marty362: Did you do all this in a basement? or a cellar (i.e., below grade)? Sounds like a very good price. Did you like your contractor well enough to give us his name?

Posted by: Silvermax at November 19, 2009 12:03 AM in response to Cost of Bathroom in Basement

Has anyone ever had any luck getting rid of a telephone box on the back of their house? I have two, with festoons of wires coming out and spreading across the back of my house to the neighbors'. Looks like hell. One box was there when I bought the house many years ago, another was added later over my protestations. We're planning work on the back wall of the house and will need to get rid of the boxes. I'd appreciate any information about remedies that are open to us.

Posted by: Silvermax at November 17, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

Check with the Tamiment Library at NYU: "A center for scholarly research on labor history and radical political movements." http://www.nyu.edu/library/bobst/research/tam/

They might be interested, depending on what you've got.

Posted by: Silvermax at November 2, 2009 12:10 AM in response to Getting Rid of TONS of Books

Second Nemo Tile -- ask for Monica, she's terrific and very helpful for those on a tight budget. Mondial Tile also has a good selection.

Posted by: Silvermax at October 28, 2009 3:34 PM in response to Tile Store?

David Cunningham at 718 208 0815

I'm working with him now on a whole-house renovation with 1-story addition. The goal is to achieve both greater sustainability and livability on a tight budget. Without David I couldn't possibly have navigated all the paperwork involved in changing the C of O from a 2- to a 3-family, not to mention sussing out the credits for reducing the carbon footprint. The job has just gone to bid. I'm very impressed with David's knowledge of sustainable renovation and attention to detail. He listens closely to what I'm trying to achieve and has added greatly to the design. And his partner Audra Manzano has been helpful beyond imagining in pulling together all the details involved in selecting tile and wood and lighting and fixtures.

I'm probably going to blog this renovation on Brownstoner once we get going. This may be helpful to others going through the same process.

Posted by: Silvermax at October 22, 2009 11:50 PM in response to Architects?

Will you also get rid of your stove because one of the kids might get burned? And hot-water faucets? And stairs? And the car? And all plastic bags? Instead of trying to protect your kids from all danger, teach them how to manage it. Let have them touch the radiator very quickly when it's hot and say the words "hot!" and "ouch!" Once or twice and they'll learn how not to get burned. Then you apply the same lesson to the stove and the faucets and any other "hot" things that might potentially hurt them.

Posted by: Silvermax at October 20, 2009 7:46 PM in response to Replacing Radiators

Oh, I just saw SteamMan's responses -- must have come in while I was posting. Yes, I will contact -- but if anyone else has some info to add -- solar hot water versus high-efficiency tankless hot water heaters, for example -- please do. I think a lot of people are trying to figure this stuff out. All those flat roofs in Brownstone Brooklyn waiting to be turned into energy sources!

Posted by: Silvermax at October 1, 2009 6:24 PM in response to Solar Hot Water, High-Efficiency

Architect66: thank you. I do understand the ideological argument against thinking in terms of payback, but economics force one to, particularly if there is no immediate need to switch. So that's why I'm trying to figure it out. Can we put some actual numbers to this 7-to-10-year payback?

Let's say that one's annual gas bill is $2400, and that, let's say, 25% of that cost is for hot water -- $600 a year -- and that, say, 2/3 of that amount would be picked up by the solar system: $400. "Payback" would then be the number of years it takes to pay off the installation cost, at the rate of $400 a year. If a system costs $2800 to install (net; after tax credits, etc.), payback is in 7 years; if a system costs $4000, payback is 10 years. But if the system costs $10,000 to install, payback isn't for 25 years, and that makes the whole idea a lot less appealing.

What I don't know -- and am hoping some folks out there can help me figure out -- is this: (1) roughly what percentage of a brownstone gas bill is for hot water; and (2) roughly how much does it cost to install a solar system on one's roof (net, after incentives, or gross, and I'll figure it out). Does anyone have those figures? Or know where to find them?

Posted by: Silvermax at October 1, 2009 6:22 PM in response to Solar Hot Water, High-Efficiency

We're about to do the same. Everything said above, plus:

In the kitchen:

Second the Bosch DW -- absolutely. Silence is golden, particularly if you want to run the DW while you have guests sitting in the dining room. Bosch really works, and it's energy-saving as well.

Instead of undercabinets, have at least one cabinet space that is a BIG drawer for pots, appliances. So much easier to get at than cabinets.

In addition to your main working sink, have a separate single sink with an undercounter water filter so that only filtered water comes out of tap. Good if two people work in the kitchen at the same time.

If you cook a lot, for big family occasions, get two wall ovens. Look into convection oven.

