mopar's Profile

Name:
mopar
In Brooklyn Since:
2001
On Brownstoner Since:
Location:
Brooklyn
Neighborhood:
Bushwick
Abode:
Profession:
Sex:
Age:
Website:

Author's Posts

November 5, 2009

Housecleaning Cooperative

Apparently Brooklyn is home to a worker-owned house cleaning business called Si Se Puede! (Yes, We Can!), a worker-owned remodeling business called We Can Fix It!, and another worker-owned childcare business called Beyond Care. Anyone ever used any of these?

These kind of structures can be nominal (profit sharing checks of $2 a year) or involve interminable, pointless meetings, but it's gotta be slightly better than minumum wage.

November 4, 2009

Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

About a month ago I got a quote from a well-known plumbing company to replace a leaking waste pipe and install all the plumbing needed for a washing machine. Quote was about $1,800. High, but OK.

Today they arrive and tell me the quote does not include plumbing for the supply line. WHAT!? And that will be an additional $850.

Mind you, the water lines are right there. We are talking about a few inches of copper pipe.

From the very beginning, we said "install washing machine, replace leaking waste pipe." They also said "install washing machine." We did not say "install washing machine, but oh by the way make sure it has no water and is not usable."

WTF? How much should a washing machine cost to install? This is freaking ridiculous. I could buy a used Honda for $3,000.

October 28, 2009

Dumpster Details?

Could anyone tell me how far in advance you need to rent a dumpster, if the dumpster company handles parking permits, and if you can arrange for it to be delivered and picked up in a 24-hour window so the neighbors don't use it. And about how much it costs, and any companies you would recommend? Or should I just throw out 200 bags of trash over 40 weeks?

October 19, 2009

Desperately seeking painter

I know this is a ridiculous question, but are there any regular posters on here who could recommend a painter?

I know four terrific guys -- they are all busy.

I am looking for a one-man operation (with helpers) who is fast, cheap, experienced, and neat. This is for next week in Bed Stuy.

October 9, 2009

Best floor for 1890s bath?

Insta-poll for all the design experts here: Our 1890s bathrooms have original beadboard wainscotting, wood floors, wall hung sinks, and incredibly heavy clawfoot tubs with fixed-length plumbing. The floors are going to be very wet all the time. Should we expose the wood floors, use 2-inch hexagonal unglazed porcelain tile a la the 1890s, or cover with vinyl sheet flooring? We originally had our hearts set on real linoleum, but it's outrageously pricey at $30 a square foot installed.

October 8, 2009

Source for Old Table?

Can anyone recommend a source for old Victorian kitchen tables? Could be in Brooklyn, Pennsylvania, etc. We need a hugely sturdy workhouse that can take tons of chopping and pounding, because we are actually going to be using it as the Victorians would, as a kitchen island, because we have zero counters in our kitchen. And of course cheaper is always better.

October 5, 2009

Gas Pipe Problems

Our electricians want us to bring in a plumber to shut off the gas that feeds the light fixtures AND saw off the pipes that hang down a few inches past the ceiling in every fixture.

Questions: We have at least nine to saw off if not more. Isn't this going to take forever and won't the plumber charge us an arm and a leg? Also, will we be destroying our ability to hang other types of light fixtures later?

Unfortunately, we don't have enough old fixtures to cover the pipe length.

Also, anyone recommend a plumber for this? We have to do it this week, which is crazy.

September 29, 2009

Incorrect Mortgage Charge

We just got the first bill for our mortgage, due Thursday, Oct. 1. Part of the charge is $200 some odd dollars for escrow for homeowners insurance. Problem is, we already paid homeowners insurance in full for a year ourselves. The lender isn't calling me back (yet). I imagine if we don't pay the bill in full, they'll send it to a credit reporting agency. But the amount is wrong. What to do?

September 24, 2009

Asbestos That's Not a Ripoff?

Can anyone recommend an honest and fairly priced company to do asbestos removal? I've tried calling a few from old postings on this site but they appear to no longer be in business.

We have a small job: Remove fewer than 5 inches of asbestos from pipes in basement, vacuum dirt floor, and simply throw away a small amount of linoleum that is not glued to the floor.

September 21, 2009

Foundation Fixer?

