Recs for paint strippers

I've often wondered why Morris's work isn't found much outside of Brooklyn. Last year I came across the home of the Hamilton Club in Lancaster, PA ( www.hamiltonclub.org) which had so many similarities to the Hulbert Mansions that I had to ask who designed the clubhouse. No-one, even the club historian has a clue. As popular as the Romanesque revival was at the time, it's rare to find the Romanesque-French Chateau hybrid. I'm sure there were others working in this style, and Morris must have had his copyists as well, but it seems odd that the club's architect is not known. Could it have been Morris? It remains an intriguing mystery.

Posted by: brikenny at November 17, 2009 2:46 PM in response to Walkabout: Part 3, MM - Park Slope and Big Business

"we'd say they might have a shot," is not a phrase I'd use about Hawthorne Street! Two VERY recent gunfire incidents (on the 2 block stretch of Hawthorne near this house) have the neighbors nervous. Forget the square footage and the size of the kitchen; there are bigger problems here right now.

Posted by: brikenny at October 28, 2009 4:04 PM in response to House of the Day: 136 Hawthorne Street

Antidope hits the nail on the head: Back when I was house hunting I looked at 2 on Summit. Inside, with windows closed, the realtor and I could just barely hear each other over the noise and constant rumble from the BQE, and this house is even closer to the roadway than those were! Although a RC tenant can preclude so many of the ways you would like to use your own home, the biggest quality-of-life issue for me would be the noise.

Posted by: brikenny at October 8, 2009 2:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 130 Summit Street

If you are in favor of the AY Arena, this information is more troubling than reassuring. $200 million for 80% of the Nets AND 45% of the arena AND options on another 20% of the project? Bruce Ratner must be desperate for cash since he's selling all of this at a loss. Also; 2 billionaires who most other finance people wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole developing this site? You can be guaranteed that the money-pit (which most analysts say this project will be) will turn into extortion of the state government when they both demand an infusion of cash to finish the project a couple of years into it (if history is our guide). If this project started honestly and openly there would have been VERY little opposition to it, but it started dirty, which was the principle objection, and the waters keep getting cloudier.

Posted by: brikenny at September 23, 2009 4:53 PM in response to Nets Will Have New Owner; FCR Will Have New AY Partner

There were a few postings on Brownstoner in the past. Do a search under "Vue" and see what turns up (although the bar at Hotel Le Bleu is also named Vue, so you may get some listings for that mixed in), but I recall mention of water damage in the building a while back.

Posted by: brikenny at August 13, 2009 10:00 AM in response to Vue in South Slope

91 comments and counting; but only a handful are about the House of the Day! I'm always impressed by 11217's ability to be the Pied Piper of the threads, leading the comments off in another direction entirely :-) Some day I have to buy him a beer...pity he can't be there on the 20th!

Posted by: brikenny at August 12, 2009 5:27 PM in response to House of the Day: 20 Grace Court Alley

As one of the neighbors who attended the CB6 hearing I've been trying to follow this, but details have been lacking. Part of the problem with the first plan arose from a dog-leg section of the backyard that extended about 100 ft. between the backyards of the neighbors to the west. There was a one-story building on that sliver of land, and based on that, as well as the lot size, the owners and architect argued that they should be allowed to build to 6 stories (7 .5 really, with mechanicals) "as of right". With minor setbacks they thought from the street you couldn't see the floors above the 4th floor cornice, and camouflaged the upper floors in their renderings.
Fortunately everyone saw through the sham and the committee was pretty upset by such a shoddy and insulting ploy. Better still, the committee chairman lived directly across the street from 638 and he was having none of it. I don't know what is being built beyond the facade, but after being slapped-down like that once, I bet they were much more cautious with their next presentation.

Posted by: brikenny at August 10, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Development Watch: 638 President Street

Bring several extra checks and be prepared to hand them out as your attorney tells you. There are always surprises: some unknow fees could appear, and who expected that some involved with a closing would get tips? Your best asset is a good lawyer who is on top of everything and has done this many times before, so be sure you bring his or her payment as well.

My first and second closings were a breeze, but for my last closing the lawyer for the bank was a total wreck; completely unprepared. The title insurer and I practically talked her through it ourselves. Be prepared for anything. Just keep all of your documents, files and checks organized and you'll do fine. Good luck and congrats!

