vinca, you have the most informative posts! thank you! I love this!

Posted by: honeycut at November 13, 2009 8:53 PM in response to Funny Shaped Doorknob

It's easier than you think. Harder on your back than anything else, and be sure to read through the instructions AND check to see what you've got under the sink, have all the tools you might need before you turn off the water and have a half disassembled faucet and have to go to the store (at 11pm, usually) . And I (a woman) have replaced faucets a few times, along with a lot of other plumbing projects. If you (or any other readers here) are concerned about having a bad experience at a plumbing supply store go to Michael's Plumbing Supply on Flatbush Avenue & Clarendon. Michael is the best, he gives amazing advice and explains everything you need to do when tackling any type of project, simple to complex. I swear I have acquired apprentice-plumber equivalent knowledge and confidence as a result of frequenting (sometimes multiple times in one day) his store. You won't get this service at Home Depot! Good Luck! You can do it!

Posted by: honeycut at November 13, 2009 8:49 PM in response to Installing Faucet - No Brainer?

get the Rat Zapper! it works! zap!
www.ratzapper.com

Posted by: honeycut at November 5, 2009 9:38 AM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

Hi everyone, thanks so much for all the great ideas! We'll take photos of everything we make with our leftovers!

Posted by: honeycut at November 3, 2009 6:03 PM in response to Creative Use of Leftover Floor?

the rat zapper! truly.

Posted by: honeycut at October 31, 2009 10:40 AM in response to Mice in Bed-Stuy

YAY! Welcome back! I know I speak for many when I say how much I missed your inspiring posts! Best wishes, and I'm looking forward to all the stories, Michelle

Posted by: honeycut at October 16, 2009 3:26 PM in response to No More Times

And when you open it, please let us know what was inside!

Posted by: honeycut at September 16, 2009 11:18 AM in response to Safe "Cracker" Recommendation?

perhaps you're thinking of the glass used in Bar 89's (soho) infamous bathroom stalls? This frosting mechanism is known as “Smart Privacy Glass” which uses an electric charge to scramble liquid crystal polymers within the glass to shift, and prevent vision. http://www.inhabitat.com/2006/02/19/super-smart-privacy-glass/

Posted by: honeycut at August 29, 2009 2:11 PM in response to How is it called?

I've installed a number of mosaic tile floors and other tile projects, and had much better luck as a DIYer with hex tile vs. the round penny tile. I am a perfectionist, and was disappointed in how difficult it was to install the penny round tiles to look seamless as a field of tiles. I have been told (since installing, sadly) by the folks at Mondial Tile that the penny round is one of the hardest to install, even for experienced tile contractors. Good luck! If you figure out a trick to penny tile installation, please share with me, as I'd love to become better at installing it since I love the look.

Posted by: honeycut at August 28, 2009 11:55 AM in response to How to install this mosaic tile?

please email photos to mhinesprojects (at) gmail dot com
thank you, so curious and interested!
M

Posted by: honeycut at August 19, 2009 6:23 PM in response to Complete Cherry Panelled Library F/S

Please post more photos, as brownstoner mentioned! It looks so beautiful. thank you for sharing!

Posted by: honeycut at August 5, 2009 12:49 PM in response to Contractor Recs at End of Reno

The Hell's Kitchen Flea Market has a guy who sells African art. And he's very interesting and lovely to talk to, and his prices are not terrible and it's a great flea market to check out anyways! Lots of global stuff, not just typical vintage bric a brac.

Posted by: honeycut at July 31, 2009 12:30 PM in response to African Paintings

We used a floating cork plank floor (which can also be used with radiant heating). We laid a vapor barrier onto the concrete floor, then floated the cork. Cork maintains a level temperature and won't feel cold like tile. It also expands/contracts globally versus along a grain like wood does. Cork is hypoallergenic, anti-static, easy to clean and has a cushiony feel that won't make you feel like you're standing or sitting on hard concrete. It is also a renewable resource, as the bark is harvested and regrows every 7-9 years. Whenever someone comes over and sees our garden level, they always comment on the cork floor. We've had it over a year now, and it's held up really well. It was easy to install (we did it ourselves).

Posted by: honeycut at July 28, 2009 5:46 PM in response to Flooring for Garden Level

I've taken both home maintenance (1st and advanced level) courses at the East Flatbush location and loved them both, the instructor and my classmates. It was fun, I learned a lot, refreshed myself on things I'd done before but long ago....etc. Worth many times more than the class fee!
Have fun!

