It took us 2 months from closing to file the plans, and then 10 months from start of renovation to move-in. Converted & gutted a 4-family to 1.

Posted by: guest4 at November 8, 2009 1:43 PM in response to 2 Floor Gut Reno - How Long?

It took us 2 months from closing to file the plans, and then 10 months from start of renovation to move-in. Converted & gutted a 4-family to 1.

Posted by: guest4 at November 8, 2009 1:42 PM in response to 2 Floor Gut Reno - How Long?

Thanks for all the comments. Why is it strange to find out if what your neighbor's doing is legal? It's a permanent structure, and has some impact on resale value, etc. I would hate to be in the position of selling the place, and having to explain to potential buyers that the neighboring extension is illegal, etc.

By the way, I would never complain to DOB - I don't care that much about noise or mess. It's purely an issue of whether it's legal.

I read the relevant sections of code and all seems legitimate. It's also good to know in case I want to build an extension in the future myself.

Posted by: guest4 at September 22, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

I see the 120 sqft in the code, but that only refers to greenhouse extensions not required to be filed with DOB. What are the requirements for greenhouse extensions that ARE filed with the DOB (since the job filing mentions the greenhouse).

Posted by: guest4 at September 21, 2009 8:09 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

No worries - I found it in the code.

Posted by: guest4 at September 21, 2009 7:57 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Steve:

Where is this 120 sqft in the code? I think they built a foundation for the greenhouse. The other issue is that the wall of the greenhouse on my side is concrete block.

Plans are approved, but not sure what was approved (i.e. the extension or extension + greenhouse)

Posted by: guest4 at September 21, 2009 7:53 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Thanks, Mrs. L. That's where we're heading. But I do feel guilt about painting over the oak - esp. since we spent so much effort stripping our staircase. BTW, the wainscotting wouldn't work in anyone else's house as the pitch would be specific to our little row of identical brownstones.

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 5:25 PM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

Oh, and the other place that would have the juxtaposition. We have the unpainted original 2nd front door (which matches the panelling) and unpainted pier mirror. All around the entry way (the baseboards, door mouldings - entrances to DR, hall closet, hall bathroom) - all painted white. Right now, the juxtaposition of door & pier mirror looks okay with the painted woodwork. Now, if we add in the unpainted wainscotting in this hallway, would it too jarring?

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 11:27 AM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

Tinarina: The one place where old would meet new would be our living room. We have a living room & kitchen that are open to the staircase. If we went with the unpainted look, the restored wainscotting would continue down the staircase and into one wall of the living room. Where it would then abut the white woodwork that surrounds our windows and on the other side of the LR is a wall of builtin bookcases & white painted FP (the one new fp surround in the house). I can't rip all this out as it would run into the tens of thousands. Would it be okay to have one side of LR with the unpainted wainscotting?

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 11:21 AM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

So, summary - would it be okay to have unpainted, refinished panelled wainscotting along staircase & hallways & 1/2 of living room (we have an open living room with white painted fp & builtin bookcases)? All doorframes, doors, interior rooms would keep their white painted mouldings.

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 11:05 AM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

Mrs. L - that's where I'm leaning. It was NOT meant to be painted over because I don't think anyone took the trouble to strip them clean of paint (which is the condition they're in).

As far as I can reconstruct from our neighbors' houses & ours - half of the original fps were paint grade, the crown moldings were plaster. The window shutters, baseboards, window moldings, door moldings & doors were oak or some other wood (not mahogany or anything precious) that were unpainted. Does that make sense?

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 10:53 AM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

The trouble is, we don't have the original baseboards. All of our woodwork (except for the fps) is new, paint-grade stuff from Dykes. So do I integrate the original wainscotting (which is my preferred way of doing things) with the new? The other thing to do would be install the original wainscotting in public hallways (refinish it) and leave all the interior room moldings white. Would that work?

