Pfft such laws are for the hoi poi.

Posted by: FenFen at November 5, 2008 1:59 PM in response to Property Tax Rebate

Completely sealing concrete is a bad idea it needs to breathe or it'll spawl and crack over time. You need to find a 'damp proofing' coating which is semi porous, it prevents large amounts of moisture from being absorbed, while still breathing enough to allow the concrete to periodically dry out. You'll have to reapply it every so often due to tread wear as well.

Posted by: FenFen at November 1, 2008 11:32 AM in response to concrete sealant for stoop?

Contact the distributor of the granite. They should be able to recommend an epoxy to repair the counter as good as new without creating a stain along the crack. Regularly clean and seal the surface and it'll look fine.

Posted by: FenFen at October 31, 2008 11:24 PM in response to granite countertop

It's not an 'inspector' you want an 'estimator'. Most estimators could give you a list of contractors and architects, whom often employ them as consultants.

Contractors who have previous experience in historic renovation should have lengthy portfolios and references for you to check. If a contractor does an estimate it should be free, so you should be able to get several quotes. Make sure to get everything itemized and in writing as well.

Posted by: FenFen at October 30, 2008 7:00 PM in response to Inspector for brownstone?

Don't worry the second the market drops TheWhat will be back crying the sky is falling, cheerleading disaster, and calling any who question him/her/it asshats. That and all his sock puppet friends will pop up to post an unusual amount of comments for a Brownstoner forum thread.

Posted by: FenFen at October 28, 2008 5:00 PM in response to DOW UP 800 POINTS. THE WHAT LEAVES TOWN.

Denton, don't feed the local troll.

Posted by: FenFen at October 13, 2008 5:09 PM in response to The last hurrah..

Try running HEPA air filters and dehumidifiers in every room. The more moisture and particulates you can remove, before, during, demolition and sealing, the better.

Sharper Image filters are garbage, go for a real HEPA air filter. If you want to try ozone, get a specific ozone generator and DO NOT BE INSIDE while it is running. Ozone causes tissue damage and it should be allowed to fully dissipate before the space is occupied for your safety.

Posted by: FenFen at October 9, 2008 12:24 PM in response to new Victorian stinks of cat pee and poo...maybe mold too??

Terrible idea, you'd have to have the certificate of occupancy changed, and the risks of your tenants destroying your property or pulling a Houdini with the rent are epic. Rooming houses are frowned upon because of the type of people whom frequent them and the typical, and often criminal, absenteeism of the landlords. The costs of properly maintaining such properties is usually higher than the revenue, given the damage done by tenants, so most SROs are always in a constant state of decline.

Unless you really want a legal battle royal, you'd have to be absolutely batshit crazy to try establishing a new SRO in any decent neighborhood.

Posted by: FenFen at October 9, 2008 12:17 PM in response to Turning Home to Room Rentals

Damage to your fence and leaking oil or other fluids onto your property is a deal.

Posted by: FenFen at October 7, 2008 5:17 PM in response to motorcycles parked on sidewalk

$8 roll of metallic HVAC tape, your lungs will thank you.

Posted by: FenFen at October 5, 2008 12:01 PM in response to safety of air conditioning ducts

It's quite illegal to park motorcycles on sidewalks, the lack of plates is another strike against them ditto for no visible inspection sticker, and deliberate evasion of the law to avoid tickets is a grand slam. The police could run the VIN for a MASSIVE ticket. The police could also impound it until the owner proves the registration, insurance, inspection, and installs plates. A boot application would settle the situation quite quickly as well.

If the bike was chained to my fence, being private property and all, I'd post or spot weld a sign on the fence as a 'hint' and give a day or two before cutting the chain.

Posted by: FenFen at October 5, 2008 12:00 PM in response to motorcycles parked on sidewalk

Don't worry, The What will come up with some celebratory gloom and doom post to make everyone feel miserable within a few hours.

Posted by: FenFen at September 30, 2008 10:25 AM in response to Surprise! Brooklyn Foreclosure Numbers Relatively Benign

Dave, FenFen was my nickname long before that failure of a diet drug existed. It has nothing to do with pharmaceuticals.

Posted by: FenFen at September 17, 2008 4:53 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Quite a classless and condescending comment. I can't believe this tripe is considered worthy of Brownstoner's front page for any reason other than sophomoric gratification.

