Frederick Law Homestead's Profile
Author's Posts
July 22, 2009
Front Door Shades
Does anybody know where to find the kind of pull-down window shades that go in the wndows of a brownstone double entry door? I'm talking about the kind that have a pull-ring on the bottom. I saw them in the tax photo for my house and they look kind of cool.
May 21, 2009
painting over thoroseal
The rear brick facade of my limestone has a couple coats of this concrete/paint stuff called thoroseal on it, which is peeling and cracking in a few places (tho generally holding up okay). I know brick masonry needs to breathe, and ideally I'd have it stripped and repointed, but that isn't in my budget (and I've heard it damages the brick to try and remove thoroseal). The original job is patchy and very ugly, because they thorosealed the bottom of the house a different color than the top.
So I was going to either a) wire brush off the loose parts and put another coat of thoroseal on or b) brush off the loose spots and put a couple coats of elastomeric masonry/brick exterior latex (something like valspar duramax.) Any idea which would be preferable? Can thoroseal be painted over, or do I have to keep coating with he same battleship gray stuff forever?
Anyone have any experience with this?
April 29, 2009
Plumber recommendations wanted
Hey all,
can anyone recommend a reliable, reasonably priced plumbing company to
a) re-plumb and install fixtures in a gutted bathroom and b) replace a main sewer drain in a brownstone basement? And how many estimates do people recommend getting for a job like that? I've got estimates from gateway and aladdin, but I think I want a couple more. Thanks!
September 26, 2008
blown-in insulation savings
hey all,
I'm considering having blown-in fiberglass insulation put in the crawlspace below my townhouse roof. It's a standard 20x50 flat roof, and currently there is nothing there but dead space. I've gotten estimates of around $2100 for a 12-inch layer of insulation and two vents installed. This is supposed to give an R-38 rating. Anyway, has anyone who has had this done (Dave in Bed Stuy, I see you've posted on this) seen demonstrably lower heating bills? How long should I expect for the insulation to pay for itself? Any before and after numbers would be welcome. Also: the insulation guy I spoke with said a vapor barrier (i.e. plastic sheeting laid below the insulation) is unnecessary. Is that the case? Thanks to all!
August 3, 2008
victorian speaking tube
hey all,
I was looking at a funny plaster-covered thing sticking out of my wall, which I had always assumed to be a plugged gaslight, and a little poking uncovered the mouthpiece of a brass speaking tube (this is in the back parlor of a 1905 limestone). The other end was presumably buried in the kitchen wall downstairs, so with a little sleuthing and shouting down the tube to a partner, I guesstimated the spot in the wall ad bored out a hole. Unbelievably the end of the tube was still there, plastered over and buried under sheetrock. I assume it was covered over when the house was split up into apartments, and went the way of its dumbwaiter companion (which has now been converted to utility closets, its pulley still buried in the crawlspace.)
Anyway, has anyone else made similar discoveries? Were they commonly used? And is there any place to get a matching mouthpiece for the downstairs end of the tube?
July 3, 2008
sidewalk planters
what are the regulations involved with putting a raised bed/planter in front of a row house. I can't have a street tree because of buried utilities. How much of the sidewalk can be covered with a planter? And what dimensions does it need? Can I put in a large box and plant a tree in that?
June 11, 2008
painting a bay
Can anyone recommend the proper paint and primer for painting a galvanized steel bay on the rear of a house? Most of the metal paints I've found don't work on galvanizing. I'm going to have to scrape it, and there a few rust spots, but other than that it's in good shape. Any recommendations for a paint brand?
May 21, 2008
replacement window advice
Does anyone know where I could find a replacement window for a 40"x86" opening? I've called around and nobody seems to have anything that big. It's a rear window, so vinyl is fine.
April 22, 2008
Free Clean Fill
I'm digging out my front yard for a garden, and have 50 contractor bags of mixed sand and gravel, free for the taking. Will fill up a hole or underlay concrete. Hawthorne Street and Flatbush Ave. call 347 281 2871
Thanks!