Posted by: honeycut at July 8, 2009 1:39 PM in response to NHS Home Improvement Classes

I adopted a boston terrier four years ago...she was given up by a family who bought her from a breeder or pet store and didn't realize how much energy they have and they need exercise. she was a little lightning bolt when we first got her! she is a great, sweet dog. bostons are good apartment sized dogs and they don't bark a lot inside (mine doesn't anyways) I also adopted what we think to be a boston terrier/pit bull mix who is super sweet too. boston terriers are very smart and pretty funny. they also can be stubborn. there's a lot written about them online, but if you decide you want one, please go to petfinder.org and enter in the breed type you are interested in....we found both our great dogs through shelters in Brooklyn and I urge you to not purchase a dog and perpetuate the puppy mill industry further. there are tons of great dogs of all ages and sizes in the many shelters throughout NYC area, and petfinder has all the listings. good luck!

Posted by: honeycut at July 4, 2009 1:58 PM in response to Why so many Boston Terriers?

my mom taught me her trick as a kid, and it works: rub a light film of mayonaise into the spot and let it soak in.
but I've also heard of using a cotton towel and light iron for a minute....supposedly it works wonders.
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf506713.tip.html
good luck!

Posted by: honeycut at June 22, 2009 6:09 PM in response to Water Stain in Wood Veneer

I've been wondering for some time now, how does one go about getting a study done by DOT to determine what could be done to make an intersection safer? There's one near me where there's a very bad car accident a few times a month (and that's when I'm home, I have no idea how many other times this occurs). By bad I mean one car spun into the corner property, or hits a pedestrian. This is at the corner of an elementary school and it concerns me and my neighbors a lot. There's already stoplights, but so many accidents!

Posted by: honeycut at June 3, 2009 2:55 PM in response to Berkeley Bump Bungle?

The Green Depot has what you need.
www.greendepot.com

Posted by: honeycut at June 2, 2009 5:14 PM in response to Organic water- based

Snappy, I thought the same exact thing! Who would close on a home without knowing the price? Who would even look at a home without knowing the price? While I agree that United Homes was predatory with this woman, and who knows how many others....I feel like who can possibly be this ignorant when buying a home? I too was a first time home buyer, knew very little, so went out and learned about what we would be getting into, what we could afford, etc. and made our purchase based on this information. The fact that this woman has not made one mortgage payment since 2004 kills me. I guess ignorance is bliss.

Posted by: honeycut at May 14, 2009 11:55 AM in response to Open Thread

Did anyone hear this story on NPR this morning?
http://blogs.wnyc.org/news/2009/05/14/one-homeowner-fights-back-2/

Posted by: honeycut at May 14, 2009 9:23 AM in response to Open Thread

Nick at LeakMaster. He came highly reco'd here and we used him. Our roof is great!

Posted by: honeycut at May 12, 2009 3:00 PM in response to Roofer

when I rented my landlord charged me an extra month security deposit for my dog. At the time, $1500. I got it back when we moved out, we had no damages. I will admit it was a lot to pay first month, last month and two security deposits at once when we moved in, but I really loved the apartment and the landlord (and of course, my dog!)

Posted by: honeycut at May 1, 2009 9:32 PM in response to Pet deposit

Mondial is great too!

Posted by: honeycut at April 22, 2009 8:18 PM in response to buying tiles & marble

We bought our house (a 2 family) in East Flatbush not far from this block a little over a year and a half ago. I love the neighborhood. I have to disagree with the Bklnite's comment - we have found there's a lot of history to this area. My neighbors are wonderful people and there's a lot of owner/occupied two families. Sadly, there are foreclosures, mostly due to predatory lending and many first time homeowners' extreme naivete. I'm not expert enough in the world of forecasting real estate futures to tell you when you should buy, we found a house we loved that we could afford and that we are fixing up. If you're looking for a neighborhood with lots of different types of restaurants, shops, etc. like you would find in other more gentrified areas of Brooklyn then you might not enjoy this neighborhood. If you are looking for an affordable home and nice neighbors and blocks of families who work together to enter the Greenest Block In Brooklyn and do other types of neighborhood improvement/community projects, then you will like it very very much. If you would like to visit and take a walk around with me and ask more questions, you can find my email in my profile. I'd be more than happy to take a lovely spring walk and share East Flatbush with you!

Posted by: honeycut at April 1, 2009 1:55 PM in response to neighborhood info. request

thanks for that tip! i just checked Mrs. Limestone's blog out and it really is wonderful! still hoping to see more updates on b'stoner too! (hint, hint, bed stuy reno peeps -- i really loved your tiling!)

