Panel Door Sources?

i'd bet most of your heat is not from the skylight, but rather from the roof as a whole. Once the roof heats up, the heat is transferred thru the top of the building. Insulating the roof would help greatly.

thx, eric

handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at April 30, 2009 9:54 AM in response to Skylight Heat Mitigation?

Brownstone Roofs can sustain quite a bit of weight, certainly enough for a wood deck. If you're thinking something heavier, you should consult a building engineer.

I'm told that you are limited in the amount of roof space a deck can cover, and it cannot obstruct egress by the roof hatch or fire escape ladder.

thx, eric

handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at April 30, 2009 9:49 AM in response to Roof Deck

inexpensive and plumber are two words that don't go together.

like most things, you get what you pay for. take the time and money to research this the right way, and you'll save money in the long run.

eric. www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at April 21, 2009 8:26 PM in response to Cheap plumber in Boerum Hill?

There is guy under the F Train next to the Lowe's parking lot that sells sand. don't know the name or reputation, but I've seen a sign for sand for sale.

eric. http://handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at April 17, 2009 3:45 PM in response to soil & sand

• It is a good idea to first drain the hot water heater to see if sediment has covered the lower heating element. ( that is if its an electric hot water heater ) its also a good practice to do yearly for any hot water heater.

what you may run into when removing the sediment is that the drain valve on many heaters is made of cheap plastic, and some sediment from the heater will can prevent the plastic valve from fully closing again. You an easily replace the plastic valve with a brass one. ( if you'd rather not to this, i can do it for you )

• in my 4 unit brownstone we have two 50 gallon heaters. They are plumbed in parallel, with unions, with a bypass link.

This works great, AND if one of the hot water heaters fails, the broken one is easily replaced while the functioning heater keeps providing hot water for the building. With the two hot water heaters, you are not at the mercy of a service provider in the middle of the night. You can take a day or two and buy a good replacement heater.

eric, http://handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at April 17, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Hot Water Heater

i agree with eman1234, you really need to totally re - wire this, i run into crazy stuff like that all the time. one has to have a lot of respect for electricity.

thx, eric.

Posted by: HandymanEric at February 22, 2009 10:46 PM in response to New Dimmer & Outlet Powerless

I just installed one of these for a client. It has a light, fan, and a heater in it. I'll post some pictures on my blog.

http://handymaneric.com 718 622 4963 thx, eric.

Posted by: HandymanEric at January 23, 2009 6:13 PM in response to replacing bathroom fan/light

A whole house on-demand gas hot water heater is a possible solution here, but one for each bathroom is not a smart way to go.

Or you can green up your standard hot water heater by installing a pump to circulate hot water thru the hot water lines. That way, when you turn on the shower, you don't have to wait for the hot water to come up. Thus saving water.

I get this question a lot: "My dishwasher isn't cleaning the dishes well"

You have to hook up a hot water line into your dishwasher, feeding cold water into it, and expecting the internal heater to heat the water will not work.

Most dishwashers need to use the supplemental heater in the unit to get the water hot enough for proper cleaning. The detergents used in dishwashers require the water to be around 140 F for optimal cleaning.

Posted by: HandymanEric at January 23, 2009 6:04 PM in response to Tankless water heaters

I am a Handyman working in Park Slope, Prospect Heights and other areas.

I do many things, I've been painting a lot of condos in Williamsburg lately.

You can see many examples of my work on my blog: http://handymaneric.com

or email me: eric@handymaneric.com

thx again, eric.

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 19, 2008 9:56 AM in response to Handyman Recommendation – Brooklyn/Queens?

i've installed many shades and drapes ordered from online places and Ikea . i'm blanking on the name of the most recent website shades i installed. email me and i'll get you the name.

the key is to follow the measuring directions on the website. several times i've showed up to install shades and they don't fit.

thx, eric.

eric@handymaneric.com

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 16, 2008 11:15 PM in response to Drapes / Curtains

i can come over and look at the scope of the project. Sounds pretty do-able, i'm working on a laundry room right now.

thx, eric.

eric@handymaneric.com

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 16, 2008 11:09 PM in response to Do I Need a Plumber or Contractor

Not sure what you're asking here when you say 'you want to go for...'

do you want to replace your single glazed windows with double glazed windows? if so, that would be a good thing.

as far as ideas, if you want classic quality double glazed windows, i'd suggest you call LWP Windows.

thanks, eric.