Posted by: guest4 at June 30, 2009 10:06 AM in response to Re-Creating Historic Detail?

Close to 1k/month in the coldest month of the year. 4 flr single-fam bstone.

Posted by: guest4 at June 24, 2009 7:25 AM in response to Switching from Electric to Gas?

http://dolledesign.com/hill/images/Archive/Hill.Spring.03.pdf

Go to page 19, Woody's story.

Posted by: guest4 at June 23, 2009 11:41 AM in response to House of the Day: 329 Adelphi Street

Woody & Dan's story:

http://www.villagevoice.com/1999-11-30/nyc-life/two-story-circa-1800-wooden-house/

Posted by: guest4 at June 23, 2009 11:21 AM in response to House of the Day: 329 Adelphi Street

Nothing's outside the window. Just a view of the street.

Posted by: guest4 at May 2, 2009 7:10 AM in response to Dark dining room, help

I love having a laundry room in the middle of the house. Right next to the generator of the greatest amount of laundry.

Posted by: guest4 at April 1, 2009 10:18 PM in response to House of the Day: 213 Berkeley Place

Is he licensed in NYC? Go through the online process of making a complaint with the city. This will put him in jeopardy of losing his license. He should be in touch with you.

Posted by: guest4 at April 1, 2009 5:39 PM in response to Contractor disappears with money

I love Lou of Dip & Strip. We had our shutters (all 12 of them) stripped by them 2 years ago.

He's always threatening to retire to Florida. But he is still here as of last week (I am going to give him some tiles & mantles & doors to strip).

Posted by: guest4 at March 31, 2009 9:20 AM in response to SHUTTER TO THINK

I just called Lou, as of this week, he's still there and NOT retiring. He stripped my shutters 2 summers ago.

Posted by: guest4 at March 30, 2009 7:59 PM in response to SHUTTER TO THINK

Google Certificate of Capital Improvement, ST124 - I think the labor provided by contractors is NY state exempt if you fill out this form. You are not exempt from taxes for the cabinets, just labor. Poggenpohl et al. may just be including taxes for the cabs in their estimate.

Posted by: guest4 at March 21, 2009 9:07 AM in response to Poggenpohl/Bulthaup and Taxes

I have 2 kids, and installed the pressure-type gates. Bear in mind that you won't need gates for that long. Just 12 months.

Posted by: guest4 at February 23, 2009 9:26 PM in response to Baby Gates and Brownstone Stairs

300/sqft bought me a complete gut reno of 3500 sqft - all mechanicals, plumbing, complete demolition of all internal walls, preservation of whatever details were left, 4 high-end bathrooms & one kitchen, facade, zoned A/C, heating, facade redone, repointing, new roof, windows, floors, some new joists, staircase work. Made some errors in the process, could conceivably have done it for maybe 20% less at best.

Given the way it was cut up, preserving the position of the plumbing, mechanicals would have meant a really bad layout.

Posted by: guest4 at February 23, 2009 9:05 PM in response to Pricing for Townhouse Renovation?

Trust me, I've looked in a million places - apart from my 4 neighbors, no-one has the same staircase (it's very unusual).

Posted by: guest4 at February 2, 2009 2:00 PM in response to Stair/banister work

Market value is generally close to what you paid or the comparables on the block. They adjust this every year, but it's irrelevant as your taxes are based on assessed rate, which for most places in Bk are nowhere close to the max. assessed rate.

Posted by: guest4 at January 29, 2009 1:48 PM in response to NYC-assessed market value

Brookyln-ites: please don't complain about your taxes. In most cases, your assessed value is far, far below the cap. In Manhattan, the assessed value is typically right at the cap.

Posted by: guest4 at January 29, 2009 1:47 PM in response to NYC-assessed market value

No, but don't I need to get each bathroom & kitchen its own water heater? Otherwise only one person would be able to take a shower at a time, no? What do you suggest for 3.5 bathrooms & 1 kitchen in terms of tankless?

