nybk01's Profile
- Tim
- 1999
- 2006
- Brooklyn
- Bay Ridge
- House
- voiceover production company owner
- Male
- 28
Author's Posts
June 13, 2009
RE: Open tread stairs and cable
This is in RE to my earlier post:
http://www.brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2009/06/open_tread_stai.php
Regarding the 4" rule...The 4" rule does not apply to cables (as I have understood), but rather it applied to the gap between the risers on the stairs. Basically the gap between the stairs according to the new NY law can not be bigger then 4". I honestly dont see how a child can get through a 4" space.
June 11, 2009
Open tread stairs and cable side
Im just wondering if anyone has this with kids? We are building a house and want to do this but Im not sure how safe it is. we have no kids yet but soon.
May 23, 2009
Break up cement patio on Sat?
This may be a stupid question, but id rather ask then get fined. We are building a house in Bay Ridge. Im wondering if I can go there and break up a cement patio on a Saturday with a hammer. No power tools. Is it ok to make a little noise like this on the weekend? Or can I get a fine for doing some sort of "unpermited weekend work"?
April 13, 2009
Sidewalk was cut but no trees!
Im just wondering if anyone else who requested street trees has had this happen to them. I know that the Parks Dept has until May 15th ...but they are doing some odd things on my block. Basically they made 15 sidewalk cuts for the 15 trees that we are getting. Then they came a week later and took the cement out of 7 of them and planted 1 tree. a few weeks ago they came and planted the other 6 trees. But Im concerned because we have 7 trees now and 8 spots where they cut the sidewalk...but have not filled those 8 spots in with dirt yet! Is it possible that the Parks Dept didnt see these 8 spots that they made the cuts? Has anyone seen something like this on their block?
Spanish tile roof company
Im wondering if anyone knows a Spanish tile roofing company here in Brooklyn. We visited a company in Great Neck over the weekend, but I would like to meet with another supplier also to compare prices.
April 4, 2009
good wine bar in Park Slope area
Anyone know a good wine bar in Park Slope or the surrounding area?
March 29, 2009
Anyone use "Urban Homes"?
I posted about looking for a kitchen designer yesterday. I also went to "Urban Homes" on 11th and 51st. They design modern kitchens and their product line is "Aster Cucine". I was very impressed by their cabinetry and innovative ideas. Has anyone used these guys before?
March 28, 2009
looking for a kitchen designer
We are looking for someone to help us design our kitchen....maybe bathrooms too! We are gutting our house in Bay Ridge, so we really have to create the new spaces throughout. However, I am having the most concerns about the kitchen and the master bath. We want them to be VERY modern...our contractor says he can do whatever we tell him to do, but I am not sure what I want to do! Has anyone worked with a good kitchen and bath designer they can recommend?
February 24, 2009
looking for expiditer
My architects expideter is giving us a hard time and I'm looking for someone who is responsible and can help me get my papers to the plan examiner asap. Does anyone know a good licensed expiditer who is available asap?
February 9, 2009
where to find pics of Pk Slope?
I am writing a screenplay along with another writer in LA...I need to send him pics of Park Slope as the main character has a small shop on 5th avenue...does anyone know a website that I can find cute pics of Park Slope?
Author's Comments
Yes, thats what Im saying...I mean it may or may not apply to cables...but you have to have them 3-4" appart to be safe.
Posted by: nybk01 at June 13, 2009 10:02 PM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
Just be sure you properly research bamboo floors...the natural and carbonized are rather soft...we are building a house and are going with the strand woven bamboo as it is almost as hard as brazilian Teak.
Posted by: nybk01 at June 13, 2009 8:35 PM in response to Bamboo flooring - recommendation
Northheights, Thats a good point! Essentially we could do the cable system throughout the house and install the acryllic when we have kids. This is something im going to look into! Thanks for the great advice!
Posted by: nybk01 at June 12, 2009 10:00 AM in response to Open tread stairs and cable side
Yes, the 4 inch rule is what my contractor already mentioned to me. Did you happen to continue this cable rail system along a balcony or anything? That was my bigger concern. Along the balcont the kids could climb this like a latter. We are thinking to do the bable rail system on the stairs but along the balconies (which look down to the 1st floor) we were going to do a glass rail system (but use a acrylic product that looks like glass but will not shatter). I think that will still give the modern look yet we wont have to worry about the kids climbing on the cables and POSSIBLY falling.