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 1, 2008 10:58 PM in response to Double Glazing Windows

i have to second BrooklynButler's comment.

Good and Cheap doesn't exist, especially with windows.

eric.

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 1, 2008 10:57 PM in response to does anybody know where to find good but cheap windows?

Not sure what you're asking here when you say 'you want to go for...'

do you want to replace your single glazed windows with double glazed windows? if so, that would be a good thing.

as far as ideas, if you want classic quality double glazed windows, i'd suggest you call LWP Windows.

thanks, eric.

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 1, 2008 10:48 PM in response to Double Glazing Windows

I'd suggest storm windows that are called Triple Track. we bought ours from LWP Windows. Very good company. Don't forget to tip the installers a few bucks, they do a good job.

thx, handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 23, 2008 10:39 AM in response to Drafty Windows

You can look at all the graphs you like, but the prices you cite have not had an effect on what materials cost at the local supplier. Copper gutters are still expensive.

AND despite a falling economy, people still need to pay their crews and themselves a living wage, and liability & commercial insurance, rent, the phone bill . These costs have not gone down.

Keep in mind, in construction as in most things, you get what you pay for. A low ball bid will come back to haunt you later; I spent most of last week fixing the mistakes of a cheap renovation.

thx, handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 23, 2008 10:28 AM in response to Renovation & Construction Costs

Who gave you the conflicting opinions? what is the condition of the chimney? See if your local Better Business Bureau has a chimney repair company on its roster.

Your local hardware store can be a great source for local service people, ask them who services chimneys in your area, and get them to inspect the flue.

CO [ carbon monoxide ] is not a fun thing to have in your house, and if there is a question of needing a liner, i'd put one in.

AND put a CO detector in your bedroom and one other area of the house.

thx, handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 23, 2008 10:20 AM in response to Chimney Liner, yes or no

for your roof extension, i would suggest a rubber roof instead of the foam. at some point, you are going to have to walk on that roof, and rubber is much better, i feel.

if you can, get a roofer to do a torch down rubber roof, not everyone will do this any more as FDNY has banned this for houses with wooden roof underlayment. FDNY cites the potential for fire.

cold process rubber roofs work well. my neighbor had his installed a few years back. no problems.

thx, hanymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 21, 2008 9:33 AM in response to Closed Cell Foam insulation & roofing

I agree, there is a larger problem here.

Steam rises up thru the pipes and then condenses back to liquid in the radiator. The radiator is pitched ( tilted ) so this water drains back down thru the pipe that connects to the radiator.

you can buy some shims at the hardware store and tilt the side of the radiator with the vent valve. it just has to tilt slightly.

there is something larger wrong here if you are getting that much water out the vent valve.

thx, handydmaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 21, 2008 9:27 AM in response to Radiator Steam Valves - Recommendations?

hi there,

i do electrical work. you can contact me here

eric@handymaneric.com or 718 622 4963

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 9, 2008 11:08 PM in response to Low Voltage Wiring

i had the same thing happen, neighbor blew out the wall in my living room while renovating a bathroom. the plumber was cutting the vent stack.

to soundproof, you need to completely seal the wall so that no air can travel from his side of the wall to yours. cement, plaster, structolite will do this.

i repaired our wall and have not had a problem with noise from the other side of the wall.

sound does travel thru solids as well as air, not wanting to start a whole acoustics arguement here, sealing the wall worked for me.

thx, eric. handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 9, 2008 7:45 PM in response to Hole in the wall + noise issues = need yr repair advice

asbestos abatement is not cheap. you have to do it right or you endanger yourselves and the workers doing the job.