We need to replace part of our main beam and sister some joints. The inspector said we need to find a team of engineer, architect, and contractor to draw up a plan, file it with the city, and then do the work. My question is: Who do I call, and does anyone have a recommendation for this kind of work? Is this what the storefront engineers do? We are hoping not to spend more than $3,000 to $5,000 for the whole thing.

Author's Comments

Oh! Well, then it's to be darn difficult to find a carpenter who can fix them.

They broke? Snapped in two? Metal?

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:39 AM in response to Drawer Rails

The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men.

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

If a couple of stitches have come out of the seam (not a tear in the fabric) any tailor at any drycleaner could handle this for $20. If it's a tear in the fabric, you need a reweaver. Doesn't sound like it is.

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:33 AM in response to ISO Great Tailor in FG/CH

Joe in Brooklyn, speaking from my own experience, those of us buying in Brooklyn on the regular-person salaries you mention make a point of buying places that don't need extensive renovation in the first place because we can't afford it.

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:28 AM in response to The Albemarle Renovation Blog Launches!

Anyone know if they clean all over Brooklyn, or only Sunset Park?

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 5:34 PM in response to Housecleaning Cooperative

"Males of all different occupations have very strange thoughts about women. It just hardware supply store blokes do not talk to any women so when they see you they cannot hold their ideas."

LOL, bobjohn.

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Love the post, the house, the photos, and the writing. Are you a professional writer?

BHS, what is this about restoring nearly original kitchens and baths? I didn't know that. What did you do? We're trying to do that too.

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 3:53 PM in response to Welcome to The Albemarle Reno Blog

Minard, imagine if New York City had one bridge going from Manhattan to Brooklyn and it collapsed. That is like the Bay Bridge. It's strategic.

I take the Pulaski bridge all the time. Maybe I am in danger of imminent collapse.

Instead of building a whole new bridge for $! billion, why don't they just sister some joints?

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 3:46 PM in response to New Kosciuszko Bridge Won't Come Cheap

Interesting. Anyone know what happened to the Carroll Gardens Amity Street Horror? Are there homeless people camping in there now with the granite counters?

Posted by: mopar at November 6, 2009 3:42 PM in response to 85 State's Roller Coaster Ride

Interesting. In our 1890s frame house (which has bricks inside the walls and between the 2x4s) the brick party wall looks like it's only one brick deep. I should look closer -- maybe it's two. In any case, it has gaping holes in it.

The outside walls are thicker, but not by a lot.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:58 PM in response to Walkabout: Italianates, the Ornamental Imperative

DH! g'night everybody!

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:50 PM in response to Open Thread

Agree, brokers are not usually very helpful for either the landlord or the tenant.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:47 PM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

Our main guy has been teasing my husband, "Why are you so quiet? Why don't you say anything?" but then also was joking around that I don't know how to do demo, and my husband does.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:30 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

I have been pleasantly surprised to find the vast majority of people I deal with treat both me and my husband with respect. Everyone has been great.

I am starting to realize that most contractors and subs deal mainly with women and see this as the norm.

If I remember correctly, one of our electricians said it's usually the women who do home renovations. My husband took an NHS class in hiring subs, and the teacher said it's a shame more men don't get involved because in his opinion workmen more often try to take advantage of women.

We were both charmed and amused when the boiler people told me to consult with my husband before giving them a final decision about the installation, and sent us the bill in his name, since they had spoken only with me and my husband knows even less about boilers than I do (and I know nothing). But it was sweet of them. My favorite new words are "let me check with my husband first" because it gives me a little time to think.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 11:19 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Tinker's Wagon or other carpentry or handyman service is what you need. When I lived in Queens, the Handyman of Queens replaced a broken drawer rail for me. Also, you can use beeswax or paraffin to make them glide smoothly.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 10:00 PM in response to Drawer Rails

It's perfectly legal to advertise "no shares." It's also perfectly legal for any leaseholder to move in a roommate at any time, as well as a spouse and any children they have. The only restriction is total number of people per room, which varies depending on the overall number of rooms, but is generally two per room.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 9:50 PM in response to Open Thread

This Cobble Hill building has been discussed on this site before.

It was a very cool building until its appearance was destroyed by replacement windows. If you round the corner, you see the stairwell windows are still the black iron, multi-paned windows. Very modern.