Posted by: honeycut at March 28, 2009 8:06 PM in response to Brownstoner's Renovation Blogs

I miss seeing the updates to this reno! have you stopped work, or just stopped blogging about it? you really inspired me! hope to see you soon!

Posted by: honeycut at March 27, 2009 9:01 PM in response to Lower Level: Kitchen Updater

We used cork in our garden/cellar/basement apartment and it is great. We sealed the concrete with a sealant we purchased at green depot, then installed a vapor barrier, then floated the cork. it looks great, feels great (the cork has a nice cushion to it, so your feet and knees don't feel like they've been standing on concrete). cork has natural antibacterial properties, is hypoallergenic, anti-static, maintains a room temperature (a good barrier against a cold concrete and partially subground floor) and also expands in all directions so it won't warp the same way wood does. We installed it ourselves and it was very easy and have had it in for a year and a half and it has held up really well.

Posted by: honeycut at March 27, 2009 8:40 PM in response to finished basement floor

my first reaction (to lamely quote Rachel Zoe) "I die. bananas. literally." why would anyone tear these beauties down? I wish I had a house like these, of course, I'm trying to make my own house like these, but what are these people thinking? then my second reaction is: how much is that amazing tub? and those stained glass windows? and...and...

Posted by: honeycut at March 27, 2009 8:27 PM in response to To Houses Coming Down - Salvage

I think it's some kind of chuck clamp, the pointy things move up and down and get tightened by the threaded knobs.

like a heavy duty (single purpose) version of this:

http://www.garrettwade.com/an-invaluable-clamp-for-delicate-work-at-home-or-in-the-shop/p/93K04.01/

Posted by: honeycut at March 16, 2009 6:28 PM in response to What kind of tool is this.

If you don't mind doing it yourself, and want to avoid chemicals and dust associated with paint removal, I highly recommend the Silent Paint Remover. it's a tool that uses infrared heat and honestly, it removes 120 plus years' layers of thick paint in one pass. There's nothing more satisfying than revealing the wood beneath the paint, and the Silent Paint Remover is worth the money.

Posted by: honeycut at March 6, 2009 5:34 PM in response to paint stripping

I am interested in a set as well, please email me pics/prices
mhinesprojects @ gmail.com

Posted by: honeycut at February 26, 2009 9:02 AM in response to Unused kitchen appliances 4 Sale

have you tried the Silent Paint Remover? It's an infrared heating device that pulls up every layer of old paint. I know you have an entire floor to do, but it might be worth a try. I'm using mine to tackle 120 years worth of painted moldings in my entire house, and it is working miraculously!
http://silentpaintremover.com/

Posted by: honeycut at February 23, 2009 1:41 PM in response to Repaint floors? Convince us

wow, thanks brownstoner for that link to oldhouses.com! I just wasted two hours of work time browsing through their listings....fantasizing about buying an old estate in my home state of WI with THREE BUILDINGS and GARDENS! for under 450K! my husband and I want to start a compound.
TGIF

Posted by: honeycut at February 20, 2009 3:34 PM in response to What $2.7 Million Gets You in Kingston

here's the link for the east flatbush property
http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=1500126&OhDat=2/22/2009%2012:00:00%20AM;

I live not far from here, in east flatbush, and if this property sells for that price my house will be worth millions! woo hoo!

Posted by: honeycut at February 20, 2009 1:45 PM in response to Open House Picks

Welcome to the club, wasder! I'm glad you have had the same results we had with the zapper! there's a funny comment on ratzappers.com in their testimonials stating that an army of ghost mice is awaiting the inventors of the Rat Zapper, and I fear it's true!

Posted by: honeycut at February 19, 2009 2:06 PM in response to mouse extermination (follow up)

While the house itself is lovely, each room seems to have been an assignment for the contestants from the much-maligned Top Design reality show on Bravo -- which is like a train wreck for me, I want to look away, but cannot!

Posted by: honeycut at February 17, 2009 5:14 PM in response to House of the Day: 615 3rd Street

I had a similar problem in late fall when it started getting cold outside....mice in the kitchen, the smell of their urine under the fridge was gagging. I have two dogs so I didn't want snap traps or poison and glue traps didn't work and are inhumane the way the mouse squirms forever. The solution, thanks to many brownstoners posts I looked up, was The Rat Zapper. Within 20 MINUTES of bringing it home, baiting it with dog food and turning it on I caught the first of many mice. It electrocutes the mouse and it is all contained neatly inside the housing so your wife won't even have to see the mouse should she not wish to. The best $50 I've ever spent. You can order online or go to a few places in the city that sell them. http://theratzapper.com/
Good Luck!

Posted by: honeycut at February 11, 2009 1:45 PM in response to Exterminating Mice?