February 5, 2008
Turning a window into a door
hey all,
I've got a rear garden level kitchen, and I'm interested in taking the large window that faces the yard and turning it into a door (maybe an insulated french double door.) This would entail removing the window and knocking out the back wall below it, and installing a doorframe and door. Are there any structural issues I should consider/worry about? And anyone have a rough guess what a job like that might cost? It would basically provide garden access directly off the kitchen rather through the narrow side hall.
Author's Comments
This is still kind of unclear. Would pre-existing illegal curb cuts be enforced? There are dozens in my neighborhood, and I would like nothing better than to see them sealed off, even though it will make parking harder.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 17, 2009 10:32 AM in response to City Planning Targeting Curb Cuts
I love the paint job on this house. Each baluster on that porch has FIVE different colors. Must have taken forever.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 16, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Ditmas Park Gets the 'Living In' Treatment
Tybur, those marks are all correct. In addition, it's common for the FDNY to spraypaint "RO" in a box with an X, which means "roof out". This place probably needs $500K in work, minimum.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 10, 2009 12:39 PM in response to Waverly Shell Coming Up for Auction
Nice job getting the taxi number. Just document everything with photographs, etc.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 5, 2009 3:40 PM in response to Mrs. B Side-Swiped In The Heights
DIBS, property shark definitely gets SF wrong, frequently. I live in a row of nearly identical limestones, and the footage on property shark is allover the map. Many, many 2 stories with english basements like this one are listed at 2000sf.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 4, 2009 5:07 PM in response to House of the Day: 238 Windsor Place
Sure doesn't look 50% above grade in the pics, DIBS. Floorplan shows a single open space and columns. It would take a lot to make this "living space", and shouldn't be counted as such in a psf calculation. Also, since when is 20' "extra-wide'. The vast majority of brownstones are on 20 foot wide lots. Nice block tho, for sure.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 4, 2009 2:35 PM in response to House of the Day: 238 Windsor Place
No way that's 900sf. It's a railroad.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 4, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 32 Willow Place, #9
Thing looks like a giant panini press.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 2, 2009 1:24 PM in response to Uncertainty, Skepticism Around Arena Bond Offering
Man, I should go into the firewood business. A face cord in Vermont is $100. Of course, delivery is an issue.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 30, 2009 2:12 PM in response to Firewood
Bed Stuy price is preposterous.
Interesting language in the greenwood heights listing: "This home is clean, freshly painted, contains updated windows, mechanical and electrical systems, and will be delivered vacant. Sold "As Is"."
So if it's been updated, and is still that cheap, the "as is" is a big alarm bell. Wonder what the issue is.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 30, 2009 1:27 PM in response to Open House Picks
This is right across the street from yesterday's HOTD. Not sure what percent of the units are owner occupied, but it seems like a nice, quiet, well maintained building. I think 189k is high, other studios around there have gone for 110-160 recently. Co-op financials are key, I've got no idea how healthy they are. And I'm only aware of one shooting incident, non-fatal, in the immediate area last summer. It's mostly working class families on that block.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 29, 2009 1:26 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 125 Hawthorne Street Studio
I'm totally getting a neighborhoodie printed up with "OTHER" on it. That's a lot easier to fit than "Prospect Lefferts Gardens".
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 29, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results
It's an amazing reno. I went to the OH to get reno ideas, and they went high end in a very eclectic and interesting way. The kitchen has a new extension off of it that makes a sort of atrium leading to the garden, and they've opened the back parlor up to full width. Also radiant heat and a pool table in the basement. If it was a block away in lefferts manor it'd get its price, but I'm guessing low 800s. Someone is definitely going to fall in love.
As for the block, it's mixed housing stock, with a few larger buildings going coop. There was an NYT article about another cool house on the block a while back: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/realestate/13habi.html?_r=1
The location is hardly inconvenient, two blocks from the Q and Prospect Park. There are smaller frame houses in South Slope that are selling for more than this, and with way worse park/train access.