It is very nicely situated in one of the most picturesque parts of the neighborhood and is across the street from a park and the mews. It is by no means "the projects," it just looks that way in photos.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 7:23 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

mopar wrote a review about Vutera on November 5, 2009 7:15 PM

Didn't know it existed.

LOL, Denton.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 6:22 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

Hm, Level 2. I was thinking no way would I go through any more of this torture, but if you're in the class -- maybe it won't be torture!

Do you know what they cover in Level 2? The class descriptions don't seem to quite match up with what they actually teach.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 6:20 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?

Noki, all these things do exist in Brooklyn. But as a Brooklynite, I would like to complain about the commute and the difficulty of grocery shopping -- we drive or take the subway to the CSA or the next neighborhood over or to Manhattan for pretty much everything except paper towels. The ideal solution would be to live one block from the Park Slope Food Coop. Except then you'd have to live in Park Slope, of course.

As for this house, the layout is perfect. The look would benefit from strategic upgrades: Plaster over the brick, better light fixtures, get rid of that fan please!, put in a more substantial looking iron stair outside.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 6:11 PM in response to House of the Day: 119 Fort Greene Place

These layouts are problematic in the extreme, and the style of the kitchens and baths is standard Home Depot. You could get much better bang for the same buck in a pre-war coop in Flatbush or Jackson Heights or in one of the Apts & Lofts type condos in Williamsburg or Bushwick.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:46 PM in response to Price Cuts at 156 Pulaski Street

Happy nothing serious and nobody hurt.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Mrs. B Side-Swiped In The Heights

I once saw someone wearing a tshirt that said "Northside, please hold."

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:32 PM in response to Thursday Blogwrap

I heard a huge crashing, thrashing sound last week and rushed into the kitchen to see a mouse leap and soar like a gold medalist in the mousie Olympics over my glue trap and around a corner (while in mid-air) and then run straight at me across the kitchen floor and under my legs as I simultaneously reversed course and leapt straight upward and then onto the bed to escape it, while it ran under the bed and was not seen again.

Three hours of mouse screams from a less skilled relative two days before apparently did nothing to discourage this mouse.

We suffocate them in plastic bags after we catch them in the glue traps.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:31 PM in response to Mouse Infestation - Help!

I would definitely set aside several thousand dollars in an emergency repair fund, similar to what coops do. CMU or Wasder had a good formula for this, but I can't remember what they said. I would say at least $15,000 and maybe as much as $40,000 in case you need a roof, facade, plaster (in case of flood), boiler, or need to relocate a family of raccoons.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 5:06 PM in response to Cost of Owning a Brownstone

I think Harlem is right. Also, just FYI, prices will be lowest in January and July. Inventory will also be lowest in January and highest in May and September.

My own opinion on prices is that they're nearing stabilization but will go down again if and when interest rates increase and/or foreclosures or unemployment increase. Note NYT said today Fed is keeping rates low.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 4:57 PM in response to Park Slope PPSF

It's perfectly possible she could have a screw loose. I used to have a neighbor like this -- she is a friend also, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to be her landlord.

As others say, do not renew her lease.

In general, in situations like this, you have to say no and tell them not to call you.

Posted by: mopar at November 5, 2009 4:35 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

Just spoke to the owner, Eric. He was extremely nice, and they are going to finish the job for the original estimate. Whew. I am so relieved. I just had to post this right away so we can both relax.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 10:34 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

I now have the original written work order. It says run water for washing machine, replace leaking waste pipe, $1795. The claim of the office manager is that the list of materials did not include copper pipe, so therefore she did not realize the job included hooking up the water, even though the work order stated so, and so she did not include labor or materials for it. She claims connecting to the supply pipes (inches away) will take five hours. Seems to me this is not my problem. The price seems outlandish. Now they've done part of the job but not hooked up the water, and I haven't paid them anything yet.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 9:57 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

They absolutely came out and looked the whole thing over carefully before they gave me the quote. Twice, in fact.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 9:45 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

What to do now? They've been there one day, it is probably half installed. All the quotes were over the phone, nothing written down. I did take notes, but that's not going to get me anywhere.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 4:06 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

Please elaborate. Is this just sheer out-and-out dishonesty? They tell me one thing, then show up and tell me another? Or is this the price all licensed and insured plumbers charge?

