brooklyn08's Profile
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February 4, 2008
Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
We are starting our house search and trying to decide between a high end condo/coop and brownstone. We are up for the general maintenance associated with a brownstone in terms of constant repairs, etc. However, one thing that keeps giving me pause is the rodent issue.
So I wanted to ask those of you who have brownstones to describe what type of mouse encounters should be expected.
If we buy a house that is in great condition, is it still a guarantee that we'll see mice annually when the weather turns cold? Or is it more just a common occurance? We live in Manhattan now in an old building and have encountered mice but it was just once and they have not turned up again after we caught them.
So I just want to understand whether I can expect this to be an ongoing problem (as in, catch mice frequently throughout the year) or whether this is typically more of an isolated incident that, if properly addressed by exterminators, etc.- can be dealt with.
I'm just trying to understand the nature and severity of the mouse situation in most brownstones. Any comments would be appreciated.
Thank you!
January 19, 2008
C of O missing - do I need it for renovations
A property I am considering purchasing does not have a C of O but it does have a
Department of Finance Building Classification as a B1-2 FAMILY DWELLING. (It is being marketed as a 2-family and is configured as such).
I would like to convert it to a 1 family (just open up existing stairs), and add an extension as well as bathroom on one of the floors.
Would these renovations be possible without a C of O, or is one required to make these types of changes? I know that the architectect would need to file with the DOB to get necessary permits, etc. So is this type of work possible without a C of O?
(Current owner has made some changes (moved kitchen, added extension) that are on file with DOB. Does this in and of itself make it clear that such changes are possible without a C of O?)
Author's Comments
BklynHouseLover- how do you deal with the really bad infestation that you encounter from time to time? Is it remedied quickly?
MrsLimestone- thanks for the tips. I appreciate it. (You are generally very helpful on this baord).
Posted by: brooklyn08 at February 4, 2008 9:14 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
Thanks all- we are just trying to get a realistic sense of this issue. We would likely be open to monthly/quarterly exterminators and would also do as thorough a job as possible with sealing holes.
We have newborn twins to take into consideration which is one reason why we're pretty fearful of rodents. I'm just wondering if it is realistic to keep them at bay- at least out of our interior space.
Interesting that condos would likely be affected too. Living in Manhattan for 10 years, I understand that rodents can exist anywhere. We're ready to buy a home though with a yard, but are given genuine pause when faced with mice running around and little kids doing the same.
I realize that there is no way to say for sure, but are some brooklyn brownstone owners able to effectively keep rodents,squirrels, etc. away from their interior space?
Posted by: brooklyn08 at February 4, 2008 8:42 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
So it's a definite, constant then? If you live in a brownstone there will always be a rodent issue to deal with? What if you hire a monthly exterminator or something like that?
Posted by: brooklyn08 at February 4, 2008 8:03 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
9:45 back again.
It is called the rat zapper.
http://www.ratzapper.com/index.cfm
We have the ultra version. Pinchick carries this model.
And for the scare tactic cat person. Our head snuggling cat wanted nothing to do with our baby until recently (4yrs old) The dogs are much more interesting to play with. Children exposed to animals early (the more the better) tend to have fewer allergies.
Posted by: guest at February 4, 2008 3:27 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
Putnamdenizen, I'm going to guess that you, like Tom Cruise, have never actually experienced pregnancy/nursing hormones. Just because you have never felt something does not mean someone else's experience is so unreal or irrational that they must be faking.
Posted by: guest at February 4, 2008 4:20 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
Everyone is going on about how cats pose no danger. Just what is the danger the mice present?
Posted by: guest at February 4, 2008 4:35 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
All those rats living on our block and not a one would get into the rat zapper, even when it was just used as a pre-activate decoy. Seemed they might have passed on some type of lore. I've read that with poison sometimes one will taste for the good of the group. My Mom swears that the rats on her farmlet carried away poison so the others didn't go near it.
What should we do?
Posted by: guest at February 4, 2008 4:37 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
4:35,
mice are dirty and diseased and they poop everywhere.
Posted by: guest at February 4, 2008 6:49 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
4:35, um, ever heard of the bubonic plague. While that's not around, rodents carry many unwanted diseases.
Posted by: lincolnlimestone at February 5, 2008 9:50 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
4:37
try baiting the rat zapper with peanut butter in a bottle cap. we only have had mice not rats, but they like the pb much better than the other baits.
Posted by: guest at February 5, 2008 10:40 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
I have a free standing Victorian frame house and I have only seen a mouse once in thirteen years. I don't have a cat or dog because I am allergic to both but I hear that small dogs especially terriers are just as adept at catching mice and rats. I keep all holes sealed, use peppermint soap to clean the house, keep eating outside of the kitchen and dining room at a minimum. Keeping dry goods in sealed containers within your cabinets helps as well. I also do not hoard magazines, newspapers and other things that may give mice a nice nesting place. I place cotton balls soaked with peppermint oil in strategic locations throughout the house. I also grow peppermint in containers on the outside of my home. Mice hate the smell of peppermint and will avoid it. I also do not have a roach problem.
Posted by: guest at February 5, 2008 11:00 AM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
UHM....I lived in Orange County in the relative rural area in an old farm house growing up. I've experienced more mice moving inside in the country than I've ever seen in Brooklyn living here 25 years. Rats are a different story.
Posted by: guest at February 5, 2008 12:58 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
This is a pretty wild thread to jump into but here goes. The problem with mice in your house, children or not is that they gnaw and chew on everything, bags of flour, food packages, electric cords. Then they leave droppings all over the place, so that is soiling and it has a strong odor. Finally, mice carry fleas, and are the initial contact for infecting deer with with the Lyme tick (Lyme disease). So mice in the house are bad. Sealing up all crack and spaces will help cut down on their entering the space. But all they rowhouses are connected so they have the opportunity of travelling from one house to another. I don't like having poison repeatedly applied to my living space, kids or not. I have cats and have never had any mice (or roaches for that matter). I am one of 8 children and we always had from one to three house cats. No one was ever smothered. The worst thing the cats did was sleep in the crib when baby was removed. I think I still vote for the cat solution.
Posted by: guest at February 5, 2008 6:20 PM in response to Brownstone owners- do you always encounter mice?
We saw 427 and it was BEAUTIFUL!!! It was the most high-end renovation I've ever seen in a brownstone. Felt like a super luxe condo in terms of how it was renovated, but had the wonderful space and backyard and high cielings of a brownstone. It had a gorgeous all glass extension and really high end kitchens and thats. Oh yeah, and it has a sort of double garden b/c the garden was in an L-shape and took the back half of the neighbors lot. So it was a full garden plus half of the garden next door. All landscaped. Pretty awesome.
And that is the ONLY reason in my opinion it got such a high price. (But worth it in my opinion also).
Posted by: brooklyn08 at February 4, 2008 2:48 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales