guywithahouse's Profile
Author's Posts
August 10, 2009
Spray Painter/Enameler
I have some built-ins that need to be spray painted with enamel or the like.
Does anyone have a contractor who does this kind of work?
Thanks.
July 7, 2009
Stripper for wood paneling?
The good news is I found what appears to be mahogany wood paneling (floor to ceiling) in my dining room.
The bad news is that it's covered in several layers of paint, including at least one lead paint layer.
It's a large room and I wonder if it would cost more to strip it than replace it.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a professional service that can do this kind of work?
Thanks.
July 2, 2009
ADT Security "Changeover" fee???
I purchased a house that had an ADT security system installed by the previous owner.
I called the installer and was told that there was a changeover fee of $600+ dollars.
When I asked what this exactly entailed, I was told that the would replace the panel (which apparently was brand new) and have the system checked.
If the prior owner had a service contract (which they did) and were up to date on the bills (again, they were) why would it need a check-up?
I got a hard sell on the phone and started feeling like this was a scam.
Anyone else run into this?
April 7, 2009
Slate Roofer Recs?
Anyone know of a reliable, experienced slate roof specialist?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Author's Comments
anytime, albemarle.
just walk around the corner and follow the sounds of jack-hamers and circular saws.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 6, 2009 1:03 PM in response to Welcome to The Albemarle Reno Blog
Best of luck, neighbor. We found similar doohickeys in our house just a block or so away. We found wiring for no less than three separate generations of alarm systems, servant call switches, panic buttons, and old-school fire sensors (the nippley looking thing above.)
Most of it just got ripped right out, but some of it really left us scratching our heads.
Welcome to the neighborhood. So happy that magnificent old house is going to get some love.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 6, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Welcome to The Albemarle Reno Blog
Almost every cab in the city is monitored by satellite at one or two central stations. Call 800-nyc-taxi.
I left a piece of luggage in a cab in manhattan and they tracked it from a central station in Chicago(!?) Got the guy and my bag back to where I was in about 20 minutes.
Point is they will be able to corroborate the medallion number with the location of the accident and the driver at the time.
Good luck.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 5, 2009 4:45 PM in response to Mrs. B Side-Swiped In The Heights
We really like 217.
It's a hidden gem.
Talk to the parent coordinator there, Mary Kay Seery. She's very accommodating.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 30, 2009 5:29 PM in response to Public School Victorian Flatbush
Gordon Voisey.
917.576.6747
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 30, 2009 12:36 PM in response to Perfectionist Painter
We put it in the kitchen, task areas, combined with some old schoolhouse pendants over the island. Love it.
We put some (less than recommended) in the master bedroom, because it was just too large to light with lamps, plus it's not an overly architecturally detailed room. At first we cringed but now we agree it was the right thing to do.
In the living room we resisted and boy are we glad we did. It would have been criminal to see all those cans up in that beautifully smooth plaster. That said, we are struggling to get the right indirect lighting going there--but we'll get it eventually.
Buy good fixtures. 4" maximum. Low voltage is nice in kitchens, otherwise line voltage is fine--though it does get a bit hot.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 29, 2009 5:08 PM in response to Thoughts on Recessed Lighting
I guess victorian flatbush is "other"?
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 29, 2009 1:52 PM in response to Brownstoner 2009 Survey Results
If you go with cork, you want to make damn sure your subfloor is absolutely rock solid and perfectly smooth. Otherwise your beautiful cork will look like total crap within a year.
Sad but true.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 25, 2009 10:33 PM in response to Kitchen Floors
A second for Gordon Voisey.
He's exactly what you want.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 25, 2009 10:19 PM in response to Perfectionist Painter
Gordon Voisey's your man:
917-576-6747
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 25, 2009 10:15 PM in response to Perfectionist Painter
I love how folks consider victorian flatbush a shabby second banana to park slope.
The running joke in the neighborhood is that every new family that moves there moves FROM park slope.
Someone's going to buy this house for $1.5 million, put $200,000 into it and live like nyc royalty.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 22, 2009 3:13 PM in response to House of the Day: 177 Rugby Road
i've spent a small fortune there in almost every dept., these last few months.
only god experiences so far.
jerry in the tile dept. is a gem.