Posted by: nybk01 at June 12, 2009 9:25 AM in response to Open tread stairs and cable side
Ha! Wow...we are going through this right now too! Here is what we are doing:
We are doing a gut reno and adding on a large portion of the house...we hired a great GC...he supplied the architect as part of the deal. It turns out the architect is an old man (nothing wrong with that!) who is very old school...doesnt know how to use email...and takes FOREVER to return calls/set up meetings/get ANYTHING done. After 5 months of dealing with him and ENDLESS trips by the expiditer to the DOB to get our plan approved (which we finally got approved), I decided I can not deal with him anymore. But like you said...he is the filing architect and you dont want to go through the nightmare. In my case, because my architect is so slow and useless, it was easy. We hired an AMAZING interior designer who basically saved my life. She has top notch knowledge and works with an architect also. I told my architect that I was workin with the designer and that she would take care of EVERYTHING else from here on in...all we needed him to do was to sign off on everything. So I now have my interior designer and her team finishing the plan...we will have to make an amendment with the DOB, but as we are not moving anything structural its not going to be a big deal. If you want my interior designers info just let me know...she charges a normal rate...she is VERY fair and can help you with your interior and her architect can help you with what ever else you need.
Posted by: nybk01 at April 16, 2009 4:54 PM in response to Switching Architects
Not sure if anyone knows but most of these large houses owned by the Orthodox Jews are also hooked up with $100,000-$200,000 smart home technologies...I visited the house of an Orthodox Jew who showed me how everything works. As they are not supposed to be doing anything physicall during Shabatt, the homes are on full auto pilot and do everything from turn lights on and off to open and close window treatments. It was unreal!
Posted by: nybk01 at April 15, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
Thanks again Vinca!
Posted by: nybk01 at April 13, 2009 10:00 AM in response to Sidewalk was cut but no trees!
Thanks! Another company is http://www.tejasborja.us/ . This place in LI provides these products as well as the Ludowici.
Posted by: nybk01 at April 13, 2009 9:01 AM in response to Spanish tile roof company
lol...I would never have moved right next to a basketball court in that area...dont you see what goes on at inner city basketball courts? Drugs, fights, stupid kids yelling...
Posted by: nybk01 at April 10, 2009 12:46 PM in response to Teen Challenge loves Basketball
Thanks all!
Posted by: nybk01 at April 5, 2009 10:18 AM in response to good wine bar in Park Slope area
Ysabelle,
Disconect your cell phone.
Posted by: nybk01 at March 31, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Mailing Address Scam?
Thanks Ysabelle...Im waiting for my quote...Ill know if Ill need that CC or not then!
Posted by: nybk01 at March 29, 2009 7:15 PM in response to Anyone use "Urban Homes"?
Thanks Ysabelle for the obnoxious response.
Posted by: nybk01 at March 29, 2009 10:40 AM in response to Anyone use "Urban Homes"?
Hi,
It really depends what you want to do and who you use. I am doing an extensive renovation (gutting, extending the house on 3 sides) in Bay Ridge. We are spending about $450K. Renovating is a lot of work..especially if you would gut the place. Its also all about finding a contractor who has good connections and good workers.
Posted by: nybk01 at March 18, 2009 10:47 AM in response to Buying Advice
Villabatte in Bensonhurst!
Posted by: nybk01 at March 12, 2009 10:38 AM in response to Leske's SUCKS
thanks all!
Posted by: nybk01 at February 24, 2009 1:33 PM in response to looking for expiditer
lol...see boofers post...thats the guy. I was in this place with my contractor...what a dump.
Posted by: nybk01 at February 24, 2009 10:43 AM in response to Clinton Avenue 'Haunted House' in Contract
Sorry, I need an "expediter" not an "expIditer"...lol
Posted by: nybk01 at February 24, 2009 9:47 AM in response to looking for expiditer
nybk01 wrote a review about Cafe Steinhof on February 23, 2009 12:40 PM
I love the wamth of this place on a Friday or Saturday evening!
10K for a couch? lol...You must be one of those rich CEOs that gets million dollar bonuses!
Posted by: nybk01 at February 20, 2009 6:46 PM in response to George Smith sofa for sale
As far as I know a buyer cant get a mortgage for this as it is not in move in condition.
Posted by: nybk01 at February 17, 2009 10:58 AM in response to 2 Family Shell In Crown Heights
lol...who buys a property without a lawyer...the brokers are all working for the seller...not the buyer, even if they are real nice to you. We just bought a house and I never saw the documents until closing...it was great!
Posted by: nybk01 at February 17, 2009 10:57 AM in response to First Co-op Purchase. 300 pages?
I bought a house and decided to knock it down and rebuild it...that sucks...
Posted by: nybk01 at February 9, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Is Buyer's Remorse Normal?
