dt's Profile
Author's Posts
March 4, 2008
neighbor's chimney causing damage
The chimney of the row house attached to ours has a compromised lining. As a result, we are getting water damage on our Parlor floor. We can also feel a hot spot on the parlor level from the neighbor's boiler vent (which is in this chimney). The neighbor's house also has water damage. He has been non responsive to our requests that he fix the problem. Has anyone else gone through this? What did you do to rectify the problem?
February 3, 2008
sewer smell
We recently added a laundry room to the garden level of our house. A few months following this job we started noticing a sewer smell in the laundry room when the top floor shower is used. The plumber insists that he hooked up the laundry to our vent. What could be causing this? There is no smell when the laundry, garden floor bath or kitchen are used.
September 30, 2007
want to change grout color
We used subway tile in our kitchen and now regret that we didn't use a darker grout. Any suggestions on how to darken the grout so that the subway tile pops?
September 15, 2007
Anyone get Anderson windows through Landmarks?
We are replacing the windows on our limestone house in a Landmarked neighborhood. We simply aren't loving the look of Marvins. Anyone ever get Anderson windows through Landmarks? Any other good brands of all wood windows?
Author's Comments
I insisted on an American Standard toilet for one of our bathrooms, and my husband insisted on an Eljer for our other bathroom. Height and elongated bowl came with the AS. Guess which toilet I ended up loving? The Eljer.
Posted by: dt at August 18, 2007 5:18 PM in response to Battle of the Bowls
I have been driving through Crown Heights about twice a week for several months now for work, and have been awe struck by the beauty of this nabe. I had no idea such lovely houses with nice lawns were there. One thing that holds true with NYC real estate: areas with great housing stock always come back, and once they start coming back they don't stop. This area is already coming into its own again, and with good reason. This area is stunning.
Buy a house that you can afford, and you should have no fear of falling prices. If these prices fall, so will all others.
Posted by: dt at August 20, 2007 6:59 PM in response to House of the Day: 1087 Prospect Place
It makes no sense to give an easement to protect the facade of a house that has a facade which is already protected. I wouldn't trust this to hold up, regardless of what out friend "guest" says.
Posted by: dt at September 7, 2007 6:54 PM in response to Facade Easements: Worth the Risk of Audit?
I have spent the last couple of years walking my pup around this neighborhood at all hours of the day and night. Somehow I've missed out on any safety problems. Not even a snide or threatening remark. Maybe as a white female I look too tough to bother, but I doubt it (though my work heels are quite menacing).
Posted by: dt at September 18, 2007 6:44 PM in response to House of the Day: 190 Lincoln Road
What you don't seem to understand is that plumbing, ac, electric and heating are not visual elements. When we were looking for a house we turned down all the houses that were stripped of their detail, knowing that we could redo plumbing etc... , but not so easily replace detail. The value in these houses IS IN THE DETAILS.
Posted by: dt at September 23, 2007 10:59 AM in response to Selling brownstone detail pieces
Depending on what kind of car your mother was driving they may have thought SHE was the newcomer who is taking over the neighborhood.
Posted by: dt at September 23, 2007 1:51 PM in response to Gentrification means ???
People who do this cheaply are risking their building's structural integrity, not to mention the neighbor's house. It is plain dumb to do it without an engineer and permit.
Posted by: dt at September 24, 2007 4:55 PM in response to Increasing ceiling height by digging down?
All real estate is local. The number of coops in NYC (which will not allow purchasers without sufficient resources to buy) will keep the mortgage crisis from hitting here as hard as elsewhere. For once I appreciate those coop boards.
Posted by: dt at September 25, 2007 6:59 PM in response to This Crazy Real Estate Market
5:26, Don't be an ass. Children get lead poisoning from many ways other than eating paint chips. The poster is aware of this, and is looking for a good company to help rid their home of harmful lead.
Posted by: dt at September 26, 2007 8:36 PM in response to Exterior lead paint removal
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
WE HAVE BOTH THE FULL SIZE DUET AND THE SPORT MODEL AT OUR FLORIDA HOME...BOTH ARE EXCELLENT AND NO PROBLEMS....
THE ODOR IS FROM THE EARLIER MODELS....SPRAY FEBREEZE AROUND THE INSIDE OF THE GASKET AND ALSO WITH A DAMP CLOTH SPRAY FEBREEZE ON IT AND RUB INSIDE THE GASKET AREA ONCE A MONTH...NEVER A ODOR PROBLEM AGAIN....
ALSO THE SPORT MODEL I NOTICED VIBRATED MORE THAN I EXPECTED..NONE THE LESS..THE ARE GREAT MACHINES...IF YOU HAVE THE BUCKS DO BUY THEM.....
Posted by: guest at March 10, 2008 12:52 AM in response to Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer/Dryer
Mrs. Limestone, Did you get the Duet Sport washer and dryer? I'd consider getting them for size and economy reasons, too. As a lifelong apartment dweller I'm excited yet nervous because I'm about to buy my first washer and dryer EVER. I guess you could say I'm a washer/dryer virgin.
Posted by: jenmen at May 1, 2008 5:26 PM in response to Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer/Dryer
We have the Duet Sport & I couldn't be happier. We did a lot of research before purchasing, and this seemed to be the best for what we could afford. The wash cycle runs longer than on a typical dryer, about an hour. The reason for this is that it spends extra time getting the water out of the clothes. The benefit of this is that it takes much less time to dry the clothes... a cycle full of jeans only takes about a half an hour to dry. They are energy rated appliances, and as CMU says, less detergent and water is needed.
About the twisting, I have no problems with this. It is in fact much better than the top loading type with the agitator. Plus, I can wash more delicate stuff it this washer, since it does not have the agitator to twist everything up. Mine vibrates less than a typical washer, and has only gone off balance once (when some sheets got bundled together in the washer). You have to make sure to adjust the feet on the bottom and have it sitting level. Mine is in the basement though.
Posted by: guest at May 5, 2008 10:57 AM in response to Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer/Dryer
I have both the Duet Sport washer and dryer and am thrilled with both. I have a first floor laundry room off of my kitchen with no door in between. The units are so quiet that you can't even tell that they are running except for when the washer goes into the spin cycle. I don't agree with the 'floor show' comment made by the previous poster. I hardly notice any vibration and the noise from the spin cycle is barely noticeable. Would recommend these appliances to any one!One of the best appliance parts you can have.
Posted by: guest at June 6, 2008 2:01 PM in response to Whirlpool Duet Sport Washer/Dryer
I love this series! I'm waiting for the garden level kitchen series to come next! This is the stuff that makes this blog golden. Don't listen to the people with short attention spans above.
Posted by: dt at August 13, 2007 5:58 PM in response to Parlor Floor Kitchen #9: White-and-Black in Bed Stuy