To followup, I called the "leakmaster" advertised on this site (who we have used before and really like) and he strongly recommended against cutting open the ceiling (which is on the top floor), at least as a first step. He said leaks in the roof can - and usually do - travel several yards and won't be visible near the site of water damage.

Posted by: carrie m at March 9, 2009 3:12 PM in response to Ceiling discoloration

With any house built around 1910, you should expect lead paint. Routine house inspections don't test for it; it's an assumption. As for other questions, there's a good list in the _Old House Journal Guide to Restoration_ that you may want to check out:
http://www.amazon.com/Old-House-Journal-Guide-Restoration/dp/0525935517

Good luck, and welcome to the neighborhood!

Posted by: carrie m at January 30, 2009 7:16 AM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

I don't know that the price is very far out of line. Similarly sized 2-family houses on my block (one block north of here) sold for $800, $880, and $1 million last year.... the $800 was in fairly rough condition; the new owners had to do a gut reno on the first floor. The $1 million had two beautiful floors and one that needed substantial refinishing, a parking space and a third exposure, but said exposure abuts a house that was (and still is) being marketed as a teardown.

Posted by: carrie m at January 23, 2009 10:34 AM in response to House of the Day: 37 Winthrop Street

Thanks. Who did the work?

Posted by: carrie m at November 5, 2008 11:13 AM in response to Landscaping and drainage for back yard

"Unless you lived next door to it, right gabby?"

This building is on a commercial strip right next to an above-ground subway and bus stops. It's not a residential block.

Posted by: carrie m at June 25, 2008 11:22 AM in response to Small Protest Over Glassy PLG Tower

I'll second the recommendation for Steve Rayboy, of Urban Exteriors. He just finished a parlor floor deck for us and we're very, very, happy with the job. He pays attention to detail, cares about the quality of is work, and was easy to work with.
http://www.panix.com/~brooklyn/

Posted by: carrie m at May 13, 2008 10:31 AM in response to deck builder

We had the same problem; we called a roofer but he recommended that we do it ourselves because he'd charge more than the job was worth. So we placed chicken wire over the hole and mortared over it. It was quite easy.

Posted by: carrie m at April 18, 2008 5:59 PM in response to War against Squirrel Nation - Need roofer

Contrary to a comment above, this plan still accommodates parking on both sides of the street.

Also, NYC traffic engineering studies show that any increase in traffic after closing lanes or entire streets is temporary. When traffic gets too bad, drivers take other routes, other modes of transportation, or travel at different times. (Similarly, adding streets or lanes only alleviates congestion in the short term....)
See http://blog.stayfreemagazine.org/2007/02/new_york_transp.html

And with safer streets, more people will bike. Look at European cities - we are WAY behind in smart planning.

Posted by: carrie m at March 18, 2008 11:42 AM in response to Push to Make DeKalb Avenue More Bicycle-Friendly

Re: noise from Flatbush. I'm about the 3rd house in from Flatbush right behind this house on Hawthorne St. (my backyard abuts Fenimore Street yards)... and noise from Flatbush - surprisingly - isn't a problem. The taller buildings along Flatbush block everything out.

Posted by: carrie m at February 27, 2008 5:38 PM in response to House of the Day: 75 Fenimore Street

I used Barlett's maple and dark oak (mixed); you can see pix of the original woodwork at:
http://www.hawthornestreet.com/2007/11/paint-strip-woo.html

(I had to stain moulding the same color and it worked amazingly well.

Posted by: carrie m at February 16, 2008 6:19 PM in response to Original stain color

We've got Cablevision and HATE it. The price was great the first year but now we're paying over $150/month for "triple play." The DVR sucks (shows often end up scrambled or cut off), the phone is unreliable and subject to dropout, customer service is often MIA... we play on switching to Direct TV as soon as we can make the time to deal with the switch.

Posted by: carrie m at January 19, 2008 12:06 PM in response to How much do you pay for Cablevision?

".... those on the east side by Rutland, Fenimore, Hawthorne etc are mostly section 8 units and are still very much crime-ridden."

Give me a break. Wrong on both counts. As someone who lives here, I have to say that you have no idea what you're talking about.

Posted by: carrie m at January 5, 2008 9:46 PM in response to Open House Picks

I think this stuff may be milk paint, which is harder to strip than other kinds of paint. Honestly, though, strength or power has nothing to do with it. I'm the biggest weakling I know and I could pull off this stuff. The key is letting a think layer of stripper sit on there for a long enough period.

