Thanks Steve, sounds like you are totally dialed in. The good news here is the system ran beautifully all season, so any potential future problems would probably be blamed on 1000 other things with no one guaranteeing there work for very long these days. It was a replacement boiler of the same size so all of the piping and venting was verified with the manufacturers specs to remain the same.

Is your MTA guy still around? Or if anyone knows someone with a link to that type situation its an easy way for them to make some quick money and us to get our signoffs necessary before the busy emergency season is upon us.

Thanks again for your reply.

Posted by: brownstone89 at September 23, 2008 7:54 PM in response to license plumber who can do a sign off on our boiler

Yes, Licensed Plumber please.

and Yes, there are 3 categories for plumber, plumbing, and heating.

and Yes, plumbers do this all the time, but not all of them. and Yes, like many items on this forum, the prices charged range tremendously, and if you had a boiler installed and the guy didn't come through with the license, you would be in the same situation, which hopefully you will not be. So, yes, we continue to seek a reasonable solution to our problem.

Posted by: brownstone89 at September 23, 2008 12:01 PM in response to license plumber who can do a sign off on our boiler

its a small boiler, less then the btu needed for an engineer drawings.

does anyone know a plumber who can do the sign off and what they may charge.

i doubt we are the only ones who had to deal with this mess.

the only good news is that the new system is working great and it was installed to code, but no stinkin license!!!

Posted by: brownstone89 at September 10, 2008 12:50 PM in response to license plumber to sign of on new boiler

be careful some pro brands like zar are for pros - the stain can be very unforgiving

Posted by: brownstone89 at July 3, 2008 6:26 AM in response to Color Stain for Hardwood Floors Being Refinished

our carpet is 30/sq yd and install 3000 for a 5 sty brownstone halls and stairs. anyone have prices to compare this bid to?

Posted by: brownstone89 at July 3, 2008 5:01 AM in response to Carpeting Stairs

3 things might help u and others

1- does landmarks publicize any of there decisions or do they hope forums like this fail to make data public

2- does anyone know what happens if u ignore thier letter

3- who blew the whistle on u and your very nice bars

ok 4 - can they actually prevent exterior security bars?

ps. i think full commission includes community board feedback for what its worth, including a public meeting of nimby most of whom don't have a life, so they would like to pretend they have yours for an evening.

Posted by: brownstone89 at July 3, 2008 4:48 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

anybody care to vent?

Posted by: brownstone89 at April 9, 2008 8:35 PM in response to cashing out of apt in uncertain market?

anybody care to vent?

Posted by: brownstone89 at April 9, 2008 8:27 PM in response to cashing out of apt in uncertain market?

licoln, very smart

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 23, 2008 11:25 AM in response to Sealing Wood Floor/Barrier from Odors in Basement

it may be easier to put new tile over the marble. you may have to rip up the marble to get wood to stay down properly long term. they do sell very thin sheets of marble that should glue down, which could permanently ruin the old marble below. i hope this helps a little, the previous posters seem upset in the event you might ruin original marble when it may be restorable. many old things look beautiful restored even with cracks that could be filled with artisanship.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 23, 2008 11:20 AM in response to wood over marble?

2.00, wha?

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 23, 2008 11:13 AM in response to Level my basement floor for home gym?

i guess grout on brick will be impossible?

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 22, 2008 11:38 PM in response to Removing Joint Compound from Brick

i guess grout on brick will be impossible?

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 22, 2008 11:37 PM in response to Removing Joint Compound from Brick

we heard that carpet remnants from huge remnant companies can give a great price if your doing a stairway, carpet or runners. does anyone know where to but these remnants?

most remnants place around here don't seem to have enough to carpet a 5 story stairway.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 22, 2008 11:22 PM in response to Colorful Stair Runners

btw, we have done a lot of research and if the brooklyn water is anywhere like manhattan's water, there is no way your heater should be bad within 4 or even 6 years. might be something else, in which case your new heater could meet the same fate. the heaters that are well taken care of and last 10 to 20 years in some locales with good water do not sound like a dying breed.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 22, 2008 10:31 PM in response to hotwater heater-who's got the best price

many of these old fireplaces burned coal and may have been pipe vented like a coal stove???