Posted by: guywithahouse at October 2, 2009 11:49 AM in response to Home & Stone?
movers not shakers did a fine job for me. not a single thing broken or scratched.
my only recommendation is that (if you have a lot of stuff--full closets, etc) have them come down and do an on-site estimate.
they opted not to do it in my case and they grossly underestimated my move. it worked for me in that they honored the lower price, but the move took much longer than i expected and that was kinda stressful.
i'd also recommend that whoever you use, in addition to your valuables, you pack a weekend bag/box with clothes, toiletries, and even some food items. take it with you personally or at the very least put it on the truck last and in a very conspicuous box. chances are you'll be very happy you did.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 23, 2009 9:33 AM in response to ISO Great Moving Company
More of the same:
Radiant heat (by far the most important.)
Venting to outside.
Ice maker.
Big sink.
Extra Cabinets.
Good lighting.
Here's one I didn't see:
Get 2 dishwashers. One is for clean dishes, the other is for dirty. You just swap back and forth and basically the chore of putting dishes away is gone.
When you think about it, a decent dishwasher is $750 bucks. Not much more than two more feet of quality lower cabinets. For a small amount of money you get a major convenience.
Fabulous during the holidays and parties too.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 22, 2009 8:25 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!
Rocketjen,
It's a bit of a long story, but essentially I got it (from an authorized dealer) on Ebay.
-guywithahouse
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 21, 2009 3:15 PM in response to Range Suggestions (Part 2)
Was the company named "Advanced Protection Services", perchance?
They are an ADT representative locally, and frankly I had a nightmare with them as well.
Run. Run away from them.
Deal with ADT directly or find another company.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 21, 2009 10:07 AM in response to ADT or Other System?
i was in a similar situation and bought an electrolux icon--their 'pro' line. it's maybe a grand cheaper, but has more than comparable specs and probably a better service record than viking.
so far i'm very happy with it.
looks great too.
tough to find one on sale--as they have tight pricing control over this line--but i hunted and got one discounted.
people seem to like bluestar a lot. i was also very fond of the dacor line, and thermador's lower end model--i can't remember the name of it.
gardenweb is great for this stuff. check the appliance forums.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 21, 2009 10:00 AM in response to Range Suggestions (Part 2)
interested. bklyngarage (at) gmail (dot) com.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 4, 2009 11:30 PM in response to 10" Compound Power Miter Saw
They off-gas (smell) for up to a month, noticeably, and far longer than that in reality.
Visco-elastic foam is temperature sensitive--so the mattress is very different depending on the ambient room temp and as your body warms up the foam.
I could almost live with the above, but the reality is that many people including myself find them hot and sweaty.
Your results may vary.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 3, 2009 9:37 PM in response to Tempur-pedic Mattress
They did it to me as well. My company's pr agency picked it up in their media round-up and it got broadcasted to everybody in my office.
Really, really irritating.
Posted by: guywithahouse at September 3, 2009 9:30 PM in response to Blockshopper
click together tiles are not acceptable in a kitchen. their substrate is not water friendly and will quickly degrade with the usual water exposure in a kitchen.
the glue down tiles are preferred and are generally what is used in most commercial applications as well.
the sub floor, first and foremost, must be completely flat and free of even small cracks and imperfections as these will quickly telegraph through the tiles.
i know all this because i'm going through the same thing now. my tiles are getting installed on monday. i used globus for the tile. duro also has nice stuff, but globus comes 3/4ths pre finished and requires only one final coat to seal it,
i am using their preferred installer, Tipp Flooring. they are very expensive, but i decided to go with them after hearing/seeing horror stories with inexperienced and self installers.
good tile properly installed will last for 15 years or more. poorly installed tile looks like crap in a year or two.
will post a review once it's done.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 29, 2009 6:34 PM in response to Kitchen Reno - Subfloor Question
i'm using scott krute for my floors right now. i'm very happy with how it's turning out.