Posted by: carrie m at November 23, 2007 5:32 PM in response to Admitting defeat.

We've got what looks like the same paint (identical color) as the initial paint layer over some of our woodwork. While several other layers of oil paint come off easily with chemical peeler, this stuff is really tough... still, I found that if you really glump it on and leave it with the protective paper for at least 24 hours, it comes off easily.

I used PeelAway 7, which is not as fast as other chemicals, but is easier on fine woodwork and is nontoxic. Contractors usually prefer to use the strippers with methylene chloride -- they're a lot easier and faster but are very toxic.

Posted by: carrie m at November 23, 2007 2:49 PM in response to Admitting defeat.

Vinegar won't remove shellac; you could use PeelAway 7, which is considered nonhazardous (though, y'know, you don't want to eat it).

Posted by: carrie m at November 12, 2007 6:09 PM in response to Stripping Shellac

I don't know much about it, but this laminate looks promising:
http://www.shattergard.com/

You use normal windows and then place this stuff over it (it's invisible) for $12 per sf.

Posted by: carrie m at November 8, 2007 5:56 PM in response to Security windows?

The Old House Journal (was founded by park slope brownstoners), This Old House. Both have websites.

Posted by: carrie m at November 5, 2007 10:47 PM in response to Reno/Idea Magazines?

I'm surprised by all the recommendations for the rat zapper. We got the Rat Zapper Ultra but it only manages to kill one mouse per set of batteries - that's 4 new "D" alkaline - about $7 per mouse! After the first kill, the thing emits a shock but not enough to kill the mouse. (The red light will be on indicating a kill, but the bait is gone, and no mouse in sight.)

Posted by: carrie m at October 15, 2007 12:19 AM in response to Time for the Mice to Move Back Indoors

I had a lot of luck using Barlett's gel stain to mimic the antique patina already there from shellac, combining maple and dark oak in different places that needed either darkening or a warmer amber tone. The stains were also great at covering any bits of remaining paint or unsightly light spots.

I stuck with unwaxed shellac as a finish because that's what the original owners used and the color was easy to match. I would be careful about using any penatrating oil on antique woodwork; it's more or less irreversible... the one time I've seen it done (by a DIYer), it looked terrible. Shellac may scratch, but it's easy to touch up or redo if you screw up. Plus, it looks great!

Posted by: carrie m at October 11, 2007 6:38 PM in response to Stripped woodwork mix of oak & cherry - finishing advice needed

Sad to say that this is very common. Depends on the block, though. If there are a lot of street trees, it's going to be dark for about half the year. We have no street trees in front of our house, and our parlor floor (south facing) gets light enough that you don't need a light on sunny days.

If there are bars on the windows, you could remove them and get more light (we did and it made a surprisingly big difference).

Posted by: carrie m at October 7, 2007 6:01 PM in response to Are most parlor floors dark?

Man, the things people find to complain about!

The reason your FREE street tree is planted in stages is because figuring out where it's safe to put the tree, breaking concrete, and planting, are done by different divisions. It's more efficient that way. It's probably costing the city $600-$900 to put in your tree; should they raise taxes so they can spend more?

Besides, you wouldn't want your tree planted now. It's too unseasonably hot. The parks dept. usually waits and plant trees until around the time leaves are ready to fall off the trees...

Posted by: carrie m at October 7, 2007 2:50 PM in response to How to NOT build a tree pit guard

You generally want a guard tall enough to keep animals (including humans) out - you just don't want to fill it up with soil. By all means, plant grand cover if you like; just don't raise the soil line.

Some tree roots should indeed be above ground. Don't bury them if they peak above the soil line. They get air that way.

The "yes" photo may not be the greatest example. I just chose that quickly... it is, however, okay to place mulch on top of the soil, as long we're not talking inches deep.

I'm planting juniper as a ground cover; it's hardy, evergreen, and slightly prickly, so it'll keep out feral cats as well as dogs... also, it won't need to be watered every day. (It's a sunny spot.)

Posted by: carrie m at October 5, 2007 2:43 PM in response to How to NOT build a tree pit guard

There is a booklet put out by the federal government about real estate tax issues that should answer yr questions. There should be a link to it in the archives.

