dougj99's Profile

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Author's Posts

June 25, 2009

plants poisonous to dogs?

Hello,

Are there any weeds or other indigenous (to Brooklyn) plants that are poisonous for dogs?

Our dog recently got very sick and we are trying to determine what he might have gotten into. We don't use poisons in the house or herbicides in the back yard where he hangs out. We have been here for 5 years and haven't planted anything new in at least 3. He is a small house dog and doesn't often go on the street or in the park.

Thanks!

June 4, 2009

Sewer repair questions

Hi All, I don't know how to bump up a post, so I am starting a new topic. A bunch of you have helped me out with my basement water questions (thanks again!), and now we know it's a broken sewer line, based on a dye test.

We have had 3 estimates, all in the $10K-$12K range.

1. Is it still worth running a video camera in to see how far in the break is? We really need to keep costs down, and they've implied it could be a lot cheaper if they don't need to go all the way out under the street.

2. One place said we will have to change the trap inside the house as well, which would involve cutting into the foundation. Do we?

3. Is there any good reason to replace the water main at the same time, if it's not broken? This was also mentioned.

4. Anybody have any experiences with United Plumbing? They seemed cool, but I haven't seen them mentioned a lot here.

Thanks for any info. What a headache.

June 3, 2009

Rent our house?

Hello

We are hoping to rent our house for the week we are going away in August. Has anyone had any experience doing this? Are there website that can help out with this (especially in terms of screening potential renters)?

Thanks for any advice.

May 28, 2009

DEP strategies?

Howdy.

I am trying to get the DEP to come do a leak test on our basement. I submitted the form about a week ago and have heard nothing since. Calling several times a day at all different times yields a constant busy signal. Is there a way to get through? How long does one usually have to wait before they respond and/or come to do the testing?

Thanks!

May 26, 2009

multiple toilet clogs

Hello

We have 3 toilets (on 3 different floors) and they all seem to be clogging more often. Lately I need to plunge them every couple of days. Will snaking them be enough or is this indicative of something more serious? Why might they all be doing this at the same time?

Thanks!

May 10, 2009

basement water despite pumps

hello,

We are in the South Slope. Our basement has 3 sump pumps which were installed 6 years ago when we bought the house. Up until now we have had occasional minor flooding after heavy rains or when one of the pumps isn't working. For the past month or so we have had water coming in every day. The flooding is consistent with what happens when the pumps aren't working. Problem is, all the pumps are working, and the water level in the sumps is well below the floor level in the basement. It is turning into more than just an annoyance as we have to mop it up every day, and presumably would make a pretty bad flood if left alone for several days. Also, the water is coming in towards the front of the house- we have party walls- and not from the back where the garden is.

Anyone have any ideas how to troubleshoot this? Can the water table change this drastically? Do we need even more pumps?

Thanks for any advice.

December 17, 2008

Soundproofing finished basement

Hello

We are the proverbial "loud neighbors with teenaged drummer" and we need to sound proof our finished basement.
The walls are the original masonry foundation covered, on one side, with a layer of sheetrock, and on the other with mirrors (all our gym equipment is down there too). There are pipes sticking out in a couple of places, and there are several sliding door closetsincluding the access closet for the electric meter. The ceiling is dropped sheetrock.

Basically seems like a soundproofing nightmare. Is there a way to do this without a) spending a million bucks and b) not ruining the look of the room?

Thanks!

December 8, 2008

Help with oven vent

Hello

I have cold air coming into the kitchen through the oven vents- what type of contractor would I call to help with this and can anybody recommend one?

Thanks!

March 2, 2008

oven/stove vent air leaks

Hello,

We have cold air coming in through our oven and through the stove vent (which is part of an installed microwave unit)

Has anybody had this issue and how is it solved? I can see the duct above the microwave in a cabinet and I figure it can't be too hard to install a valve up there, but what about the oven? And how do you set this up so it isn't totally inconvenient for cooking?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

December 11, 2007

steam heat akimbo

hello

we have a 16' wide frame house, 3 stories + bsmt. Steam heating with metal radiators. The main problem we have is vastly unbalanced heating. the ground floor has a kitchen extension out into the back yard, and only two heaters, one at each end. This is also where the thermostat is located. Each of the upstairs rooms (3br 2bath , 1 den) have their own heaters and they are pretty small rooms. Because the ground floor is essentially one big room, heated by 2 heaters, it is usually pretty cold in the winter, and we have had to supplement with an electric heater.

the heaters in the upstairs rooms work fairly well, with varying consistency. Unfortunately, to set the thermostat such that it is comfortable on the ground floor, the rest of the rooms become a steambath. Added to that is a home office on the top floor, which is full of computers and is plenty comfortable in the winter without any heat at all. The heat is off in the house all day, but when everyone gets home they turn it up to be comfortable and the heater in the office just bakes. The knob on the heater is stuck.