he got nearly all of the previous owner's pet stains out and did a nice job patching and repairing the rest.
scott uses a dustless system, which i was pretty skeptical about, but i have to admit there's hardly any residual dust at all on the moldings and walls.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 25, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Varrazano Flooring
a lot depends on where the cabinets are coming from.
if the contractor is supplying the cabinets, it's one price.
if you are supplying the cabinets it's a whole lot more.
flooring is often a separate contractor and prices will vary widely depending on the surface.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 25, 2009 11:06 AM in response to Labor Cost for Kitchen Reno
i used joe salem for some detailed architectural stuff in my house and a door or two. i recommend him for that. when i asked him about my doorway moldings, which are nice, but nothing remarkable, he said 'save yourself some time and aggravation and just buy new moldings.'
a decent wood shop has zillions of designs--some quite beautiful--preprimed and ready to paint.
cheaper, easier and safer.
your results may vary.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 24, 2009 12:34 PM in response to Stripping Moldings
i think i should have said/meant was LACQUER not enamel.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 10, 2009 2:26 PM in response to Spray Painter/Enameler
SORRY. I POSTED THE WRONG NUMBER ABOVE.
Carmelo's proper number is: 917-705-3166
He's great.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 6, 2009 8:18 PM in response to A Good Tiler?
or call Joe Salem at Woodzone.
Posted by: guywithahouse at August 4, 2009 11:24 PM in response to Stripping Entryway Doors
Finest Kitchens (718-984-1340) is doing my kitchen right now.
A colleague of mine recommended them, and admittedly I disregarded them as a "staten island" company.
I had a coupla fancy-pants manhattan designers look at my space and FK came in with a better design and better cabinets at a vastly lower price.
So far Nick has been a dream to work with: he's on budget and ahead of schedule.
I swear, these manhattan and "brownstone" specialists charge by the zipcode not by the job.
Posted by: guywithahouse at July 23, 2009 4:07 PM in response to Looking for Kitchen Designer
UPDATE:
I called ADT corporation directly (the first company I called was the reseller.)
They do not charge any fee whatsoever for new owners.
Curiously, they charge a little bit more per month than the reseller.
I also called AlarmsRus (thanks Denton,) and while they charge a modest fee for the changeover/reprogramming and some required modification of the equipment, their monthly was significantly lower than ADT.
What was nice about Bob was that he seemed to really know what he was doing and made several sensible suggestions. Most importantly there was no hard sell!
To save you all some time and hassle, AVOID having your ADT system installed or handled by Advanced Protection.
Posted by: guywithahouse at July 8, 2009 4:04 PM in response to ADT Security "Changeover" fee???
Robert Wilkanowski does amazing work and has outstanding taste.
www.robertwilkanowski.com
His tel# is on the site somewhere.
Posted by: guywithahouse at July 8, 2009 10:31 AM in response to Architect Recommendation
Does anyone have a phone # or email for Joe Salem?
Posted by: guywithahouse at July 8, 2009 12:04 AM in response to Stripper for wood paneling?
I can tell you from experience, even conforming (agency) jumbos are tougher now.
With ~800 credit, 30% down, a great appraisal, and ample, steady income I had to jump through hoops to get mine recently.
On the one hand, I'm glad the banks are taking things seriously. On the other, yeesh, it's like a full time job for a week getting all the documentation and requirements in.
Posted by: guywithahouse at July 6, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Tough Slog for Buyers Seeking Jumbo Mortgages
Vinca, I would love some contacts in this area.
email me at: bklyngarage [at] gmail [dot] com
thank you.
Posted by: guywithahouse at June 2, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Estate Clean Out
Called them. Thank you.
Posted by: guywithahouse at April 8, 2009 10:03 AM in response to Slate Roofer Recs?
In pristine and updated condition, the Albemarle place may have found a buyer at $2+mil. Alas, it was anything but.
I'm sure once they're done, the current owners will be looking at a total cost well in that neighborhood.
And, if renovated properly, this house would just about blow the doors off any $2mil brownstone.
Posted by: guywithahouse at November 13, 2009 4:08 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later