Posted by: brikenny at August 3, 2009 10:12 AM in response to Preparing for Closing

One of the neighbors mentioned that the work only seems to go on at night. The word on the street is that it's asbestos removal, and they don't want the neighbors freaking-out about it, so they're working in the dark. Still, there is no proof, and only rumor at this point.

Posted by: brikenny at June 22, 2009 11:56 AM in response to What's Going on at St. Thomas Aquinas?

I used Don Fraser too, and I swear by him! He was totally on top of everything, caught every detail, saved me a fortune, and only charged me $1500.

Your lawyer probably assumes that if you can spend that much for a house you can afford to pay too much for a lawyer. Dump him or her and shop around.

Posted by: brikenny at June 19, 2009 3:29 PM in response to Is Lawyer Fee Reasonable?

Almost all ivies share a common evolutionary bond; they excrete an acid through the tendrils to "etch" stone so they have a better grip. While brick is a bit more resistant to it, old mortar, brownstone, and limestone are slowly destroyed. This rarely leads to structural damage, as it takes several decades, but it always leads to some aesthetic damage. Some people choose to leave the ivy since it looks nice and the de-ivied house might look like a mess (the gripping tendrils will tend to remain for several years) but eventually it will die by itself or someone's choice and will come down either way, revealing the damage. It's just a question of; do you want to take it down, or do you want to leave it for the next guy to deal with?

Posted by: brikenny at May 21, 2009 4:33 PM in response to Is Ivy on Facade Okay?

tybur6 has a valid point; a lot of people comment on the security issue during the tours. Still, it's generous, as well as an act of faith, for these people to open their homes like this. I've always called this tour "a well-orchestrated invasion of privacy" where people leave themselves open to catty comments about their homes from the masses, and this year was no exception. Most of the homes were very nice this year; there was only one out of 9 I would call less-than-wonderful (my friends used the word "tacky".) Several were beautiful blends of sleek modern and Victorian detail, but stylistically they ran the gamut from stark, open-plan minimalism all the way to an over-the-top Victorian masterpiece. Of course, that last one was owned by Clem Labine, the founder of the Old House Journal, so such enthusiasm for Christopher Dresser-inspired stenciling was to be expected. The distance between houses seemed to be a problem for some people, even with the shuttle buses provided this year. At least the rain held-off for most of the day. The oddest thing; usually each year there is one house where they ask you to remove your shoes, which isn't really unreasonable. But this year there were 5 of the nine houses asking us to remove them, which was tricky if the back yard was on tour too. Overall though, it was one of PSCC's better house tours of recent years.

Posted by: brikenny at May 19, 2009 10:32 AM in response to Park Slope House Tour Wrap

Although I'm a usually a big supporter of power-washers, this is a situation where the washer would blow-out the sand between the bricks, creating a mess and something else to fix. The bleach solution works quite well and isn't as harmful to your garden as you would think, but try to keep it just in the area you want to de-moss. Use a stiff push-broom first to remove larger moss growths, bleach the area, wait about 30 minutes and then re-brush to remove moss remnants. Rinse the area after. Doing this once a year should keep the moss to a minimum.

Posted by: brikenny at May 14, 2009 4:11 PM in response to Removing Moss from Brick Patio

"An ounce of prevention..."
I'm glad to see good advice being given here, mixed in with a few real-life horror stories for emphasis! Always get an independent inspection, regardless of how old, or new, the building is. New condo owners are constantly being hit with assessment charges to fix shoddy construction. I know some folks who paid-out more than the cost of their unit over 5 years with non-stop building repairs and replacements. The developer/ contractor, as the "responsible party" declared bankruptcy right after selling the units and got-off scot-free. A smart inspector could have scared them away before buying.

Posted by: brikenny at May 13, 2009 4:22 PM in response to Inspection for new construction?

I've had great experiences with James Anzalone, a Park Slope/Gowanus-based architect. He's great with structural analysis and DOB filings & inspections, as well as the creative end of the work. Too many architects have inflated views of their own work, but he's got the engineering as well as the artistic side. And he listens!! He has a website:

www.jamesanzalone.com/

Good luck! I hope it turns out great, regardless of who you use!