My husband and I caught the premiere of TOL Brooklyn on Saturday night. I'm looking forward to being able to really relate to what they are working on during that show! Anyways, I happened to be in Park Slope on Sunday morning and had my first celebrity TOL sighting -- Michael Streaman, the contractor! I almost spit out my coffee on my sister. I was like, OMG it's the contractor from This Old House Brooklyn! OMG! and she was all like, you really need to get out more. and that is probably true. Anyways, not such a fan of the homeowners on the show but it's early yet!

Posted by: honeycut at January 26, 2009 2:07 PM in response to Open Thread

I second Park Place's question...I've repeatedly put in requests...to no avail! how'd you do it?

Posted by: honeycut at January 13, 2009 12:17 PM in response to I LOVE the Parks Dept!

you can catch it yourself by throwing a soft cloth (like a tshirt) over it completely and gently picking up the bird and bringing it outside. it most likely will not go back up the way it came (unless he has a white beard and red suit on too!) good luck!

Posted by: honeycut at January 8, 2009 10:29 AM in response to Bird in Fireplace

She should contact Neighborhood Housing Services. They offer mortgage counseling, home maintenance training and also give construction loans and grants. http://www.nhsnyc.org/

Posted by: honeycut at January 4, 2009 9:57 AM in response to Fellow Brownstoner Needs Assistance

Brooklynista, how was it installed? Do they go through the roof?

Posted by: honeycut at January 2, 2009 9:18 PM in response to cellulose or loose fiberglass insulation for the atic?

I second vanburenproud's posting. we used Nick last year and he was great, has given us some advice when we vented ourselves and were afraid to go through our lovely new roof for fear of voiding the warranty, and he reassured us that he would honor the warranty. he's great!

Posted by: honeycut at December 23, 2008 6:24 PM in response to Roofer Needed

the Community Works Loans are 4.5% through HSBC.

Posted by: honeycut at December 23, 2008 6:21 PM in response to should we lock in a rate?

I completed both the basic and advanced courses last year, and have to second the recommendation of brooklynista! NHS is wonderful, Mark is amazing and helpful and knows everything. the other students were great too. I loved it.

Posted by: honeycut at December 21, 2008 6:52 PM in response to 2009 Home Repair Course

you can buy these by the section from Michael's Plumbing Supply on Flatbush Ave and Clarendon..and I believe when I bought mine recently it was about $9/section. Michael's is amazing, btw, he'll give you a real education in all things plumbing. I sometimes find an excuse to go there just to catch up with him and his staff.

Posted by: honeycut at December 20, 2008 8:44 AM in response to Wanted: Radiator

the rat zapper! I read postings raving about it on this forum, had a mouse issue that no traps were solving and did not want poison as we have dogs. Got the rat zapper, set it up and within 20 minutes! caught the mouse! so far, no others but I suspect that there are more, so the zapper lies in wait. the best money i've spent on extermination! and you can use them outside! whoever posted the reco for this earlier, i thank you profusely.

Posted by: honeycut at December 11, 2008 11:22 AM in response to Rat control

When I was looking for apts a long time ago, this was a scene I came across more times than I would have expected. Then it kind of became a surprise when I did NOT see someone crashed out on a futon/couch/dingy mattress on floor, usually surrounded by a variety of bongs and occasional baggies of product. It became sort of a game for me "Find The Stoner".

Posted by: honeycut at December 4, 2008 7:22 PM in response to Funny photo from rental listing

I third the reco for Nick & Leakmaster! We have been very happy with our roof (when we closed on our house it was literally raining inside our second floor) and needed someone fast and reliable that we could trust and afford and found Leakmaster through this site. Nick gave us wonderful service and price and we couldn't be more relieved. it's been 1.5 years and we've never had any problems.

Posted by: honeycut at December 2, 2008 9:58 PM in response to can you rec a roofer?

The exposed beams are lovely, and I'd love to do that too, but wouldn't it get really cold? How would you do that?

Posted by: honeycut at November 10, 2008 1:56 PM in response to House of the Day: 591 Union Street

IMBY thanks for the great laugh!!!
Have you tried peppermint oil that seems to work also and I always reinforce my steal wool with spray foam insulation which also helps.

Posted by: scarter at November 5, 2009 10:58 AM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

IMBY, ROFL!

For those with cat allergies, my dog is a good mouser. She caught one, and presented it to me when I got home one night. Scared the rest of the clan away, to my neighbor's as I recall.

Posted by: CarrollGardened at November 5, 2009 11:31 AM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

Rat Zapper. It works.