Posted by: guest4 at January 23, 2009 8:09 AM in response to Tankless water heaters

It's not a Tea for Two - has the bow-tie shape thing in the middle. It's either a Kathryn or Mariposa or Dynametric 5'5" tub. Can you help me? How do I contact you?

I tried unscrewing the bow-tie thing, but it's impossible.

Posted by: guest4 at January 8, 2009 12:54 PM in response to Master Plumber, somebody help!

An auger is a snake. It didn't work - there isn't a clog per se, I think the overflow mechanism is jammed.

Posted by: guest4 at January 8, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Master Plumber, somebody help!

I think the only course of action right now is to FSBO, while being very blunt about her situation. And also to start a discussion with her mortgage lender about the situation. Recoup whatever equity she has left, and rent.

Posted by: guest4 at January 3, 2009 7:46 PM in response to Fellow Brownstoner Needs Assistance

easiest thing to do is change faucet at this point

Posted by: guest4 at December 1, 2008 11:35 PM in response to HUGE Problem!! help!

That's the picture I was thinking of, when I chose Silver Fox as a replacement. I'm thinking of painting it a little lighter than Silver Fox, maybe "Lacey Pearl" which is the lightest shade in that group.

It's not that it gets no light, it's more that we keep the shutters closed for privacy.

Posted by: guest4 at November 22, 2008 10:48 AM in response to Wall color for north-facing dining room

We took down almost all the walls, and I don't regret it one bit - I find most townhouses dark and ours is bright all day. We have a walls with large openings between kitchen & dining room and dining room and hallway and those are the only walls left.

Posted by: guest4 at October 10, 2008 3:23 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

Mrs. L - I knew I shared your tastes (I've been asking you about drapes on Forum). I have the exact same Elfa system. Bit more barebones, I omitted to install any fascias.

Posted by: guest4 at February 20, 2008 8:51 PM in response to Is it wrong to love a closet?

Thanks, all. MrsL, where did you get your 3x6 carrera tiles & moldings?

Posted by: guest4 at February 19, 2008 6:17 PM in response to Paging Mrs. Limestone - need your input

Bren: Thanks. I try my best - realizing that if my family lived in a one-room apt, we would not be such hypocrites. I have switched all our lightbulbs to fluorescents and keep the temp to 68. I would be okay with 63, but the rest of the family is not.

Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 9:35 PM in response to Grey water use

Master Plvmber: Not the most environmentally friendly kind, I'm afraid. I wanted to do on-demand, but didn't have time to research it fully. Went for ye olde standard gas boiler. I mean to research on-demand when time & money permit. Ideally, I would have done on-demand & grey water systems throughout.

Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 9:33 PM in response to Grey water use

Not over the course of my lifetime and the multiplier effect of anyone who reads this and does the same.

Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 7:33 PM in response to Grey water use

6:33 - it's not about the $ or NYC water capacity, it's about reducing our environmental footprint. I don't think it's right that we use potable water to flush toilets or to water gardens.

Posted by: guest4 at November 21, 2007 6:51 PM in response to Grey water use

I have an acute sense of smell, and all garden-level apartments smell musty to me. Try running a small fan, opening the windows as much as possible, bake a lot. If none of these work, trying opening some of your walls up and reinsulate, and use wonderboard to patch up.

Posted by: guest4 at November 14, 2007 12:36 PM in response to Brownstone smells

I've used Drimmers twice (I think they're in Coney Island) and I find them to be superior to both PC Richards & Gringers in service. You can email their salespeople your list of appliances for quotes (instead of dealing with faxes, etc.). I recently had an issue with a 6 month old appliance and they replaced with no questions (their mistake). I know they have Viking, Miele, Bosch.

Posted by: guest4 at November 14, 2007 9:42 AM in response to kitchen appliance showroom rec?

I asked before about the black paint - to clarify, I meant is it semi-gloss, satin? What finish and you said Benjamin Moore - is it basic black?