$10k is not an unreasonable number. I had to remove asbestos from my basement, and it was around that same number.

thx, eric. www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 9, 2008 5:19 PM in response to Asbestos Roof Tile Removal

when i bought it, i had chipmunks living in the kitchen ceiling of my house upstate. it did not smell great.

i tore out the sheetrock ceiling and painted the joists with Kilz Oil Based Stain Killer Primer ( not the latex kind, it wont work )

this sealed everything into the joists, and we no longer had the smell.

i realize you have a larger problem here, but this might help others as well.

thx, eric. www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 9, 2008 5:16 PM in response to new Victorian stinks of cat pee and poo...maybe mold too??

I believe in keeping it simple:

If you call Keyspan - National Grid, they will guide you thru the process of converting from oil to gas,

they are the gas company, after all... (718)643-4050

eric. handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 9, 2008 5:10 PM in response to rec's for oil to gas conversion (plumber?)

You can sand the floors and put down a new layer of Poly.

oil based poly lasts longer than water based, do not cheap out on the quality of the poly .

seal off the rooms that need to be sanded, the dust will get everywhere; and hire this job out, it is a thankless job to do.

thx, eric. www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 8, 2008 12:03 AM in response to Restaining Floors

to clarify my answer and address " cmu "

"Why use concrete and then put in a drainpipe to our overloaded sewers?"

not all drains are attached to the sewer main, i try and drain water to the back of a bldg lot, ideally to an area used as a garden.

" If you let it drain naturally through sand, you won't need a pipe at all. "

each project is unique, if the bldg is already getting water in the basement from the backyard during heavy rains { not an unusual thing in Park Slope } you need to remedy that when installing a patio. There are some great comments above on how one can go about doing this.

Lucky you that your patio works and your basement is dry, enjoy your latte.

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 3, 2008 10:20 PM in response to Patio - Cement or not?

I would strongly suggest not drilling any holes in your building, be it brick or stone. Any hole you drill invites water and damage to the facade. If you have holes in the front of the building, i suggest getting them filled in.

The best thing i've found to hang decorations is a hot glue gun. its great for tacking up xmas lights, etc. it will not work for heavy wreaths, etc.

you can get some lightweight hanger hooks at the hardware store and hot glue them to the stone or brick.

if you want to hang something heavier you may be able to use strong fishing line ( avail at hardware store, near the picture hanging hardware ) that is attached to a window frame.

thx, eric. handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 3, 2008 10:04 PM in response to How to affix holiday decorations to limestone?

i do work in Park Slope and nearby.

You can see some of my work here: www.handymaneric.com

718 622 5234

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 2, 2008 10:00 PM in response to Looking for a "Handyman"

Rust Oleum makes a product that makes rust inert. You apply it and then you can paint it.

I believe they may have a primer out now that has this product mixed in. Check their website.

thx, eric. handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 2, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Cast Iron Radiator Finishing Advice

If you don't want to use concrete, the bluestone can be set on top of gravel- sand - traprock dust. you will have to dig down 8" to get a good base layer, and then the bluestone is set on top of this.

if drainage is an issue, you may be able to put in perforated pipe in the gravel layer to ties to a drain.

the plus of concrete is you can pitch the patio away from the building and into a drain.

thx, eric. handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at October 2, 2008 12:30 PM in response to Patio - Cement or not?

Hollis Fitch at Prospect Tree has removed several trees for myself and my neighbors. He's a good guy. (718) 871-1354

Posted by: HandymanEric at September 23, 2008 7:07 PM in response to Tree Removal Recommendation

You can use rigid polystyrene foam insulation. Both Lowes and Home Depot sell it. it comes in 2 ft x 8 ft lengths.

Is the hatch made of wood or metal.

if its wood, you can screw the insulation to the inside of the hatch, use drywall screws with fender washers.

If its metal, you can use Liquid Nails.

You can also use spray foam to fill in cracks between the styrene and the hatch. AND you can put a foam insulating strip along the edge of the hatch, that will make a big difference.