As for the violence, it's an issue the community is trying to address. I've never felt threatened in the two years I've lived nearby. Schools are not good, but there's a local drive for a charter school on now.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 28, 2009 7:58 PM in response to House of the Day: 136 Hawthorne Street
It's obviously a love toilet. Way fancier than a bidet.
http://www.hulu.com/watch/61322/saturday-night-live-the-love-toilet
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 27, 2009 1:43 PM in response to House of the Day: 42 Grace Court
Very convenient if you drive to work.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 27, 2009 12:33 PM in response to Humboldt Police State Finally Making Progress
Ha! From the HOTD for Albemarle in '07: "The asking price of $2,595,000 is up there but seems perfectly achievable to us given the infrequency that something like this becomes available. Agree?"
Droolworthy indeed, Mr. B.
Glad someone finally got it. What a beauty.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 27, 2009 11:36 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
Dibs, after trying many different products, I've found multistrip to work the best by far of the non-toxic stripper. Rock miracle works, but is so caustic and fast-acting that it's nerve-racking to work with.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 26, 2009 1:51 PM in response to Back Parlor Painting
Well, they're not wrong. Except for the part about the Prospect Expressway being elevated.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 22, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Kudos, Sorta, from The Village Voice
Red Hook ask is delusional. It's less than 1500sf, and that's counting the English basement! Place went for $695k in 2008. I don't think prices have gone up 40% in 18 months.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 16, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Open House Picks
Open the paint cans and let them dry out, then throw them away with the regular trash. Not sure about lighter fluid. Use it?
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 14, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Seeking Safe Home for Toxic Goop
Hey MP,
what does a beginning-of-heating-season cleaning/check-up on a hot water boiler for a 2-fam entail? And do you have a ballpark of what it would cost for Gateway to do it?
Thanks!
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 12, 2009 2:56 PM in response to Time to Think About Your Boiler Again
Heartbreaking? Ridiculous? Please. I'm a homeowner, but I totally support a legitimate rent-controlled tenant's right to stay as long as they wish, and the sentiment that their presence is somehow "heartbreaking" is what's ridiculous. I hope the little old Italian lady lives to be 120.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 8, 2009 3:05 PM in response to House of the Day: 130 Summit Street
DIBS,
a spandrel refers to the space between a curved element and a corner, in this case that would be the stick-and-ball fretwork around the entry archway, which has a pretty cool and unusual shape. But I think generally speaking you'd call this a fretwork archway (as opposed to a screen, which is built to define a border while letting light and air pass through.)But I'm sure Montrose Morris knows better than I do. Great piece of detail, regardless. Amazing a couch or a refrigerator being delivered never knocked it out.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 7, 2009 3:33 PM in response to House of the Day: 212 8th Avenue
Get a lawyer who can draw up an agreement for Tenancy in Common. Not a terribly common practice in NYC, but not unheard of. A lot of people in SF do this, I have heard. You may have to set up an LLC for the financing. Make sure the legal agreement is ironclad and legally spells out exactly what will happen if/when someone wants to sell their share, sublet, what happens when someone loses their job or gets a job someplace else, what happens when the roof leaks/boiler explodes, what happens if someone wants to buy another person out. There are millions of legal considerations. It has the potential to be a great situation where everyone is happy and amplifies their buying power to get a really great space, and it has the potential to be a legal and emotional morass that will wreck your relationships with one another. So first things first, get a lawyer.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 5, 2009 9:10 PM in response to Buying 3-Family w/ 2 Others
This exact piece was destroyed in my house when the formal dining room was converted to a downstairs bedroom. Why are you taking it out? Are you knocking out the wall? Hard to imagine any reno could surpass the value of such a beautiful built-in.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 5, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Butler's Pantry for Sale
Dibs, do you mind posting a close-up? Does this only work for small details (i.e., could you paint a door like that?)