Posted by: brikenny at May 8, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Architect recommendations??/

This appears more and more each year; an addition on top that has no architectural links to the older bottom portion. As my architect friends say, only half kidding, "It just makes it easier to demolish later if they don't try to integrate the components."
Usually you just see suburban style tract houses plunked down on top of old industrial buildings, but compared to this site, they look almost classic. Maybe it would work on top of a taller building, where you couldn't see the addition from the street.

Posted by: brikenny at May 6, 2009 3:08 PM in response to Development Watch: 93 Nevins More Fully Revealed

Where did the contractor install the flashing and caulk? That should have worked, if done in the right places. How old is your skylight? If you have a Victorian-era building, the soot is most likely a century's worth of grime that accumulated in the crawl-space between the ceilings and the roof joists. The grime is usually dust mixed with an oily air-borne residue; either from creosote-smoke that escaped from a leaky chimney, or pollutants that got in from outside and settled (coal smoke, car exhaust, etc). It most likely isn't the rain that causes it to appear, but the winds that accompany the rain. If the air in the crawl-space gets slightly pressurized the grime will blow out through whatever way the air escapes; in your case the skylight.
Vacuuming-out your crawlspace is impossible, but if you caulk all of the seams around the skylight, both from above and below, it should do the trick.

Posted by: brikenny at April 14, 2009 4:25 PM in response to strange soot in skylights

So far you've gotten good advice. The short answer is; you'll probably have to do whatever your board says. But!! Check your coop contracts and proprietary lease. Some coop plans give exclusive (or semi-exclusive) use of the roof to the top floor owners as a "sweetener" to sell a top floor in a walk-up. If that's the case you can't build an additional room, but often a small deck or other minor, reversible change could be made. You would still need to get an okay from your board, and a favorable contract is only more ammunition, not a guarantee. If they require a presentation go armed with plans, diagrams brand names, etc. and stress the small size of the skylight and minimal impact on the building and it's structure. You may need an architect if the board requires it, but often a licensed contractor is enough. Good luck!

Posted by: brikenny at April 10, 2009 3:42 PM in response to Skylights and roof rights

You didn't say what your facade is made of. Is it brownstone, brick, wood, or some other material? And what part needs repair/ restoration: just the exterior wall, or the stoop and cornice as well? It makes a difference as some contractors are much better than others at different aspects of exterior work.

Posted by: brikenny at April 9, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Facade

Bayridge Iron Work, which in spite of their name is at Union Street and Nevins in Gowanus, did very nice work for me: (718) 852-0222

Posted by: brikenny at April 8, 2009 3:10 PM in response to iron bars for basement window

It strikes me as bait-and-switch. The hotels are being built in the areas zoned for business/industrial. You can't build new residential housing, but zoning permits a hotel. So, a developer builds a hotel and then (surprise, surprise!) has "trouble" filling the rooms. Then it's a small matter of going back to the DOB to ask for a variance as a hardship case, so it could be converted to a more profitable condo or coop building. Most of these hotels advertise wet-bars or kitchenettes, so it's a small alteration to become studios or one-bedrooms. Or maybe they anticipate the Gowanus becoming the Venice of Brooklyn in another decade or two, but which seems more likely: a developer thinking very long term, or trying to sneak something past the DOB?

Posted by: brikenny at April 8, 2009 12:28 PM in response to Another Hotel In The Works for Gowanus

I did a metal-frame deck over the first-floor extension. A horizontal metal beam was bolted to the side of the main structure of the house, a foot above the extension. A framework was welded to this and supported at the other end by 2 metal columns. The framework was built to have 2 x 6 planks laid across it so the decking would be wood. My architect signed-off on it and it cost about $9000 to build. That price included a metal staircase down to the yard, and all cement footings for posts and stair-landing.
Although my next-door neighbor has his deck sitting on his extension's roof, several of us nearby with metal decks opted to keep ours elevated. This makes it easier to check on the roof condition, and if repairs are needed to the roof I just have to remove a few planks for access.