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 8:01 AM in response to Tin Pipe in Fireplace?

a water heater burns fuel, and is capable of becoming a bomb, beleive it or not.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 7:41 AM in response to installing new water heater

the landlord was not hostile. in fact, some of the hostile responses fail to take into account that the landlord may have an interest in finding a way not to renew the tenan'ts lease. after all, even in nyc, the landlord still owns the property, and tenants who take property rights in usa lightly are occasionally in for a bad surprise. talk to some people in the rest of the country or the planet and you may gain some perspective helpful to all involved.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 7:38 AM in response to long showers

oil can be near impossible to be sure its ever gone and wont return if it seeps in the ground. you may need a lawyer and an appraiser for the damages of uncertaianty.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 7:27 AM in response to oil spill

i dont understand why people on a site to help eachother would take up so much time on space not helping. if you re read your own posts, there is clearly hostility and little effort to help. apologies are the moral necessity, imho.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 6:16 AM in response to clanking pipes

what are solar tiles, that sounds intersting if you can walk on them since we dont have space for big solar heat units

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 6:07 AM in response to solar water heater

check the math on 1-2 dollars per sq ft annually

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 5:59 AM in response to Price-Check on Gas Bill

why don't we all just be nice?

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 5:56 AM in response to Yet another ? for Master Plumber

i've been told rumbling means you need it cleaned out, or it might die soon.

might leak a little while dying then bam

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 20, 2008 5:47 AM in response to Water heater, When to replace

big jacuzzi tubs, long showers, spoiled hi rent tenants, etc... the same size we have rite now is just adequate, so we don't want smaller for sure. more interested in who sells decent quality at a discount in ny or on net. thanx.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 19, 2008 9:27 PM in response to hotwater heater-who's got the best price

68 wouldn't be terrible if you were paying the bills, but the important thing is that for 2700 per month, you should be able to find a place that suits you in most ways. unfortunately, that could mean moving. i haven't read all of your post, but if you are not rent protected, calling inspector's is a good way to not have your lease renewed. also bear in mind, that if your situation is easily solved with a space heater or dressing warm, using 311 and city services unnecessarily does wrongly affect those truly in need. it is not always likely that someone will overheat a whole building to satisfy 1 area, especially when people are dying over oil. i hope you find a good soloution, and take advice from people who can countenance the entire situation and not give rash advice that may not be in your or anyone's best interest. in the end, you probably can't force your landlord to do anything, maybe you can motivate them, but its a good idea for us all to first consider that going to war, or even moving in that direction, is not always the first option to take.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 18, 2008 9:56 PM in response to Cold apartment

thank you for your understanding.

we have also researched this extensively, for over a year now, and yes, 6 ft. as an interior dimension is very rare. that is why we are exploring building 1 and hope to find others on here who have tried it so it doesn't leak.

we shall call that whirlpool and Bath Masters site tomorrow, as most sites never make it easy to find interior dimensions.

as you suggest, we all hope for posts that are helpful, and don't just take up space entertaining themselves or criticizing, which makes true research more difficult.

ps. is Gel Coat fiberglass weaker or just wears out faster than Acrylic?

please let us know if we can help you in turn with your own research.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 18, 2008 8:51 PM in response to real long 6 to 7 foot rectangular bathtub -

its worth saying 3 times, to those who even think of it. don't do structural work yourself, anyone.

worst case scenario, the building falls down, or a kookoo building inspector says it might, even though he is wrong. the city comes and knocks it down, to be on the safe side. it has happened in ny. play it safe, dude, play it safe!

Qoute, when seeking advice, think how you would advise someone else, then follow your own advice!

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 11, 2008 12:06 AM in response to blowing out rear wall in historic district.

where can we find out the size of the non-venting a/c's and the cost, assuming they dont cost much more to run than normal a/c.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 10, 2008 11:36 PM in response to portable A/C unit

this is a great thread .

thank you all for your posts and prices. 5000 is cheap, 20,000 expensive, there we have the range. but really it depends on the amount of detail and quality and INSTALL.

those diy like me will try to pay 5 but do a huge amount of work and research and follow ups. if i had the 20 i would love to give it to a pro and not think twice. of course you have to have great refs to know you get a pro, so there is nothing wrong with spending the money as the doors may be worth it.

watch out for install and weather stripping, etc... it takes a pro to install properly, and perfect doors can be screwed up! think of your final product, especially when your locksmith blames the installer and your beautiful doors won't seal right. one stop shopping sounds attractive huh?

we are looking for a quality installer and a maybe a refinisher if anyone has a rec. and hopefully a price for 8 foot double doors with transom circa 1900. we're on a low budget but our doors and windows are really really important, like every day!