Its the leaking around the hatch that will cause you to lose most of the heat, not the loss thru the wall of the hatch.

thx, HandymanEric

Posted by: HandymanEric at September 23, 2008 7:04 PM in response to Insulating roof hatch?

Interesting. I wonder exactly how long one will need to wait?

We are actually in the middle of the design phase with our architect and will hopefully get to bids sometime in November for work starting in the new year.

Just hoping that there is a bit of competition out there given the change in the economy (fingers crossed).

Posted by: sunspot19 at October 24, 2008 12:10 AM in response to Renovation & Construction Costs

As an aside,
You should cut the trees away from the roof or it will mildew and pit the roofing tiles. The humid micro-climate created by close hugging trees takes about five years off off the lifespan of the roof.

Posted by: actually works in finance at October 24, 2008 7:09 AM in response to Chimney Liner, yes or no

I work as a freelance builder (not of houses, but of other things) and while I anticipate a slowdown, I am still really busy. I have no idea what's going on of course, but I think that most of my clients are pushing projects through that they know funding will dry up for in the near future. This has resulted in a glut of work that I, at this point, assume will not be replaced after xmas.

As to Ysabelle's theory, it's both astoundingly ignorant and typical of the way she tends to demonize contractors. If I really truly wasn't busy I would definitely lower my price in order to get more work. And I don't know anyone who wouldn't.

Posted by: vanburenproud at October 24, 2008 2:05 PM in response to Renovation & Construction Costs

as an Expediter i have not seen a slow down yet. as an architect i learned that the first dry up is in the planning stage. it takes a while to trickle down to the people actually doing the work. look for it to hit the designers after christmas. at the department of buildings the lines are longer than ever. the big companies have hired so much new help the DOB had to delay expediter licenses a few months to slow the tide.

Posted by: dexpediter at October 24, 2008 9:38 PM in response to Renovation & Construction Costs

i am glad you asked this question--i have been wondering about this too. I just wish the downturn would make these contractors easier to work with--despite the economic downturn-my contractor walks around like a total primadonna and always acts like he is doing me some kind of favor. Meanwhile I am working 80 hours a week to pay him. Seems kind of f-ed up.

Posted by: HomeSweetstuy at October 25, 2008 5:04 PM in response to Renovation & Construction Costs

Any plumbing company would come and do an estimate for free. Go with someone else.

Posted by: brownie77 at October 31, 2008 2:55 PM in response to rec's for oil to gas conversion (plumber?)

Not sure what you're asking here when you say 'you want to go for...'

do you want to replace your single glazed windows with double glazed windows? if so, that would be a good thing.

as far as ideas, if you want classic quality double glazed windows, i'd suggest you call LWP Windows.

thanks, eric.

www.handymaneric.com

Posted by: HandymanEric at December 1, 2008 10:58 PM in response to Double Glazing Windows

It's hard without knowing what exactly you are looking for, but for cla$$ical quality you can look at Zeluk windows www.zeluck.com or Tishler Und Sons www.tischlerwindows.com. For a lower price, you might find what you are looking for at Marvin Windows. You will gt an understanding of exactly what you want by speaking with any of the reps at either Zeluk or Tischler
Best of luck!

Posted by: sense at December 3, 2008 1:48 AM in response to Double Glazing Windows

if its not to late my company is smb plumbing and heating
licenced and insured i work with great people who are also licenced and can give a fair price and all the guarantees in writing so for a free estimate you can call me at 917 292 8448 thx

Posted by: reuven tenam at December 20, 2008 10:25 PM in response to Do I Need a Plumber or Contractor

Funny how before dishwashers had heaters they still cleaned dishes. Also how hand washing produces perfectly clean dishes and you're nowhere near 140deg. Just another myth that has become the standard.

And why do you need to rinse in hot water? Why don't dishwashers have a cold line for rinsing?

Posted by: cmu at January 24, 2009 12:41 PM in response to Tankless water heaters