That bombay mahogany polyshades is great stuff. I used it to match some ancient shellac on replacement spindles.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 29, 2009 1:52 PM in response to Beautiful mahogany rails?
http://houseofantiquehardware.com/s.nl/sc.13/category.145/.f
brass antiquing solution should work
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 25, 2009 1:54 PM in response to Toning Shiny Fixtures Down
well, magnolias do great in NYC (see the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in May), but in a container you'd definitely be at risk of freeze damage for the roots, unless it's a really huge container. I'd ask the question on the gardenweb forums, you'll get good answers there. Or call the BBG's help line and ask one of the librarians. THey're usually very helpful with stuff like that. You might want to heavily mulch or otherwise insulate the container for the winter. Get a ton of bubble wrap and go to town around the container, with heavy mulch on top of the soil. THe upper part of the magnolia will be fine, it's the roots you have to protect. But don't bring it inside, or it won't go dormant and bloom next spring. And if you can find a spot for it in the ground, it'll be much happier there.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 22, 2009 3:41 PM in response to Southern Magnolia in Brooklyn?
center stair makes the floorplan a lot more open and allows for nice full width bedrooms, but is sf always calculated by the outer dimensions of the bldg? This place has 3100 sf by the lot lines, but interior space is at least 400sf less.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 22, 2009 3:36 PM in response to House of the Day: 297 Vanderbilt Avenue
I thought that house in the picture looked a bit unlikely for $2.8M. Here's the corcoran listing, which makes a bit more sense:
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&listingid=1544457
but wow. Only detail left is in the facade.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 22, 2009 12:00 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
So does anyone know if the tower is ever going to be built? It's just a vacant lot now, they haven't even broken ground.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 17, 2009 4:33 PM in response to Closing Bell: Stalled Project Mural
I bought FSBO, and was ultimately happy with the negotiations and the process (especially at the absence of brokers during close). Just be realistic about pricing and stage it well, and people will come. Submit it here as a hotd. But "$1M+" might be a very hard comp to find for a single floor through in this market, even in prime Park Slope. Try pricing the commission out of it. That'll get you more attention than most brokers' marketing skills.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 10, 2009 4:16 PM in response to FSBO or Not?
$1250/psf for the Meier building? So these are people that were locked in at the height of the bubble and didn't want to lose their deposits? Just seems crazy, when you could get a mint brownstone anywhere in Brooklyn or a comparable apartment in Tribeca or Soho for that kind of price today.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 8, 2009 12:27 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
Well, they've gotten significantly "better" already, though I'm not sure why you need to put that in quotes. If you download the 71st precinct compstat reports, you can see that major crimes are down 42% since 2001, and 78% since 1993 (the peak of the murder rate in NYC). Also good to note that the 71st covers a huge swath of Brooklyn, and the part that comprises PLG is only about its westernmost quarter. That said, if you come here expecting it to be Park Slope, you'll realize pretty fast why houses cost 1/2 what they would cost directly across the park. But I love it here.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 3, 2009 12:46 PM in response to PLG Schools and Amenities
There's a movement afoot (you can read about it on the Hawthorne Street blog) to start a charter school in the neighborhood. As far as crime, I'd argue that, while it's not Park Slope, it's not as rough as Crown Heights/Bed Stuy, and the proximity to good transport and the park makes it stand out. YOu can sign up for leffertswatch and lefferts group on yahoo groups to get a sense of some neighborhood issues. But it's a great, vibrant place by and large, and the historic district is among the most intact in New York City.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at September 3, 2009 12:34 PM in response to PLG Schools and Amenities
As always, Montrose is spot-on and sagacious. I've been renting to friends for several years, and after several early mistakes, it's been going very well. You just have to be clear and upfront about it, and have everything in writing.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 28, 2009 12:48 PM in response to Renting to a Friend
so this will run about $3k/mo with 20% down. What would a comparable apt rent for on this block?
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 27, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 269 Clinton Avenue, #D2
Hilarious. If you click the gmap link for the Lenox ave place, it's called "Gentry Apartments". Not very subtle marketing (also not in PLG.)