Posted by: kidbklyn at November 5, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

Don't count on cats. We've had several who were excellent mousers but several who were apathetic or downright cowardly in the face of a mouse (and the mouse will march right past a cat, that's how the food chain apparently works--no "fear of cat smell" evident there). We also had a legendary cat, Hodge, who "caught" mice, tenderly groomed them and then released them; we took to carrying Hodge out to the street, his new "friend" still carefully restrained in his teeth, and performing the Heimlich maneuver to make him spit his little buddy into the gutter. The mouse often died of fright shortly afterward; once, a passing jogger nearly did the same when she witnessed the ritual.

Hodge, for the record, steadfastly refused to wear underwear on his head, even in the name of interspecies friendship.

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at November 5, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

ROFL Brenda you are a hoot and a half!

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at November 5, 2009 1:15 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

My first cat also was good at catching mice but apparently never got mouse killing and eating lessons from her mother. She'd run around excitedly with the live mouse in her mouth and we'd do the same thing as Brenda.

Our next cat, and Max, our present guy, were more attentive to their lessons in kittenhood and know that mice are scrumptious.

Hunting prey is instinctive for cats, but killing and eating it has to be tought.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at November 5, 2009 1:24 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

In lieu of IMBY's suggestion, which, I'm sure, works for IMBY, the best way to get the little buggers is to use empty paper towel tubes.

Balance a paper towel tube perpendicular to the edge of a counter or wherever they are with a bit of peanut butter at the end that dangles over the edge. Tie a string around the other end and fasten it to something heavy enough to hold the tube when it tips over the edge. on the floor beneath the tube, put a garbage pail. Now, if you're a buddhist, don't put a glue trap on the bottom of the garbage pail and dispose of the mice however you wish. If you aren't a buddhist, put a glue trap on the bottom of the garbage pail.

Mice can't resist the peanut buttery smelling tunnel of excitement and fun. When they get to the end of the tube, the tube tips over and boom they fall into the pail. Then, you just have to reset the tube and wait for victim number two. (I caught three in one night like this.) Brace yourself for the screaming though. I live in a floor through so the kitchen is within earshot and in my semi-sleep, with the screaming mice, I dreamt I was choking puppies. On the bright side, the scream seemed to have scared the bejeezus out of the rest of the mice and I really didn't have a problem after that.

Oh and if you use the glue traps, the most humane thing to do, i think, is to just drown them in the toilet. I know, I know, but what else can you do? I heard of one guy taking them outside, and just leaving them bound up in a plastic grocery bag. They can last for days like that. Oh, and ONE GUY (dare I say sadist?) said he wrapped it up in a grocery bag, took it outside and dropped a cinder block on it. I mean, wow.

Good luck. I know what you're going through.

Posted by: The Vidiot at November 5, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

The Vidiot -- your post is the best argument I have ever seen in favor of Buddhism.

This has to be bad for the soul:

"I live in a floor through so the kitchen is within earshot and in my semi-sleep, with the screaming mice, I dreamt I was choking puppies."

Oh, and why don't you just whack the mice with a hammer?

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

You have NO idea what I'd been through up until that point. The infestation was due to the construction in the apartment above me and the entire brownstone renovation next to me and no landlord taking care of the basement for 5 months.

I keep my home pretty damn clean so when I started seeing the massive amounts of turds, I was frantic. I had mouse droppings everywhere even AFTER I had plugged up everything, washed EVERYTHING in EVERY cupboard, rented a steam cleaner to clean the couch and the carpets, and ripped apart the whole apartment basically. I was exhausted. I tried everything, the rat zapper, humane traps, predator pee, nothing worked.

Frankly, it just got down to "it's me or them"

Thanks for being so judgmental!

Posted by: The Vidiot at November 5, 2009 2:01 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

"Thanks for being so judgmental!"

Oh, I'm not being judgmental. I don't care about the mice, but I do worry about the mouse screams poisoning people's souls, but only in a philosophical way.

I would have whacked them with the hammer rather than drowning them in the toilet, but that's just me.

I had some mouse issues last winter and found snap traps with peanut butter did the trick. Actually, I sprinkled some sugar on top of the peanut butter, which I think helps (although if you are using "sugar added" peanut butter this is probably not necessary).

I had a little trouble at first, but I found if I left a garbage bag with dinner leftovers under the sink and put traps around it, it was fairly effective.

A trap in the broiler was also useful -- just remember to take it out before cooking!

I kept a hammer around in case any rodents got wounded instead of killed by the traps, but I didn't end up needing it.

So, yeah, I'm no buddhist either.

Posted by: northsloperenter at November 5, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!