Posted by: brikenny at April 7, 2009 4:19 PM in response to New Deck fpr a brownstone

There are no photos or details, so I can't judge the size, style or age of your woodwork, or if it's painted or original stain & varnish, but I'll take a shot. All of my trimwork is stained pine and poplar, and yes, it can be restored.
You might want to get a professional in there, especially one who has experience matching materials in old houses. Your doorways may be out-of-square and need extra help to straighten them, otherwise the doors, new or existing, may not hang properly. If it's just a matter of replacement of moulding, make an assessment of what can be salvaged as that could save you money. The cost of replacing only one side moulding, even with custom fabrication, could be lower than ripping-out and replacing the entire door surround. And period moulding will be appreciated when you decide to sell since period detail is what really sells a house in Brownstone Brooklyn.
If you decide to replace the entire thing, get a moulding as wide as the one you're replacing. Otherwise you'll have the "gap" that's left exposed if you switch to a thinner moulding, and that could be more costly and time-consuming to patch. In short; match what's there as closely as you can, within your budget. And a few nicks are expected in an old house, so please don't toss out good, old work over a few flaws. And good luck with your project! You may even want to ask cmu who he used, since that price doesn't sound bad.

Posted by: brikenny at April 1, 2009 4:37 PM in response to Restoring Mouldings Around Doors

I agree with senatorstreet. A power washer, or pressurized sprayer, is only about the size of a canister vacuum, and usually costs under $80. It just hooks up to your garden hose and an electrical outlet. Water then comes out hard enough to blast black grime, leaf stains, moss, etc, right off the surface. Keep in mind that the water is highly pressurized, enough that you can wear a hole in a brick, so it should be used carefully and sparingly. I bring mine out once each spring to blow-off the winter grime from the bluestone, brick, concrete and limestone around my yard. Just be sure to wear goggles; the pressure could make sand, gravel and loose parts of the stone fly around pretty fast.
Then again, a few tannin stains and moss on your bluestone could be quite picturesque!

Posted by: brikenny at March 17, 2009 4:06 PM in response to How to Clean Bluestone Patio?

This has been a regular feature of all periods of interior architecture since the renaissance. You're only noticing it more now since most of the buildings you're encountering are Victorian or later, and victorian moldings, being more than twice the size of more recent detailing, are much more noticeable when cut down. Having visited a number of new construction home lately I can assure you that builders still do this when a door or window is too close to a perpendicular wall. If the molding is narrow, and painted to match the surrounding wall (as most new construction would be) you wouldn't notice it as much, but trust me, it's there.

Posted by: brikenny at March 7, 2009 12:03 AM in response to Door Casings Partially Covered

Do you have dimensions? Length is always a problem in small urban spaces.

Posted by: brikenny at February 17, 2009 6:28 PM in response to Antique chaise daybed for sale

To jmcinty; COSCO is a shipping company, running container ports and leasing intermodal freight containers globally. The artist may have chosen their containers at random for the illustration. There has been a push to pay homage to Red Hook's historical life as a shipping hub. You'll see similarly "decorative" immobile derricks along the water by Ikea. It seems that the big box stores have to use the shipping industry as a building motif, even as they push them out of the area.

Posted by: brikenny at February 11, 2009 2:34 PM in response to Thor Leak Reveals Plans for Mall at Red Hook Refinery Site

Post photos! A lot of salvagers read brownstoner.com, and one may have a perfect match.

Posted by: brikenny at January 23, 2009 9:13 AM in response to baluster/stair spindle help

I had a similar story to EastStuy. I had a newly restored Park Slope garden 1-bedroom a half block from the subway, with patio, washer/dryer in the unit, gas and heat included. All of the realtors said it should be snapped-up immediately at $1700 as all of the 3rd floor apartments nearby (with few of these amenities) were going for that. After 2 months of people constantly being shown the place not a single broker got me a tenant. It seems mine was being shown as the model of what they could aspire to if they would increase their target price by $300 or so. I really resented being used that way for their other clients benefit. I finally went in to my local Coffee shop (which will remain nameless, but named after a large primate)one afternoon and mentioned to the owner I had a rental available. Things happened immediately and 2 weeks later I had a great couple sign a lease.

You never know why people reject a great place or accept a lousy one, but timing and luck seem to be a big factor. Just don't put all of your eggs in one basket: Craig's list, fliers at the Food Coop, word of mouth, friends, as well as brokers; use all simultaneously. You never know where the lightning may strike!