Posted by: FenFen at September 17, 2008 4:08 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Sorry, hadn't looked at the plan prior to my earlier comment. Legally that room can be labeled as a bedroom because it meets the criteria. In practical use, and assuming the plan wasn't monkeyed with in great manner, it was probably the original intent of the architect for that space to be used as a dining room.

Posted by: FenFen at September 17, 2008 4:02 PM in response to NOT A THREE BEDROOM

By law if it has a reasonably sized window, that being large enough to be exited onto a firetruck ladder which is also plenty for light/ventilation, and is at least 70SF it can be considered a bedroom.

Posted by: FenFen at September 17, 2008 3:56 PM in response to NOT A THREE BEDROOM

Corolla it's best to just let 'The What' have his little rantings and not antagonize him further. In a few months he'll have a "Battle in Seattle" dvd to keep him occupied. Until then, just let him have his soapbox with all the Lyndon LaRouche types.

Posted by: FenFen at September 9, 2008 4:17 PM in response to The biggest rip-off in US history! Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Find the flue by looking for it on the roof, exterior, or elsewhere in the house which it should be supported or moving towards the roof. Measure out to approximately where the mantel should be in the roof in relationship to the flue.

Use a stud-finder to check for studs, electrical, and knock the plaster to see if there are any unusual hard spots.

Carefully cut with a hand drywall saw a roughly 5" hole or square into the wall while being careful not to hit the mantel if it there, break out a flashlight, take a peek.

Posted by: FenFen at September 5, 2008 11:54 AM in response to Digging out a fireplace mantle

I'd never dry-scrape or use a heat gun on any paint in an old building due to the chance there's some lead there. Paste strippers, or an infrared stripper gun (silent paint remover) with a respirator and a HEPA filtered shop-vac are the only ways to do it safely. Any kind of dry scrapping, sanding, etc, creates too many opportunities for toxic dust.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather not (or have my kids) die from kidney failure, suffer cognitive and central nervous system disorders from high levels of lead exposure.

Posted by: FenFen at September 5, 2008 11:42 AM in response to Stripping

Peel-Away 1, less toxic than Rock Miracle, same idea of paste with backing to remove paint in liquid sheets. Prevents lead dust, etc. by keeping the mess contained in wet goop.

Posted by: FenFen at September 4, 2008 1:42 PM in response to Stripping

Water is probably leaking in from some place, either a storm drain, water line, change in natural runoff, etc., to erode the dirt from underneath the sidewalk. I'd call the city first in case it is a utility related problem.

Otherwise try putting gravel underneath the stone panels. The gravel will allow water to drain away without being displaced unlike regular dirt which erodes. Push the gravel in with hand tools, don't lift the stone panels, as any damage you might due could cause legal issues with the city.

Posted by: FenFen at September 3, 2008 12:27 PM in response to The earth under our sidewalk is disappearing...

Herons, egrets, and even wild turkeys are starting to move back into urban areas across the country. It seems odd, but supposedly from years of habitat encroachment, the species are becoming acclimated to people and developed areas. These birds appear to be becoming less selective about how 'wild' their habitat has to be in order to be acceptable as long as it is providing adequate food, shelter, and safety from predators.

Posted by: FenFen at September 1, 2008 7:14 PM in response to Koi Pond Mystery

What's the law regarding having hall or fire-stair lighting on motion sensors? It would save a lot of money if lighting, only used when occupied, in stairs or hallways lights with sensors could be automatically switched on and off to avoid wasting electricity. However, I don't think the letter of the law permits this?

Posted by: FenFen at August 29, 2008 7:50 PM in response to Is it legal to attach hallway lights to an exterior sunlight sensor

I wouldn't take the cash. Legally it can and will come back to bite you if the buyer's money is somehow tainted.

Posted by: FenFen at August 24, 2008 9:31 PM in response to lower offer with cash at closing?

Try looking up all the building permits for your COOP. Sometimes plans are kept on record with them, or at least references to places where to find those documents, and it'll give you some idea what work has been done over the years. This is, of course, assuming proper permits were always filed and recorded.

Posted by: FenFen at August 21, 2008 11:06 AM in response to Fire Sprinklers?