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

Kens! Yes, I am in Monday class. Damn, it would be so fun to be in the same class with you.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 3:47 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?

According to NYC law, this has to be filed. We're not just hooking up a washing machine to existing plumbing. It's kind of too late though. They're already doing it. Since they got the date wrong, the quote wrong, and told me this at the last possible minute. This is Aladdin by the way. Is this a normal price for a licensed and insured company? This just seems completely outrageous.

(They charge $160 on an hourly basis.)

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Cost of Plumbing for Washer?

I am not loving this apartment. Aside from the obvious flaws mentioned above, such as being overpriced by at least $200,000, there have been too many changes and too many walls moved around. Makes me uneasy. Suspect the original setup was as a one bedroom with the bedroom in the square middle room, the kitchen in the back, and the dining/living room in front.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 32 Willow Place, #9

The 80s are back anyway.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 2:31 PM in response to House of the Day: 238 Windsor Place

You naysayers are the same ones who complain that the cost of ownership in Park Slope, etc., is higher than the cost of renting. Yet when you see a house where the cost of owning is in line with renting (cheaper, actually), you dismiss it and say it's overpriced.

The only way this house could go lower would be if rents continue to decrease. Or if it were vandalized to the point where you would need cash or a 203K loan to buy it.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 2:24 PM in response to Rate It: 513 MacDonough Street Sells for $420,000

This is a wonderful bargain for a brick house in this area. Presumably it needs an electrical and plumbing upgrade, but is currently habitable -- hence the price. Please note that cost of owning is considerably less than renting.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 2:02 PM in response to Rate It: 513 MacDonough Street Sells for $420,000

Excellent. Curious, do you know what he charged per square foot? Also, did he recommend filling gaps in boards with wood filler?

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Floor Sander Recommendation

Hm, not sure about this, but maybe Guerrero's Inc. can help? They are an engineering-architecture-permit firm on Wyckoff Ave. in Bushwick. They are very practical, and can help with structural engineering. They are also very reasonable and honest. The office number is 718) 497-2244, owner is Hector Guerrero. Another engineer there is Dennis Kanalis, he speaks English very well.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 12:50 PM in response to Excavation - Who to ask?

Wow! Check the CO. This is potentially very dangerous.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 12:45 PM in response to Furnace Malfunction?

We are taking the NHS class right now. Very nice, fun teacher who knows what he's talking about, fun students. I have a big complaint about the class though. The classes should be 1.5 hours long, not three hours long. One and a half hours into the evening, I got it, and everything else is just tortuous repetition. And isn't everyone really tired after working all day, and for some of us, the trip to Flatbush is long. I guess if I actually loved home repair, I would enjoy cutting 2x4s and drywall over and over and over again, but actually I can't stand it. I kinda like the plumbing though.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 12:41 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?

Hey all, if anyone is still reading, I saw the stain samples today. Our floor guy sanded the pine, then sealed it with something to even out the coloration slightly, then painted five samples.

He tried Minwax Early American, Golden Oak, Pecan, Cherry, and Natural. Early American was the darkest and Natural was the lightest, and they both showed the most contrast -- the highest mix of lights and darks. Natural gave a real "pine" look, if that's what you're after. We nixed both of those because the contrast was so extreme.

Cherry and Golden Oak had the most even tones of all, and I happened to like the Golden Oak color, so we went with that. You have to try the samples on your own floor, because the colors will be different, but on our floor, Golden Oak was a nice warm light medium brown with no red, orange, or yellow tones. Cherry and pecan also looked nice, but not as close to the color we were looking for.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 12:27 PM in response to Staining Regular Oak Floors Dark

Good answer, owner. Thank you. Funny, Heather.

Posted by: mopar at November 4, 2009 12:18 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #207

At least one restaurant that makes reference to the local origons of its ingredients.

Posted by: mopar at November 3, 2009 10:10 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

Horrifying article. Fungal mat -- I want to know more.

Posted by: mopar at November 3, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Air Quality Assessment

Congrats on new baby. I concur with what Denton has said. If there is mold in the basement, it is no place for a baby. If there is mold present, an air purifier is not a solution. You can bring in the mold experts to test. It is pretty pricey -- $950 to $2,000. Chances are if the rooms are below grade, it is a problem, and you don't need to test to know that.