Posted by: brikenny at January 15, 2009 4:11 PM in response to Getting our apartment rented

In larger buildings, with the impersonal nature of the business relationship, it's rare (and odd) for landlords to give gifts to the tenants. For smaller buildings, where the landlord lives there as well, it's easy to become friendly with tenants. Although it's always awkward for a landlord to become friendly with someone they may have to evict (or worse) you still get a sense of people by the close proximity. I have always given tenants a "welcome" gift, much like Stonergut, and it DOES set a tone for the relationship. Generally afterwards, for decent tenants, I've always given a holiday token of some sort: chocolates, a gift certificate, or a bottle of something. I feel no qualms about ignoring a deadbeat or bad tenant at the holidays since they started the ill-will in the first place. The best advice; don't feel obligated! But if you feel you WANT to, then by all means, listen to your instincts. Good tenants aren't easy to find, and they like being appreciated just like everyone else.

Posted by: brikenny at December 24, 2008 12:44 AM in response to gift for tenant?

Francis Guy did at least 5 of these, the view from his second-floor window. Local pride helped them sell easily, so he kept painting them. The one in the Brooklyn Museum was damaged in a fire around 1881, and the damaged left side was cut off. All of the others are intact, and at least one is still in private hands. I think we can spare one of these to be sent off to Bentonville, where it will eventually be seen by indifferent school-children on field trips. Still, no definite word on who sold this one.

Posted by: brikenny at December 8, 2008 6:35 PM in response to Closing Bell: Brooklyn Winters, Now in Arkansas

Sorry, no. I measured the ones I have and all are 5" or shorter! You can try Olde Good Things on 24th Street in Manhattan; they usually have bins full of them.

Posted by: brikenny at December 3, 2008 6:10 PM in response to single clawfoot?

Sorry, no. I measured the ones I have and all are 5" or shorter! You can try Olde Good Things on 24th Street in Manhattan; they usually have bins full of them.

Posted by: brikenny at December 3, 2008 6:10 PM in response to single clawfoot?

Where are you located? I've got several mismatched ones sitting in the basement that I'd like to see go to good homes. I could bring them over and do the whole Cinderella/Glass slipper routine to see which fits best.
brikenny@hotmail.com

Posted by: brikenny at December 3, 2008 4:46 PM in response to single clawfoot?

It's killing me whenever she says "all original". C.P.H Gilbert designed a mansion with Colonial Revival rooms, but the rehab added to or replaced many parts, and rather anemic looking replacements at that! Some parts may be a century old, but that front door, and even the stairway bannister, looks like the result of a quick shopping trip to Home Depot.
The knotty pine and the plaster moldings may be original, but I can't imagine what else was. $8.5 million? What could they have been smoking when they picked that number?

Posted by: brikenny at November 18, 2008 6:30 PM in response to Closing Bell: 315 Garfield Place, The Movie

There are already grotesque new houses just like this in other parts of Brooklyn, and if that's what they wanted, why didn't they buy one of those? What would possess someone to do this to a classic row-house? It's bad enough that they probably spent a hundred thousand dollars to devalue their own building by 3 hundred thousand, but they took all of their neighbors down with them!

Posted by: brikenny at November 12, 2008 10:56 AM in response to A Mediterranean Makover

A stucco covering for spalling or flaking brick just masks a problem. Get it done right once and then never worry about it again. You need a real brick experts for this, not just some all-purpose handyman, but it's worth the cost. I liked working with Dominic Valoroso of Vincent Valoroso & Sons. Just getting an estimate and a second opinion can't hurt: (718) 531-4685 Good luck!

Posted by: brikenny at October 30, 2008 4:06 PM in response to Mason - replacement/repair of brick

I've seen a lot of newcomers not-yet oriented, and confuse"uphill" for "north" in the slope; could the confusing name come from the diner being at the bottom of the hill?
Besides that, this building is without a doubt in Gowanus. Everyone knows where Gowanus is except the realtors, since they make sure it's omitted from their neighborhood maps unless you're looking for industrial buildings.