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 10, 2008 11:10 PM in response to Door Price

can i get joe's number, how much did your refinish cost? also, if the doors are still there we'd love to see a pic.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 10, 2008 9:18 PM in response to free brownstone doors

can any one post the price of a new stoop or a brownstone refacing a 5 story townhouse please

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 10, 2008 8:04 PM in response to Brownstone Authority

our brick face seemes to have been put on top of our browstones ground floor facade in the 1950s when they remove the stoop.

do you think its resonable for us to pray they didnt ancor it in the hopes that we wont destroy the original brownstone detailing underneath?

we are also hoping to remove this with day labors.

does anyone have reasonably priced brownstone guy - we need to fix our facade and hopefully add a NEW STOOP

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 10, 2008 7:35 PM in response to removing fake stone facade

thanks, we left amin a message. can you let us know how much your stoop was to refinish? thanks again, although we are also trying to find if anyone builds with prefab stone, and who to call

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 6, 2008 3:01 PM in response to facade massonery refacing

thanks for the 4replies. we're also trying to find pre fab but cant find out how much more it cost or who does it.

we left roy d a message, i on 718. i think his cell changed. could you tell us how much that cost u 2 years ago? i heard prices might be coming down with the work slowdown. thanks.

Posted by: brownstone89 at March 6, 2008 1:48 PM in response to facade masonry refacing and NEW STOOP

the amount of decorative mailboxes we're looking for is 6-10, depending on availability & design.

we would love to hear your resource, since we already googled mailbox.com & a million other sites and are not finding any multis with any character at all.

Posted by: brownstone89 at February 8, 2008 7:28 PM in response to historic mailbox

doesn't a tankless require running the boiler at some level all year round or is there a stand alone like a hot water heater?

Posted by: brownstone89 at February 8, 2008 4:58 PM in response to Water heater, When to replace

good luck! you might be better researching real life issues you run into here because if you have any problem tenants you could be perfect and the city will still find a way to make you look bad. that's what they get paid to do!

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 29, 2008 9:18 PM in response to Getting a Handle on Building Code

we would also love to get this carpenters name.

It seemes that if this site doesnt have an option to email you automaticly when some one responds to your post, the people who posted the beginning of the information never get the request for a follow up with additional info.

Does anyone know where to make such a suggestion how to improve this sites capabilities ?

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 29, 2008 7:47 PM in response to thick entrance curtain to keep out the cold

we are trying to get a phone number for this place, might it have different name besides eddies. We love old doors

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 29, 2008 7:21 PM in response to Recycled doors

sam miller 516 887 6607 excellent, under 1000 worth it -

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 23, 2008 1:53 AM in response to New Condo Lawyer Recs?

if it lines up right, our stove hides the g line through a hollow recess at the rear of the stove. simple job though, most will overcharge and won't take long, might update your valve.

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 23, 2008 1:50 AM in response to Plumbing Question

you could research the brand name on line and try to get their tech people and schematics. what if you tested this outlet with an air conditioner or frig, to see if it blows, watch for fire hazards though in case you didn't have a proper install.

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 23, 2008 1:38 AM in response to Stove repair place...or electrician?

watch out for zoning rooms, etc...

very tricky if your case depends on it!

if you would like to give me your phone i will pass it on to soba architcects = good prices for small jobs - you will learn a lot working with him.

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 15, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Confirming max allowed FAR

if its steam heat you must size every radiator in the house or planned for the future!

Posted by: brownstone89 at January 15, 2008 3:02 PM in response to Heat Issues

I too find Woodzoneinc to be a terrible company. they don't do what they say they will do.

Posted by: guest at June 22, 2008 11:36 PM in response to free brownstone doors

These replies take the gold medal for most typos and craziest grammar. Whew!

Posted by: guest at July 3, 2008 9:57 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

Thanks for the advice, grammar and typos forgiven, content counts. OP

Posted by: chill225 at July 3, 2008 11:02 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

So called non-compliant bars on other buildings may have been grandfathered in, as they may have already been there when the neighborhood was landmarked. The LPC will not retroactively declare something as non-compliant, so even if your windows do not meet their requirements, if they were in place when your building was landmarked, they can stay. If the building gets new windows, then you would have to apply for a permit, and you would only be permitted to have certain kinds of period appropriate windows installed.

If you ignore their letter, they have no enforcement arm to come get you. They only have to wait until you need to do other work which would need a permit, and they will not sign off on it until you are compliant in everything. I don't think they can force you to remove any security bars on a permanent basis. Even a city agency understands the need for bars, they aren't that hide bound to the past. Most row houses in this city have had bars since they were built, so security issues are not news.