Not sure how many bedrooms you have above grade, but if you (parents) are not already sleeping in living room, you should consider it. With the right furniture (no more than cost of mold inspectors!) this can be a very nice solution. Helps greatly to have door that closes, of course.

Posted by: mopar at November 3, 2009 2:55 PM in response to Air Quality Assessment

Everybody uses Craigslist to find FRBO.

Posted by: mopar at November 3, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Responses to Author's Forum Comments

"where they called my husband for a decision, who would have to call me; who would call the plumber/electrician, who would then call my husband back instead of me."

Seems like your husband's fault here, lol. Why didn't your husband just tell the contractor you were in charge, and refuse to discuss it?

Ask him that tonight over dinner :-)

LOL -- we talked numerous times about how asinine it was that contractors refused to call me. It was like they were going through contortions NOT to talk to me. My husband and I would both tell them to stop calling him and to call me, yet they couldn't get it through their thick heads. Like a mental block or something that a woman would have decision making capacity.

I used to deal with this nonsense all the time when I worked in IT as a programmer and doing tech support. I worked at a huge academic medical center and the doctors would always questioned my ability when I showed up to fix their computers; my male colleagues never got second guessed like I did. Since they were essentially paying me, I took more BS than I would have liked, but when I'm doing the hiring, I reserve the right not to work with any contractors who have a pathological inability to respect women!

Posted by: brooklynstyle at November 6, 2009 7:14 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

the stupidest part of this is that some of my employees are women. and we still make dumbass sexist jokes..

Posted by: eman1234 at November 6, 2009 8:30 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

eman1234
since when is making a pass at a woman considered a culture?
You't can't imagine how many men bug the crap outta me on a daily basis.
Tis the season to be jolly.........

Posted by: Ysabelle at November 6, 2009 10:20 PM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Listen, the reality is that women get hazed in stereotypically male work environments, and shouldn't need tougher skin than men in similar positions but absolutely do.

As a woman who has worked on way more jobsites than offices, I have survived and thrive because I have a very dirty mouth, am not afraid of conflict and am just about impossible to offend. I also go ahead and sympathize with how weird it looks to see a tiny blonde woman lifting a 100-lb bag of cement, actively point out that I am smaller than my co-workers, and generally don't try to act like everything's normal. I am a novelty, and honestly it's easier and more honest to work with it than it is to work against it.

You can't change people, but you can behave as if you will be treated the way you want to be treated, and empathize with the fact that a lot of people in the trades have very little formal education, come from countries that are really sexist, and live in a much more gendered world than you do. This mixture of integrity and empathy is strong. It doesn't work instantly, and is more about developing relationships than negotiating the hardware store, but it works really well.

Posted by: vanburenproud at November 7, 2009 9:33 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

The surprising thing about this thread is it is full of women I had previously assumed were men.

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:36 AM in response to Contractors & Chauvinism

Oh! Well, then it's to be darn difficult to find a carpenter who can fix them.

They broke? Snapped in two? Metal?

Posted by: mopar at November 7, 2009 10:39 AM in response to Drawer Rails

My two cents.
Replacing bathroom fixtures is really easy if all goes as planned, but throw in a leaky shut off valve, corroded pipes, or any of the million other things that can go wrong and things get annoying very quickly. If I were a novice, I would make sure I had a friend on standby who knew what he or she was doing and could come over and bail me out if it came to it. Otherwise you may end up shaving (or worse) in the kitchen sink for a few days.
Installing crown molding in my opinion is more difficult to do than flooring, but it's going to be a lot less intrusive on your life style than the flooring.
If you're doing tongue and groove hardwood, you can get by with a circular saw since if you do it correctly, all of your cuts will be hidden by either baseboard or shoe molding so you have a little wiggle room. Rent the nailer, which will put you on a tighter timeline for getting things done, but it's one of those tools that you're not going to use very often. Laminate click and lock flooring is easier and requires very few tools.
I hate installing crown molding. It's a pain in the neck to get it perfect, and it looks terrible if you don't.

Posted by: Bond at November 7, 2009 12:17 PM in response to DIY Beginner Project?

the little balls fall out. so the inner rail is very loose relatively to the outer rail. I need to buy the replacement assembly. Installing is not that difficult. Than you for attention in any case.

Posted by: bobjohn at November 7, 2009 12:28 PM in response to Drawer Rails