I have tried bleeding the heaters on the ground floor, but even when they are cranking, the heat in the house is very uneven.

We are considering perhaps getting a third heater on the ground floor, or possibly separating the heating zones per floor or per room...I have read that this is super expensive though. Is there a way to easily remove a heater from the network (ie the one in the office) in such a way that it is not permanent? Are there any other ways to even out the system? We are just not sure what the ideal solution to this problem would ultimately be.

I guess the last question is, is there a good steam heat expert out there that anyone can recommend?

Thanks!

Author's Comments

We're not assuming anything. Could be poisonous mouse droppings. Could be someone's pill that fell on the floor. It's not like him to eat non-food items, though. Just trying to avoid a repeat of this experience.

Posted by: dougj99 at June 25, 2009 11:13 PM in response to plants poisonous to dogs?

Thanks, guys

We are having Figliola do the camera today. The trenchless liner certainly sounds like a good idea, but I have seen a few posts that say it's illegal in Brooklyn.

Our water main is a new copper one. I don't care what they say, the recession is hitting us hard, I don't want to do any work we don't absolutely have to. We are crossing our fingers that we don't have to replace the whole line.

Posted by: dougj99 at June 5, 2009 8:21 AM in response to Sewer repair questions

Update:

After waiting over a week for a callback from the DEP and the water problem starting to get worse, I called Sessa. Richie from Sessa came out and after a lot of poking around for quite a while in our basement told me it's 99% certain the sewer line is broken. Most likely by tree roots.

So we are looking at a sewer line replacement. Richie said this normally runs in the $10K to $15K range.

I have read prices all over the map here on Brownstoner- does this sound about right?

Also, I understand the line to my house is my responsibility, but since it was most likely caused by roots from a city-owned tree is there any legal argument for some city funding here, or are we basically SOL?

Thanks.......

Posted by: dougj99 at June 2, 2009 10:44 PM in response to basement water despite pumps

I am getting water seeping in the basement, and per several other Brownstoner suggestions, I am trying to get the DEP to determine where the water is coming from. I would love to try and figure it out myself, but I am clueless

thanks

Posted by: dougj99 at May 28, 2009 6:10 PM in response to DEP strategies?

Haha, you know, come to think of it, this almost never happens to me, only everyone else in the family (toilet overflowing)

Maybe that would explain it. Everyone is in denial about flushing non-flushables.

Thanks again.

Posted by: dougj99 at May 27, 2009 7:29 AM in response to multiple toilet clogs

Thanks for the ideas. The water is clean though, no sewage or waste. How do they determine if it's a break in the incoming water main?

Posted by: dougj99 at May 10, 2009 8:26 PM in response to basement water despite pumps

Hi all,

Thanks for all the suggestions.

We got him those drum pads a long time ago, but he refuses to use them. Likewise, any mention of electronic drums or anything involving headphones seems to probably not be a solution (as is the ever-popular off site rehearsal studio).
He's the kind of kid that if something is too much of a pain he will just stop doing it.

So we have had a couple people in to look at the basement. It is a frame house, by the way. While I think the drum platform and a lot of stuff hung to dampen the sound are good ideas that may help, we also have a narrow staircase with a crappy hollow core door which is acting like the bell on a trombone. It's really loud. All roads seem to be leading to walling off part of the basement so we can cover the walls and ceiling of that area with quiet rock, or insulation, or whatever- the "floating room". But, phew, $$$$$$, and in a recession, no less!

Posted by: dougj99 at December 18, 2008 2:47 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

Awesome. Thank you.

Any suggestions regarding doors? Thankfully, no windows to deal with.

Posted by: dougj99 at December 17, 2008 9:26 AM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

Thanks everyone for all your questions and advice. Upon further research and a trip to the kitchen roof I can clarify my problem.

I have a GE microwave above the stove (with a fan)and it vents
directly up, through the cabinets into the ceiling and immediately outside through a metal pipe (what I was referring to as the chimney- my bad). This pipe has a cap welded onto it, so I can't easily get in there and see if it has a damper or not, however, when the microwave is closed (almost always) there is not much cold air coming in.

The problem is my regular oven, which is next to the stove. it has vents both above and below the door and on a cold day they are most definitely leaking cold air. As far as I can tell, this oven isn't connected to the microwave vent in any way.

The only thing I can think of is that there is air leaking into the wall behind the oven and coming out through the vents...does this make sense? I can't just block the oven vents, though. I am at a loss as to how to troubleshoot it at this point.

Posted by: dougj99 at December 10, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Help with oven vent

"does yours seem to suck out the smoke?"

no problem there- the microwave (w/fan) is brand new.

"Until you get the work done, I've found that leaving the fan on a low setting helps."

Hmm, I will try that. The 1st floor of our house (including kitchen) is freezing, the 2nd floor is boiling. Until I eliminate all these cold air leaks I can't begin to deal with the heating system (steam). Wish I could just turn down some of the radiators.