If you get a floor-to-ceiling pantry cabinet, make sure it has drawers or pull-out shelves. Things get lost in the back otherwise.

In the bathroom:

Radiant heating in the floors, definitely.

Consider a trench drain in your 5-foot-long shower (no tub -- use the kids'). Looks great.

Lots of mirrors. Lots of counter space around the sink. Dual-flush toilets.

Posted by: Silvermax at September 22, 2009 10:35 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

DIBS: I have been told that unvented gas fireplaces are illegal in New York. Also, that when vented, the stack must rise up so many feet above or away from the building. Is this untrue? I would love to put in a gas fireplace like yours.

Posted by: Silvermax at September 18, 2009 4:19 PM in response to Making Fireplaces Functional

I've been very satisfied with Francis X. Morovich at Manhattan Tax and Financial Planning, 237 First Ave., New York, NY 10003-2919, 212-473-2717, www.mtaxx.com. he's done my taxes for the last three years, my son's for several years, and now a friend of mine as well. All self-employed, lots of extra forms. Have never used them for financial planning, so can't vouch on that ground, but fine on taxes.

Posted by: Silvermax at September 15, 2009 10:41 PM in response to Need New Accountant

Any licensed plumber should be able to do it. I just had it done a couple of months ago -- by Stanley Lewis: 718-774-8757

Posted by: Silvermax at August 18, 2009 11:02 PM in response to Plumber for Sprinkler Inspection

Thank you! And I assume your neighbor was happy with the result?

It was great meeting all of you the other night. An energetic group indeed!

Posted by: Silvermax at August 8, 2009 10:25 PM in response to G C recommendation

I actually have an oak mantel that I was planning to sell. I don't have a picture (no digital camera yet) but if your friend is interested in looking, we're in the north Slope and he/she can contact me at housereno at earthlink dot net.

Posted by: Silvermax at August 3, 2009 7:11 PM in response to architectural salvage places?

Do a search on "gut renovation" on this blog. It's hard to give any kind of ballpark figure based on the information provided -- how many floors, for example. New heating system? New electrical? New plumbing? How many kitchens and baths? New floors? New windows? New roof? Are you planning to do some/all of the work yourself? One contractor I talked to said "estimate $100,000 per floor." I think this is not wrong -- but a lot depends on what you plan to do. The "gut" is the easy part; it's the "renovation" that's expensive.

Posted by: Silvermax at July 30, 2009 11:38 PM in response to Gut Reno Estimate?

So sorry about the squirrels. There is really nothing you can do. Trap and release doesn't work -- new ones move in almost immediately. Dog/cat/tiger/wolf/dinosaur urine/blood/teeth won't work either. Hanging shiny CDs from the tree won't work. Hot pepper doesn't work. Nothing works except the obvious, which you have wisely chosen to avoid. If you plant tulips and crocuses (which they love) or daffodils (which they hate, but never remember that until after they've taken a bite out of the bulb), cover the planted area with chicken wire. Unfortunately, it's not feasible to cover a tree in chicken wire. I used to have a peach tree -- same thing: one bite out of every peach right before they were ripe. I recommend enjoying the apple tree for its lovely blossoms and gnarly shape and picking up the bitten apples from the ground, cut out the bitten part and turn the rest into applesauce.

Posted by: Silvermax at July 29, 2009 11:18 PM in response to D*MN Brooklyn Squirrels

Go to:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/tv/house-project/overview/0,,20238790,00.html

or just type in "This Old House + Brooklyn" on Google and you'll get all the skinny on the renovation. They have a blog that is also helpful. And it's being rebroadcast on PBS, as noted above.

Posted by: Silvermax at July 28, 2009 11:09 PM in response to This Old House

colorconsult: Not clear -- are you talking about the outside stoop stairs? Or the inside staircases? If latter, what's the problem -- do they creak too much? Or is it more serious? Also, if inside, I think you need a good carpenter who can open up the stairs from the back (probably remove plaster) and fix the creaks (or whatever) from there.

Posted by: Silvermax at July 25, 2009 6:58 AM in response to Brownstone staircase repair

Squirrels: cover the strawberries with chicken wire.

Slugs: Cover the base of the plants with coffee grounds.

No advice on the tomatoes -- but the squirrels will go after those as well.

Posted by: Silvermax at July 3, 2009 12:02 AM in response to critters getting to herbs/fruits

Thanks, all. I had drawn the same conclusion about HELOCs as phripley -- I could find myself with an interest rate as high as 18%! I guess there's no longer the "personal touch" in lending (i.e., good customer = better rate vs. poor risk = higher rate). I think I'll follow Adam Dahill's advice -- if the rate continues to go up immediately, it is going to spell disaster for the 40 M households who are underwater -- and the economy in the long term. But short term rules!