Posted by: guest4 at November 6, 2007 5:31 PM in response to bathroom division: serious black

I have an excellent handyman -what's your contact info?

Posted by: guest4 at November 6, 2007 8:44 AM in response to Contractor Recommendation for basement ceiling

I loved my floor guy - what's your email?

Posted by: guest4 at November 5, 2007 2:19 PM in response to Floor refinishing recommendation

crown - 365 for a small one

Posted by: guest4 at November 5, 2007 11:26 AM in response to Need A Dumpster

Our bstone is in Manhattan - you'd be surprised, people do travel from Brooklyn for work.

Posted by: guest4 at November 1, 2007 10:24 PM in response to Manhattan and Bronx Brownstoner

If you don't have any debt or a massive mortgage and most of your equity is in real estate, you are still losing money as the real estate market weakens. I would suggest keeping investments diversified, even if it means taking out a mortgage on your house.

Posted by: guest4 at November 1, 2007 3:20 PM in response to Housing price crash

I was a somewhat precocious child and started reading the business section in the early 80s. Oil at $30+/barrel and gold around $300+/ounce. For decades, the inflation-adjusted price of oil and gold sank and again, people kept saying it was inexplicable (esp. oil) given the finite amount we have. Anyway, people have short memories and now some are saying that oil will keep going up because of finite supply (same argument as 3 decades ago) and some are saying that oil will come off a bit as the cooling of the American economy puts the brakes on China/India's expansion and also those 2 economies have some fundamental structural problems (corruption, poor gov) that will at some point derail growth a bit. Personally, I am of the latter opinion while still keeping some of my energy-based mutual funds (which I bought in the mid 90s). Just diversify as much as you can and don't buy into some new faddish thing UNLESS you have personal knowledge that it will pan out.

Posted by: guest4 at October 26, 2007 8:00 PM in response to Fed up with flawed logic that says foreigners will bail nyc RE out

Remember when the euro was introduced and it immediately started sinking like a rock for no apparent reason. If you bought Euros then, you would have felt foolish. I think it reached rock bottom in 2002 and people kept saying it was oversold. Yet people kept selling the euro for a little while longer. Fast forward 5 years, and it's more than double what the bottom. What people are saying now is that the USD still has some way to fall - maybe 10% but that it's oversold and there's no inherent reason that the US economy is worse than the European economy, blablabla. Also, if you look at the property market in the UK, it's similarly overheated if not even more crazy than NYC. We have a property in London that has appreciated almost 80% in 3 years and that's not counting the currency gains. No fundamental reason that the prices should be so high or that the banks should lend some poor sod that much to buy a house - sound familiar? So what am I saying? Unless you have some personal reason to want a hedge against the US currency falling further (e.g. you are European and will go home at some point), don't bother trying to second-guess. On the other hand, it never hurts to diversify. Buy some foreign stock-market index based funds, sit back and hold. The only people who make money off you when you constantly trade are the brokers.

Posted by: guest4 at October 26, 2007 7:52 PM in response to Fed up with flawed logic that says foreigners will bail nyc RE out

I second Dip N Strip - the owner, Lou is nice, and gives a straightforward estimate as to time taken for the job. Not cheap. He did shutters for 10 windows for me, as well as a couple of mantels, and a door.

Posted by: guest4 at October 25, 2007 12:39 PM in response to stripping - nasty or nice?

you should be able to pull up the plans on the dob website

Posted by: eman1234 at September 21, 2009 8:31 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

I would hate to have a neighbor named guest4. I would have a blinking neon sign on my door "busy bodies not welcomed" :P

Posted by: zberlin at September 21, 2009 11:27 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Do I understand the above correctly, that we can have a greenhouse up to 120 square feet installed on the ground floor without a permit?