Posted by: dougj99 at December 9, 2008 12:36 PM in response to Help with oven vent

Thanks again.

The kitchen is in an extension on the back of the house, so the duct exits through a chimney a few feet above the oven. Can the damper be put on the end of the chimney or does it need to be installed in the duct (in the wall) just above the oven?

In short, I am trying to determine if it is something an armchair handyman like myself can do, or if I really need a professional....

Posted by: dougj99 at December 9, 2008 9:14 AM in response to Help with oven vent

Responses to Author's Forum Comments

Thanks everyone for all your questions and advice. Upon further research and a trip to the kitchen roof I can clarify my problem.

Posted by: dougj99 at December 10, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Help with oven vent

Doug,
Find where your oven vent exits the building, block it temporarily with a towel/cardboard and duct tape, if this corrects the problem it means cold air is getting back in and you need a damper in there. If you are unable to locate the oven duct exit then you should be worried, as it is a fire hazard to terminate that vent into a wall or ceiling.

Posted by: MattyEast7 at December 13, 2008 11:54 AM in response to Help with oven vent

Metal exterior door, prehung. Not perfect, but it works pretty well.

Posted by: BrooklynBear at December 17, 2008 9:30 AM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

One thing I learned from Fierstein is that you can suspend a ceiling on small springs that help absorb vibration. Just make sure you do a really good job taping the edges and if you put one layer of rock over another, make sure the seams do not line up with each other. Maybe there is a comparable method for the walls.

Posted by: slopefarm at December 17, 2008 9:36 AM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

Although it's counter-intuitive, putting the instruments on a well-constructed, floating platform is also helpful. Less contact w/ the floor lessens the sympathetic vibrations that wend their way up the walls.

Posted by: Arkady at December 17, 2008 10:05 AM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

all of the above are great suggestions. As a drummer for 20 years in the city, you can also do a lot to quiet down the instrument itself:
1) heavy blanket over bass drum
2) cymbal sleeves that cut out the resonance and volume of cymbals
3) rubber pads that cover the drum heads ( in a sense creating practice pad drumkit)
4)other than that, for total isolation you would need to create a "floating" room inside the basement ( about 4K in my experience).

good luck, but please don't discourage the little fella"

Posted by: owner12 at December 17, 2008 1:06 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

Arkady: Could you explain what a floating platform is?

Posted by: parkslopemom at December 17, 2008 2:20 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

take a look here for a DIY soundproofing solution for walls

http://www.instructables.com/id/Soundproof-Your-Garage-Walls-Using-My-Cleat-Meth/

Posted by: arches at December 17, 2008 2:21 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

Platform made of studs and plywood (like a low stage) that sits on rubber matt or special rubber pads made for this purpose. It cuts down on impact and vibration noise by decoupling sound source from floor. You can make the platform just for the drums if you want. you will still have ambient room noise to contend with though.

The suggestion of pads is a great one, or go even one further and you can purchase a good electronic drum kit, then your kid can play drums through headphones with no room noise. If he/she had electronic drum kit and wanted to jam with friends they could all plug into a mixer and listen in headphones and there would be no room noise.

Posted by: werner at December 17, 2008 6:26 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement

My 12-year old son is a drummer and my 10-year old daughter plays guitar, with amp. Our old apartment was masonry. We worried when the neighbors had a baby, but they never, never, ever heard my kids play. That said, I did undertake many of the above suggestions, with great success.

Any good music supply shop (we prefer Drummers World on 46th Street (http://www.drummersworld.com/dsp/main.php) is a great resource. We bought a set of mutes, which are simply sheets of rubber that are pre-cut to the size of the drum heads. His kit is kick-bass, snare, floor tom, and 2 rack toms. The mutes cut down the vibration and sound by about 90-95%!

I also built a set of risers. I used 6" length of 4x4 for legs and 3/4" plywood for the base. I attached rigid foam insulation on the underside of the plywood to absorb some vibration before attaching the legs. I covered the top surface of the plywood with carpet padding and then with carpeting. To make it sick, I strung blue rope light on the underside. I made this in 2 parts to make it easier to move if he ever wants to take it to gig somewhere, and to simply make it easier to move if I ever need to do so. The whole thing sits on a rubber pad. The elevation of the risers makes him feel like a proper rocker, and it definitely reduces the volume. If you want, I am happy to tell you more about the construction. It was a fun, easy project.

We bought a house this summer in Boerum Hill, frame construction. My stars, is it ever loud. The masonry was the key to the quiet. Even with all my efforts, when he practices without the mutes, the walls shake. But the riser helps a lot. And he loves to practice. We enforce an earplugs at all times policy, so we let him practice with no mutes sometimes.

Posted by: r1b2 at December 17, 2008 7:36 PM in response to Soundproofing finished basement