Posted by: Silvermax at June 9, 2009 1:34 PM in response to Good sources for cash-out refi?

We will be putting a/c units on the roof in our reno. The architect brought in a structural engineer to look at the situation and confirm the type and amount of dunnage required so that the job will be done to code. If you haven't had an engineer look already, ask your architect to arrange a consult.

Posted by: Silvermax at June 9, 2009 1:25 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage

Really looking forward to following this. Will it be listed under renovations?

Posted by: Silvermax at May 22, 2009 1:11 PM in response to Prospect Heights Garden Build: Setting the Stage

Sure looks like a spirea to me, but can't tell from the leaf. To see if it's a viburnum, try this website:

http://gardening.about.com/od/treesshrubs/a/Viburnums.htm

Scroll down to link "Guide to identifying viburnums"

Posted by: Silvermax at May 14, 2009 10:48 PM in response to Another flower identification

Neilw: Please keep us updated on the results of your research re cellar excavation. I have a similar project in mind, brick archways, would like to reclaim some of the space in the cellar, but it may be too expensive or there may be other issues (e.g., underground streams, footing problems).

Vinca: I tried the moulin associates website, but it's still "under construction" -- do you have direct contact info for Bob Moulin? Would be interested in such seminars.

Posted by: Silvermax at April 21, 2009 1:31 PM in response to Basement support replacement

I have a pending whole-house renovation and have just had this conversation with my insurer, which has been Brownstone Agency for the past 30 years. This is what they told me:

1. My policy is due for renewal now, so we should renew at the previous level of coverage until ...
2. Renovation is about to begin (in about 4 months), at which time they will issue a Builder's Risk insurance policy for the duration of the renovation. Then ...
3. When renovation is complete, we will revert to our previous insurance policy. That would be a good time to examine our coverage and see if it is adequate.

I also asked about level of coverage (replacement policy). They said they generally recommend coverage of $200/sq. ft. for non-landmarked buildings and $300/sq. ft. for landmarked buildings. I'm currently at the $200/sq. ft. level, will probably increase after the reno to a higher level, even though we aren't landmarked.

Policy does NOT include the land, which is generally valued at 10 percent of the property in the event of a whole-house loss.

I'll also be looking at other house insurance companies because I want to compare rates. Would appreciate suggestions from people who have had good experience with their insurers (this would be just house insurance -- we don't own a car or need other types of insurance).

Posted by: Silvermax at April 21, 2009 1:06 PM in response to Renovate and homeowner insurance

I am glad people still like and use those bulky radiators. If properly maintained, they can last a very long time. Some radiator casting designs I have seen are beautiful. Form and function is a lost art.

Posted by: Aodrafting at October 21, 2009 12:26 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

Our radiators are never that hot to the touch - hot water system. Do you have steam?

Posted by: mshook at October 21, 2009 9:14 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

I remember as a kid liking to sit on the radiators - maybe with a blanket underneath (of course ours were not the huge victorian one...maybe from 1920 and squareish). lots of kids..steam radiator...I don't think ever so hot would get burned.

Posted by: Petebklyn at October 21, 2009 11:01 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

I empathize with your concerns. I have a daughter and a hot water system. Hot water is not as hot as steam. Locate the units carefully and consider using radiator covers. Ed Kopel Architects.

Posted by: edkopel at October 21, 2009 11:12 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

We used to have a house with baseboard heating. whereever there is a baseboard it is difficult to put furniture against it so it made walls useless for furniture. Radiators just take up a little of the wall and make decorating easier.

Posted by: mimi at October 21, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

I have no experience with them personally but have been looking at the "modern" style steam radiators. For example: www.steamradiators.com which I believe are Runtal. Has anyone installed these or had experience with them?

We have a combo of old cast iron and awful 50s fin tubes in our house and while it isn't a priority to address since they are all behind covers, I would really like to replace them all eventually.

Posted by: pmmtenement at October 21, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Replacing Radiators

ever thought of CUSTOM radiator covers? come on, let's be logical here.

Posted by: witchdoctor at October 21, 2009 3:33 PM in response to Replacing Radiators

Spend the money better on window gates, put remaining into NY State's 529 College Saving Plan and outlet covers.

Posted by: IMBY at October 22, 2009 12:34 AM in response to Replacing Radiators

Most of Classic's stuff is in stock, if they don;t have it, it comes in the week after you order. They have an ad on Brownstoner- check to the right.

Posted by: tiptoe at October 28, 2009 4:11 PM in response to Tile Store?

Also, A&K on 9th Street in PS

Posted by: denton at October 28, 2009 5:53 PM in response to Tile Store?