I would imagine the walls would have to have some sort of footing but maybe not a "foundation"....the thing is though, what if the greenhouse is a lean-to against the house (thus, not free-standing)? Once it touches the house or is near it, wouldn't a permit be in order?

Also, I imagine, but correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't there be more issues with a wood-frame greenhouse up against the house rather than with a metal greenhouse structure?

I do feel for the original poster. Having a neighbor build outward 14 feet blocking light...and having a big structure loom out over your backyard is terrible, simply atrocious. I would be livid. The mess alone...and with old buildings that have been in place for so long, when you start excavating, digging, whatever, things can happen...or, become apparent over time. Hello cracked walls.

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at September 22, 2009 10:31 AM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Change is hard--I'm sure you'll get used to it.
This sounds reasonable, and unless you're fishing for a lawsuit, let it go -- following the rules perfectly is prohibitively expensive, which is why NYC housing is simultaneously crappy and expensive.

Posted by: thwackamole1 at September 22, 2009 10:42 AM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

As somebody who has been narked on to DOB by a neighbor may I suggest OP that you refrain from doing this unless you actually fear for your safety or some other very serious reason. It is a very nasty and expensive and frustrating reality that you plunge another person into by turning them into DOB. Last resort only says I...

Posted by: wasder at September 22, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

you should be looking at zoning not code.

The code referenced above is for work not requiring a permit (1968 code - I'm not even sure it still applies under current 2008 code)....

However, they almost certainly DO have a permit since they are already building a 5 story extension so that section of code is neither here nor there....

Of course they can build a concrete block wall on their lot line per Code (it may even be required), the question in this case is whether it is permitted by Zoning...

it probably is a permitted obstruction by the way, but I don't have time to check for you right now...

if you're in a residential district look at chapter 2, bulk regulations and look under permitted obstructions in open space and yards (separate sections)...

Posted by: young archi at September 22, 2009 12:08 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Thanks for all the comments. Why is it strange to find out if what your neighbor's doing is legal? It's a permanent structure, and has some impact on resale value, etc. I would hate to be in the position of selling the place, and having to explain to potential buyers that the neighboring extension is illegal, etc.

By the way, I would never complain to DOB - I don't care that much about noise or mess. It's purely an issue of whether it's legal.

I read the relevant sections of code and all seems legitimate. It's also good to know in case I want to build an extension in the future myself.

Posted by: guest4 at September 22, 2009 12:23 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

Just so you know just because their plans have been approved doesn't mean that what they are building will conform to zoning/building code. That said if I was in your shoes(actually I have been for the last 5 years) I would reintroduce myself to your neighbor and work out the rules of the game before they start. Be proactive. Let them know you expect prior notice before excavation begins, construction hours weekdays 7am till 6pm. weekends you need a variance, access to your property issues, house keeping issues...
Also take tons of before photos to document the condition of your property, ask to see their insurance papers, talk to your insurance co. to see if you are covered against his contractor's negligence (I bet not)and get every contractors promise to "fix things when he's done" in writing, notarized, and made in front of a member of the clergy.

Posted by: IMBY at September 22, 2009 12:35 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

"I would reintroduce myself to your neighbor and work out the rules of the game before they start. Be proactive. Let them know you expect prior notice before excavation begins, construction hours weekdays 7am till 6pm. weekends you need a variance, access to your property issues, house keeping issues..."

Awesome advice. Quest 4 I don't mean to suggest you have no right to find out if what they are doing is legal. OF course you do and you should. But IMBY is suggesting the best possible way of doing it--in person, face to face, straightforward. I got burned by a neighbor who didn't do any of those things but just called me in and it has been a real problem for me on numerous levels.

Posted by: wasder at September 22, 2009 12:41 PM in response to Help! Legality of Extension

It took us 2 months from closing to file the plans, and then 10 months from start of renovation to move-in. Converted & gutted a 4-family to 1.

Posted by: guest4 at November 8, 2009 1:43 PM in response to 2 Floor Gut Reno - How Long?