We started getting estimates a few months before we wanted the job to start. We did a round, did some more research, and then did another round in May for a job we wanted to start in late June/early July. Chose the contractor we liked best, not lowest bid, and job didn't start till end of August because of his schedule, board approvals, etc.

Posted by: linkinplace at August 27, 2007 3:15 PM in response to How Far in Advance Should I Schedule Contractor Estimates?

Thanks. That's what the contractor said. But the tiles go up 4.5', above the regular sized cabinet, but we also have a "linen cabinet" at 8' right next to it -- will it look odd to have tiles going up only halfway on the tall cabinet?

Posted by: linkinplace at August 30, 2007 10:45 AM in response to bathroom gut reno - tiling behind cabinets?

THanks for the recs and the sconce offer. We'll pass on the sconces; need one piece for above mirror/vanity. Have proken fixture there now, contractor painting and finishing much today and need a light in there once the sun goes down.

Posted by: linkinplace at August 31, 2007 11:52 AM in response to Where to get bath lighting in stock immediately aside from bog box retailers?

Are you sellling? What block? I'd be happy to share the wall and have my kid befriend them so he too can learn without my needing to get him his own piano.

Posted by: linkinplace at August 31, 2007 1:48 PM in response to Piano Playing Noise Daily from Neighbors

Thanks for the McMaster-Carr rec - found what I needed right away and ordered within seconds. Much appreciated!

Posted by: linkinplace at September 6, 2007 10:30 PM in response to Where to find forced air duct covers/grates?

what's going in around the corner on pacific, just off court, across from the beverage place? 4 story bldg that used to house a school?

Posted by: linkinplace at September 18, 2007 2:35 PM in response to StreetLevel: Atlantic Earns Some Bread

Brownie, can you get some grammar check installed? It's "you're gonna have to sell cheap," not "your gonna have to sell cheap."

Thank you.

Posted by: linkinplace at October 11, 2007 3:17 PM in response to House of the Day: 109 Gates Avenue

We're selling a family property in the 'burbs and once we were in contract and starting to empty the contents of the house, we asked the broker for the buyer contact info so we could offer them some furniture (for free.)

We got general info on the kind of people they were (age, marital status, location) when an offer was on the table.

Posted by: linkinplace at October 11, 2007 3:34 PM in response to Do sellers know the buyers names when offers are accepted?

We used Lowes this summer for 2 gut reno bathroom projects. HD never had what we needed and any trip there was a firm reminder that Lowes is the way to go. Do your research online (not on the Lowes site - anywhere else) and then go to the store to special order the things you want from their catalogs. You can get virtually anything through them (we got kohler-made dual-flush toilets that Lowes didn't even know existed) if you know what you want and who makes it. We took advantage of the credit card to get hundreds of dollars off in our initial purchase of special order cabinets, tubs, counters, sinks, etc. They even took back a special order piece without a box that turned out to be the wrong size. Reminds me I have a few hundred bucks' credit to go spend there....

Posted by: linkinplace at October 26, 2007 1:18 PM in response to Big stores for renovation

Um, concrete examples of people who won't take a buy-out? Ratnerville, folks. Goldstein's still holed up.

Posted by: linkinplace at October 29, 2007 12:05 PM in response to Rent-Regulated Tenants: A Boon for Buyers?

Just read through this. Wondering how things have worked out? Can the original poster tell us the happy/sad ending to the piano playing drama? Also, curious about the last post: Did our new mother resolve her piano nightmare?

Posted by: guest at February 28, 2008 3:44 PM in response to Piano Playing Noise Daily from Neighbors

I can sympathize with OP, I lived in an apartment under a piano player years ago, and it was not just for an hour a day, but every night until 10 or 11 pm. It was so loud I could not watch TV, listen to music of my own choice or read a book. He refused to compromise on the hours, or do any soundproofing and I ended up moving for the sake of my sanity. (I was told by the landlord that the piano player was within his rights as long as he did not go past 11pm).

Hope soundproofing helps you, since the neighbor refuses to compromise (although I must say if it stays at the level of an hour in the early evening that's not so bad) it's either that or move. Hope you have found some resolution to this since you posted back in August.

Posted by: guest at March 7, 2008 12:14 PM in response to Piano Playing Noise Daily from Neighbors

Must say I am having the same experience as OP out on the West Coast in a townhouse condo. All day and into the evening. If it were only an hour, set time, each and every day, it would be much more tolerable; but to hear it in every room of the place at 10 am, 3pm , 6:15 and again at 8:10pm, is simply too much. It's amazing how much this can put one on edge when trying to read, listen to one's own soft music or have a conversation, especially when writing the mortgage check at the same time. Too bad that individual rights don't also include noise intrusion and pollution like smoke or other things as the stress and life disruption can be horrific.

Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 10:27 PM in response to Piano Playing Noise Daily from Neighbors

I am having the same if not worse experience with my neighbor living in an apartment. I am a student, my neighbor is a student.

For 1 piano session she typically plays scales for about 20-30 minutes per day. She plays studies(scales + HAMMERING CHORDS) for an additional 20-30 minutes. She plays classical music for 30 more minutes. She may play 1-3 piano sessions a day.

The scales tend to get quite aggravating because you hear the same notes over and over and over again for an extended period of time. My ladyfriend finds it even more aggravating as a more experienced piano player because she doesn't play the scales right apparently.

The studies are the most annoying because it consists of the annoying scales plus the same chords being hammered like the keyboard of an office worker with a Blue screen of Death.

She plays classical music the least which tends to piss me off because at least theres a melody in it. On top of this she finds a place to stop in each song at least 5 times to repeat the same bar over and over again.

I like taking naps. I am quite grumpy when I get woken up when I don't want to be.When she wakes me up with the scales and studies as she always does, the rest of the day I tend to be fuming. When I am trying to do work, I cannot do it while she is playing scales and studies. She is most likely a music student so asking her to practice less often would end up with nothing. I do feel like telling her she's fairly talentless for how much she practices though.

I play PC games on a very competitive basis. If she's allowed to practice the most annoying crap for hours @ ~80dB I could play with my 250 watt speakers, so she could hear the sounds of endless gunshots during the evening for hours. However I respect the fact that I'm living in an apartment and I wear headphones.

Maybe piano players could do the same and do something about the fact they produce some of the worst noise pollution besides civics without mufflers.

You can't afford an electric piano and headphones? Get a different livelihood and don't make someone else's life worse because you aspire only to be a musician in an apartment.

Posted by: guest at April 8, 2008 12:47 PM in response to Piano Playing Noise Daily from Neighbors