Personally, I don't think they look bad at all. You might just want to give it a go, and see if they will approve them. I'd take lots of pictures of neighborhood security bars so they can see how yours fit into the entire neighborhood.

Montrose Morris

Posted by: guest at July 3, 2008 12:07 PM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

Check it out Montrose. Unfortunately, if owners ignore the letter it can be unfortunate. Check your facts before giving people bad advice: http://www.nyc.gov/html/lpc/html/faqs/faq_enforce.shtml
"How is the amount of a civil fine determined?
The amount of a civil fine is dependent on the severity of the violation. The Landmarks Protection Law defines two types of violations: type A and type B.

Type A violations include serious alterations to important architectural elements, such as cornices, stoops, windows, and storefronts; additionally, construction of rooftop or backyard additions may fit into this category. First-time type A violations are punishable by a fine of up to $5,000, if a second NOV is issued, there will be a fine of up to $250 per day, with a minimum fine of $5,000.

Type B violations include all other, less serious infractions, such as painting a facade a new color, replacing a single window, or installing a light, sign, flagpole or banner. First-time Type B violations are punishable by a fine of up to $500; if a second NOV is issued, there will be a fine of up to $50 per day, with a minimum fine of $500."

I'm not saying that I'm for, or against this. I just think you should know what you are talking about before being so free with bad advice that could end up costing an owner some bucks -- especially if a change is small and might be legalized retroactively for no cost at all.

Posted by: guest at July 4, 2008 7:41 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

"When I mentioned that I see window bars in the neighborhood that curve out to accommodate air conditioners, the said those window bars do not comply with Landmarks standards either"

So Landmarks doesn't allow people to have both security and an air conditioner at the same time??? Oh my god, please. It shows they believe the human population is such a lesser concern, that we should have severe health and safety risks inflicted on us just to comply to THEIR sense of aesthetics.

SICK. What obsessive uptight freaks, I'm sorry. I like pretty buildings too who doesn't, but let's all remember..

FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION

And come on, the OP's building does not look bad at all!

Posted by: guest at July 4, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

7:41, since MOST of the advice given on this, or any other forum, is anecdotal, at best, I hardly think you need to jump down my throat. If I am wrong, I apologise to the OP, but I was going by advice given to me by others who had dealt with LPC.

I still stand by my other advice to try to get them legalized by showing them photos of other houses in the neighborhood, and giving them more information than they could possibly need to argue your case. Perhaps crime stats, specifically break-ins in the neighborhood, a report of some kind from the local precinct extolling bars as a deterrent, or some such. I still find it hard to believe that they would ban security bars, or allow for curved ones. LPC people all live in the city, too. They know what is realistic and necessary.

Good luck to the OP.

MM

Posted by: guest at July 4, 2008 12:23 PM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

If LPC wants to start handing out grants to install central AC so we don't have to have window units, great.

Otherwise they need to get a grip on reality and shut up about it.

Posted by: guest at July 4, 2008 1:33 PM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

It is tough to reconcile maintaining the 1890's look of a facade with modern needs for AC and security.

Back then, they had awnings to cool buildings, and people died much younger of heart or pulmonary disease rather than live to be old with it. And, they didn't have AC, so they had no other option.

As to security, while ground floor brownstones seem to have always been built with bars on the windows, they seemed not to worry about the upper windows, or doors. Maybe because someone was likely home when the windows were open - they had larger households, so the children, women and servants were around - maybe this scared away burglars. Now, we go to work all day and leave the home unattended.

Landmarks should come to understand that the modern needs for AC and security have to trump the 1890's look. I like your bars. The problem is, it is very much in the eye of the beholder - I have seen some I wouldn't like at all.

At least if landmarks set standards for what was acceptable for curved bars that allow window ACs, then people would know what to do to be in compliance with them. Saying that the curved bars that fit ACs aren't acceptable isn't really helpful.

And if they are OK with the square cages of straight bars that allow for window ACs (don't know if they do), that's just dumb, as neither is authentic from the 1890's, and the square ones are so much uglier than the curved ones, which tend to look nice, as do yours.

Posted by: guest at July 4, 2008 2:49 PM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars

Where did you get those? Where they custom?

I'm not landmarked and have been looking for something EXACTLY like that so I can install window A/C's on our first floor in the rear of the building.

Sorry you're having a hard time of it with the LPC!!

Posted by: guest at July 5, 2008 9:37 AM in response to Landmarks Preservation Commission and Window Bars