Posted by: carrie m at October 5, 2007 11:59 AM in response to Tax Guidelines for Owning and Renovating a 2 Family

We keep our rental price low in order to draw a wide choice of applicants. Ours is $1475 (1.5 bedrooms). Comparable apartments in the area rent for $1400-1900. Apartments in the big buildings generally have lower rents.

Posted by: carrie m at October 3, 2007 3:35 PM in response to House of the Day: 56 Hawthorne Street

I live on this block and was jealous when I saw this house. It's been very well maintained, has more of a Craftsmany feel than the standard ornate Victorian, and has much more light than most brownstones because it's partly detached. I LOVED it. That said, it looks like they haven't cleaned the top floor in decades, which I can't comprehend. It would cost maybe $4k to skimcoat and paint, but that would triple the space available on move-in and make the place pristine.

A similiar house on this block (limestone, same size) is in contract now for $880k, after a bidding war. That house, however, is not nearly as lovely (apologies to the new buyers!).

Houses in the Manor are only one-family; so while the Manor brings a premium in terms of being in the historic district, it's not affordable for anyone but the uber-rich.

I actually really like kitchen, but that's personal taste.

Posted by: carrie m at October 3, 2007 3:31 PM in response to House of the Day: 56 Hawthorne Street

gowanusaurus: You need a better lease! If you lose rental income when someone breaks a lease, you are certainly entitled to recoup that. The previous tenant is responsible for covering the rent until you find a new tenant. Use the lease in the NOLO book...

Posted by: carrie m at October 2, 2007 10:32 AM in response to Security deposits

I realize some of the comments here are self-parodying, but - damn! - you people are scary. You want to chop down a tree so you don't have to sweep leaves? How long does that take? 15 min? Maybe the problem isn't THEIR trees, but YOUR gutters. Some form of gutter guard will help...

Posted by: carrie m at September 30, 2007 9:23 AM in response to Neighbors Tree Overhanging My Yard

Just to be clear, you need a permit to put the tree on the sidewalk in front of your house. If you're putting it on your stoop, you don't need one. (You'd probably want something smaller than a pin oak in that case.)

Posted by: carrie m at September 25, 2007 10:18 AM in response to street tree question

btw, not that you asked, but standard shower kits don't really work in old houses, where walls and floors may be slightly askew. You'd end up with water damage... custom doors are the way to go, though they're expensive. We used ABC Shower Doors and were impressed.

Posted by: carrie m at September 10, 2007 9:52 AM in response to SHOWER PAN, HELP

If a contractor knows what he's doing, he can make a pan any size using the kerdi (sp?) system. Check the John Bridge forums http://www.johnbridge.com/ -- that's where all the tile gurus post. I found my contractor there and he's awesome (though way overbooked).

Posted by: carrie m at September 10, 2007 9:49 AM in response to SHOWER PAN, HELP

We used Mr. Chimney to install a liner and they were great, but no longer take new jobs in Brooklyn. Cost was $4k (I think), inc. a lifetime guarantee, but cost varies a great deal, depending on the contours of the flue, number of floors, etc.

Posted by: carrie m at September 9, 2007 11:31 PM in response to Making our fireplace work?

The house next door to ours (in Prospect Lefferts) just came on the market. It's a 3-story limestone near Prospect Park, in good condition, for $799,000. I think it's a much better deal than any of these but of course I'm biased.
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/rfs/415856233.html

Posted by: carrie m at September 7, 2007 1:14 PM in response to Open House Picks

Personally, I wouldn't use either. I'd look for one that could be easily turned. No matter what the ad says, if you want the stuff to break down quickly, you need to stir it regularly, and these look like they'd make that difficult. I think mine is called the urban compost tumbler; it's easy to turn and has only one hole, covered by wire mesh, to deter pests. As long as you crank it regularly, you get enough oxygen and it breaks down faster than the other methods.

Even though we don't cook a lot, my husband and I generate enough compost that we need two bins, esp. when things slow down in winter.

For the second, I use a simple sturdy, lidded trash can, with a few small holes at the bottom. It's a bit more work to stir than than tumbler (I use a big stick), but if you do it regularly the stuff breaks down just as fast. In summer time, it takes about a month to break down, and then I let it sit for at least another month before using it on my plants.