Yes it can if the humidity was just right. Those are lovely museum pieces and you should treat them accordingly. A collector, or museum would love those.

Posted by: FenFen at August 21, 2008 11:04 AM in response to Soap from 1806?

There's a ban on new wire for most uses. Any 'repair' would really amount to the removal of the offending wire. At least that's my understanding, but I may be wrong.

Posted by: FenFen at August 20, 2008 9:33 PM in response to Razor wore or barbed wire in NYC?

Use Peel-Away to remove the paint as soon as possible. Removing the paint will allow the stone to breathe and help slow down the damage trapped moisture is currently doing. Brownstone needs to breathe, sealing in any manner is a terrible idea and should NOT be done.

If water drips and pools in a predictable pattern try using plastic cord (as a drip chain) and or temporary flashing to direct the water off/out/away from the steps.

Any time it rains, once it has stopped, push or mop any pooled water off the steps. Running a dehumidifier underneath the steps, if possible, would also help significantly.

Posted by: FenFen at August 19, 2008 3:33 PM in response to stoop advice

http://www.signaturehardware.com/product7302

They have a product category and several different finishes and sizes

Posted by: FenFen at August 19, 2008 1:22 PM in response to radiator flange/escutcheon

can anyone think of a worse investment than real estate in detroit?

Posted by: slick at November 6, 2008 10:19 PM in response to Handyman special in Detroit must be sold - $100,000 below market

Real estate in Lodi, NJ?

Posted by: Biff Champion at November 7, 2008 10:14 AM in response to Handyman special in Detroit must be sold - $100,000 below market

We had our granite countertop installed about 6 years ago and we don't have any complaints. The recent news about possible radon does cause a little concern and the granite wasn't cheap. If I was doing it over, I might consider other options. I ran across this site when looking for info on radon, pricing, and cleaning of granite. Good info for anyone who owns or is considering a granite countertop. http://www.bestkitchencountertops.com/granite-countertops/

Posted by: AaronZ at November 17, 2008 11:02 PM in response to granite countertop

Regarding the isolation pad, http://www.frontloadtoad.com makes a pretty convincing case for the Good Vibration Pads. (See the video tests if interested.)

So maybe if I use those combined with a below floor-level concrete pad I can cut the vibrations and still get it under the countertop. Its going into a corner which is another plus, according to the manual.

Posted by: Guarachon at November 28, 2008 5:40 PM in response to experience installing W/D/ combo?

Don't believe all that. Know several people (including me, and we have two, our tenant's washer is braced on a heavy wooden table because the drain is high). Properly installed there will little or no vibration (but a nice turbine like noise.) Especially on a concrete pad!

It's not the rpm (NOT rpm's) which matter, its the internal balance and construction of the machine. While I don't know this brand (what is it?), if it's a reputable one, it should be fine. Maybe stess's is a bad one.

Posted by: cmu at November 29, 2008 11:58 AM in response to experience installing W/D/ combo?

yep my thoughts exactly. i never get this usa obsession with summer rentals (or is it a NY thing only?).

in australia if we go away for 2 months we just leave it empty or let a friend crash there to water the plants etc.

cheers,
Dean

Posted by: deanc at November 30, 2008 1:38 PM in response to how to sublet 5 bedroom brownstone

btw nice colour wall paint - what colour is it?

Posted by: deanc at November 30, 2008 1:47 PM in response to how to sublet 5 bedroom brownstone

try to find realtor who does short-term corporate rental.
Also - vacation rental type sites such as vrbo.com.

Posted by: Petebklyn at November 30, 2008 2:15 PM in response to how to sublet 5 bedroom brownstone

My next door neighbor was able to (thru a local realtor) find short term tenants who lived in the same neighborhood - but were having renovation work done themselves, and needed someplace to stay for a month while the worst of their work was being done. Otherwise, I agree with FenFen and deano.

Posted by: parkslopemom at November 30, 2008 5:41 PM in response to how to sublet 5 bedroom brownstone

That good to know, thanks. It's a LG WM3431, seems to have pretty good reviews, along with a lot of, "It doesn't dry my clothes" and "shakes my whole house." I think I will just get them to pour a little concrete slab and then go from there.

Posted by: Guarachon at November 30, 2008 6:37 PM in response to experience installing W/D/ combo?