Posted by: brikenny at October 7, 2008 12:30 PM in response to New Look and Name for New College Restaurant

Has 11217 ever been wrong? I'd love to buy him a beer. Or an architectural artifact ;-). Back on the subject: personally, for this space I'd love to see a decent non-yuppie bar, toy store, even cobbler shop; anything but another realtor, sushi place, or pseudo-italian restaurant! If a realtor does open here, how bright are they to open when others are panicked about closing in a market where no-oner wants to sell and buyers have a tougher time getting mortgages?

Posted by: brikenny at October 1, 2008 8:57 PM in response to Streetlevel: New Realty Office on 7th Avenue?

I'm sorry! I went through a few dozen but couldn't find a good match. That may be disappointing to you, but it's really disappointing to me! I thought I could finally give some of these away! Besides Eddie's you could try Olde Good Things on West 24th Street in Manhattan, but that is also salvage, and you may have to look through quite a few with nothing to show for it except really dirty hands. Still, they can be replicated by a good wood-turner. Heights Woodworking is reasonable, but not cheap. And they're actually on 3rd Ave in Gowanus, in spite of the name "Heights".
Good luck, and again, sorry to disappoint!

Posted by: brikenny at September 19, 2008 2:31 PM in response to Looking to match Spindles

I may have some salvaged spindles just like that but I'll have to dig around in the basement. If I have them they're all yours.

Posted by: brikenny at September 18, 2008 4:50 PM in response to Looking to match Spindles

I'd be interested, but what exactly do you have. Any photos?
Why are you selling fixtures anyway? Is the building slated for demolition?

Posted by: brikenny at September 18, 2008 4:47 PM in response to Moving Sale - Brownstone

Whatever you can make from the sale of these is nothing compared to the loss you'll realize at resale of your home. This is the type of original details home-buyers avidly search for, and pay a premium for in Brownstone neighborhoods! Out of curiosity I have to ask; why would you buy a historic home, at a premium price, if you're just going to destroy its historic character, and devalue your property? Trust me; I've seen it happen literally hundreds of times, and even the realtors would warn you away from this. The potential buyers asking about these mantles probably had the mantles removed from their homes years ago in a misguided restoration, and are desperate to replace them now.

Posted by: brikenny at September 11, 2008 12:57 AM in response to Late Victorian/Craftsman Mantels

The slope has changed a lot since I moved here 25 years ago, but GKW and northsloperenter's posts have it right: the less welcoming people are the newer transplants from Manhattan. Mostly wealthier, and closer to the Park, they just don't know how life is in Brooklyn, and stick with the attitudes they arrived with. They never sit on their stoops after work and have a beer, nor do their kids play with each other in the street under an adults watchful eye. Fortunately I moved downhill to a more old-timer Brooklyn block, of every ethnic group and social level you could imagine. We all say hello to each other, shovel each others walks in winter, and have long conversations out on our stoops while the kids play. Maybe the newer folks will catch on that this is the pleasant urban life they came looking for, and in time will fit in better. Who knows? Maybe in a few years they'll be the ones complaining about the unfriendly people who don't say hello.

Posted by: brikenny at September 8, 2008 6:31 PM in response to Quote of the Day

In the last 2 weeks I've had two "No flyers, menus, etc.." posters torn off my front gate by people leaving the same banned flyers, menus, etc. This must have taken some effort since these were laminated in plastic. It would be great if they could finally enforce the law, but how can they, if they perpetrators themselves can get away with vandalizing the sign that they can later say wasn't there?

Posted by: brikenny at August 4, 2008 10:45 PM in response to Closing Bell: Fighting Unwanted Fliers

Long story short: mosquitos don't travel far from where they breed. If you, or anyone who's on your block, have stagnant water anywhere: old buckets, clogged gutters, an old tire laying around for example, you will ALL have a problem. It takes neighborhood eradication. One of my neighbors drained standing water on his neighbor's flat roof and, you guessed, no mosquitos until the drain clogged and the roof refilled in September.
And bats are great at eating mosquitos! The only problem is that you have to install a bat house 5 years before you want the bats to move in. They don't take to anything new in their neighborhood so you have to wait until it's been there at least one bat-generation.
Good luck this coming summer! More than one summer has been ruined for me by these satanic beings.

Posted by: brikenny at February 5, 2008 9:23 PM in response to Mosquitos in brownstone gardens