Posted by: carrie m at August 29, 2007 4:03 PM in response to Composting Bin

If you haven't found someone yet, I would be more than happy to look at your job and give you an estimate. I just completed a clients backyard complete with a "fringe drain" leading to a drywell and retaining walls for different tiered levels. i also have experience with stone walls and flagstone. My number is 917-495-7120. Ask for Shane.

Posted by: chinaspice at November 6, 2008 8:56 PM in response to Landscaping and drainage for back yard

Like NewSouthSloper we also had new cement just at the back of the house (the rest of the yard is gravel then grass) the cement regraded properly, and had a new, large drywell dug underneath the cement. It has totally solved the issue we had before in torrential rains, when water came in at the foundation. No water pools at the back of the house at all anymore.

You may even have a drywell under there already. We did. But it was small and filled with mud and the regrading needed to be done too. Other times, the drain to the drywell gets covered in cement when somebody re-does it so you have no idea it's there. That was the case with a neighbor.

I'd give you the name of the person who did the work but although we were happy with the completed job he and his team did, the guy was not good about showing up consistently so I do not recommend him.

Posted by: traditionalmod at November 7, 2008 10:24 AM in response to Landscaping and drainage for back yard

a professional manufactory of different kinds of beach chair and garden furniture which was established in 2001, our products have complete varieties, reasonable design, flexibility, endurance and convenience for carriage, they are ideal products for tourism, leisure activities, field performance and have been sold to countries and areas such as USA, Canada, Europe , Australia and southeast Asia etc.
http://www.gazebospace.com

Posted by: bonnie0715 at December 23, 2008 3:47 AM in response to Landscaping and drainage for back yard

Don't be syrprised if the inspector comes up with a 5-10 page report of things "wrong." Most of these would be thnings that would be found in any house such as some cracked plaster, leaky windows, etc. Its his job to point out absolutely everything possible. Focus on anything major that he considers "structural" like termites, sagging beams/joists, a leaky roof.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at January 30, 2009 8:06 AM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

Don't sweat the small stuff, it's common. Be concerned about major items like the boiler, w/h if old and what dibs said. Some buyers go as far as to test electrical outlets for polarity, may be a good thing to test if they work. Low water pressure may be a danger signal of old pipes.

Read the lead-in-bathtub thread below for my perspective.

Posted by: cmu at January 30, 2009 9:54 AM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

Dave is exactly right. You're paying this person to find as many things wrong as they can. So it will probably be an extensive list. We took our report and renamed it "the to-do list". We started with anything structural (new roof, re-pointing, new fusebox) and are slowly moving along to things that should be repaired/replaced but are not in any imminent danger of collapse (asbestos on pipes in largely unused basement, repairing staircase, replacing old windows). Then lastly cosmetic (cracks in plaster, etc.)

It's an old house, there will undoubtedly be things wrong with it. Just prioritize the important things. Get a loose estimate as to what the approx. costs of repair would be and use them as a negotiating tool with the sellers and take it from there.

Good luck!

Posted by: TownhouseLady at January 30, 2009 10:59 AM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

Our inspector from Coull Engineering was such a slacker (or trying to be too helpful to the brokers) he not only failed to provide us with pages of notes like others here got from their inspectors, he didn't mention some very obvious things that were in plain sight he never should have missed.

So my advice would be do your own inspection too on inspection day, don't just watch what the inspector is doing. If something concerns you ask the inspector about it and ask the homeowner about it too if it concerns you enough.

Congratulations btw!

Posted by: traditionalmod at January 30, 2009 2:42 PM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

A great inspector should be finding as many things wrong with the place as they can, electrical, heating, structural, roof, stairs, mold and so on. All of this information will give you a greater hand at the negotiating table with the buyer. You will gain a greater hand to present when asking for credits or adjustments. In the least, this report should give you a clear picture of the property real condition, amount of work needed to fix it up and weather you want to take something like this on. When buying our place, we got a 99 page, in depth, detailed report from Heimer Engineering. Believe me, when the report is done right, it is money well spent.

Posted by: brownman at January 30, 2009 3:57 PM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

We've used Heimer several times, and they are very thorough.
As mentioned, it's the big issues you need to be most concerned about. Go with the inspector and ask questions. It's a good way to learn about your new home.

Posted by: buttermilk channel at January 30, 2009 5:33 PM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions and insights everyone!

Posted by: backeast at February 2, 2009 12:24 AM in response to House Inspection-What to Expect?