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 27, 2009 11:31 AM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million
mshook, my tomatoes have been coming on like gangbusters as well. 20 plants, 10 varieties, and all but one produced a lot of fruit. My sungold is about nine feet high. I was having nightmares about late blight, but it looks like we dodged it, at least on my block.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 27, 2009 9:52 AM in response to Thursday Links
well, happily it's in the HD so we don't have to worry about a tear-down. And that might keep the vultures away from the auction and depress the price. The renoed house a few doors down sold for 1.175 last fall. Price will totally depend on work needed, especially with a frame house.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 26, 2009 1:14 PM in response to Foreclosure of the Week: 130 Lincoln Road
I assume you'd be getting paid for your work on top of having the right to camp out in somebody's reno. If the landlord wasn't planning on renting the space out or living in it while the work is being done, he's definitely getting the better deal if you work for rent alone. Look at it this way: will you beputting in more sweat equity than a rental would cost?
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 12, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Any barter experiences?
I used fiberglass, installed it myself. Seems to insulate well, tho I didn't bother insulating the elbow joints.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 10, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Asbestos Replacement
It's "grisly". Grizzlies are bears, and one being shot in Sheepshead Bay would have gotten considerably more coverage.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 10, 2009 8:54 AM in response to Monday Links
If it went for 940k in 06 and sold for 1.05 now, they didn't break even (even if they didn't put a penny into it) because of the broker's fee. I'd guess the original ask was pricing in what they thought the reno merited.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 7, 2009 1:52 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
I'm a little confused. Does this mean the B will stop at Parkside and all the other local stops south of Prospect Park? Or will there be no B service at all past Prospect Park?
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at August 4, 2009 12:12 PM in response to Bye Bye, B Line
Well, I stand corrected. Here's a half floor studio in Crown Heights for $700. http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/abo/1296982254.html
And all you have to do is share the bathroom and the kitchen. Awesome!
A floor-through (i.e. two of these SRO studio units) is $1500. And that's over a mile east of where the OP is living in a floor-through for the same price.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at July 31, 2009 12:52 PM in response to No Rent Reduction: Stay or Go?
You would be hard pressed to find a studio anywhere in the five boroughs for $700.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at July 31, 2009 12:44 PM in response to No Rent Reduction: Stay or Go?
I've been curious about this as well. Are rents actually being revised downward by substantial amounts? I've heard anecdotes, but haven't seen anything particularly convincing. I'm happy with my current tenants and decided not to raise the rent at all this year, but if somebody asked for a reduction I'd wish them better luck elsewhere. Perhaps the calculus is different in larger buildings.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at July 31, 2009 10:34 AM in response to No Rent Reduction: Stay or Go?
Just got back from a week away to find EVERY SINGLE APPLE on my tree gone. I had surrounded the tree with bird netting, but they found a way in through the chain link in the back. I'm ready to declare war. Critter Ridder doesn't work. They treat it like a condiment.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at July 29, 2009 9:51 PM in response to D*MN Brooklyn Squirrels
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
Federal Conservation did my cockloft in 2006 for $1800 (blown-in cellulose). The building is 40 feet wide, so it was about 2000 square feet. It made a big difference. We also installed a couple of vents and a fan. They were trustworthy and intelligent, I thought.
Posted by: PresidentStreeter at November 18, 2009 4:37 PM in response to Blown-in Insulation
Ditto, had Federal Conservation do my roof with blown-in cellulose about a month ago. The difference on the top floor of our house is unbelievable. Sadly, the rest of the house still leaks like a sieve.
And I really liked the guy who came out--gave me a whole bunch of free advice on insulating various parts of the house with things like curtains, etc. I found them to be a firm with a lot of professionalism and integrity.
Posted by: bkrules at November 18, 2009 6:45 PM in response to Blown-in Insulation
Thanks everyone for your suggestions
Posted by: tangerine at November 18, 2009 8:32 PM in response to Blown-in Insulation
FLH, cellulose insulation was blown into the wall cavity between the brick and the lath. How much insulation you can get depends on the depth of the wall cavity -- which will vary from house to house. In some situations, there won't be sufficient room for insulation at all. (In our walls, we had a space of about 2 1/2" to work with.)
Posted by: Brooklynista at November 19, 2009 1:44 PM in response to Blown-in Insulation
hey Brooklynista,
where do they blow the insulation into the walls? between the outer brick and the lathe? I have an extension that gets very cold, would love some sort of solution.
Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at November 18, 2009 11:55 AM in response to Blown-in Insulation