Check out these guys:
Posted by: nybk01 at February 6, 2009 12:00 PM in response to Electric fireplace insert
You will get a large amount of people telling you they used Verazzanno Flooring...they are one of the most popular companies.
Posted by: nybk01 at February 1, 2009 11:10 AM in response to Wood Floor Refinishing?
Ours went up $98,000! Ugh...I dont know if this is a good thing or a bad thing :-)
Posted by: nybk01 at January 29, 2009 3:35 PM in response to NYC-assessed market value
Welcome to the hood! Im moving there too soon (we are building a house now!). I dont know all that much about schools there either, but Im sure they are very good.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 29, 2009 3:32 PM in response to Preschools in Bay Ridge
Wow! 2 years? we are doing a gut reno and adding on a large portion and our plans had been disapproved for a little over a month and I though I was in a bad situation. Did you call the plan examiner yet to ask him whats going on? You may want to do that...thats what I did, but it turned out my architect was on top of it anyways.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 29, 2009 3:31 PM in response to Getting out of an AIA contract
Forget the $8000 stove...the refrigerator looks like the Professional Subzero series that runs for $14,000...We were just at Drimmers looking at this, but we settled for the lesser price Subzero fridge.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 28, 2009 11:29 AM in response to Interiors: Inside a Brooklyn Heights Brownstone Kitchen
$1200 for a ticket? lol...what are you smoking?
Posted by: nybk01 at January 27, 2009 8:40 AM in response to Brooklyn Real Estate Roundtable
Mopar-
Dont worry....my basement is worse...We are totally redoing it, but right now its scary as hell!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 24, 2009 10:50 AM in response to What is wrong with this picture?
This place is scary!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 23, 2009 5:02 PM in response to What is wrong with this picture?
Thanks for the info! We most likely do need this as the plan examiner is telling me to get it done. We are extending the back and side of the house...this is a major reno job.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 21, 2009 6:17 PM in response to DOB needs some documents...help!
Yes, I just spoke with my lawyer and it turns out I have these Exibit things...I guess it is the title and the schedule A.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 21, 2009 4:06 PM in response to DOB needs some documents...help!
Wow...I hope that doesnt happen here.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 13, 2009 8:00 PM in response to I LOVE the Parks Dept!
lol...sounds good to me. If there were no people that cared about their neighborhoods people would complain...and if there are people that care about their neighborhoods people complain also.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 13, 2009 2:56 PM in response to I LOVE the Parks Dept!
They dont know, but even if they find out thats not my problem. If they dont want a street tree they can go move to a plain in Kansas.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 13, 2009 1:13 PM in response to I LOVE the Parks Dept!
All I did was fill out that tree request form for everyones address on my street. I also checked off the box "consider to plant the entire street".
I originally requested a few trees last May for the December 08 planting. A girl from the parks dept called me and told me they got my request. I asked her when I could find out if the tree would get planted and she gave me her number and told me to call her in September. So I called and she told me they could only do 1 tree. Then, I called her again in late December to thank her for the tree and I asked her how I can get the entire block planted...she told me to fill out 1 request per address on the street, but to put my info for the contact person. So thats all I did and it worked.
I recommend to just go on the parks dept site and fill out the request for every address like I did. We only had 4 trees on our block...so Im sure there was more of an urge to plant here then a tree lined street elsewhere.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 13, 2009 12:48 PM in response to I LOVE the Parks Dept!
Not sure if anyone saw the Dyker place...but its not too pretty for a new construction...it looks like a Fedders condo...but the house version.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 13, 2009 12:04 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales
Im not sure what they are doing but when I go there the home page no longer has the drop down menues for Brooklyn and the neighborhoods! This is so annoying!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 12, 2009 10:25 AM in response to New NY Times Real Estate site
correct, but the city will only do one at a time..we need to plant many trees, so we need to do it ourselves.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 7, 2009 9:51 AM in response to needed:someone to cut a sidewalk
JIB-
Can you send me your contractors phone number? I would like to use him...please let me know. Email me at info at metroavonline dot com .
Posted by: nybk01 at January 7, 2009 9:01 AM in response to needed:someone to cut a sidewalk
Go to Drimmers...talk them down...ask them for the free wine refrigerator!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 6, 2009 12:06 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?
I just spend $30,000 at Drimmers and got a free wine refrigerator!!! WHOooOoOoO!!!!!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 5, 2009 7:07 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?
Auntfun,
You can call my contractor at WS Contracting. He is renovating the mansion on 421 Clinton Ave if you want to see his work. He is cheap and does a great job: Jimmy 917-682 6729 . Tell him Tim refered you.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 5, 2009 12:33 PM in response to Good demolition contractors
Vinca,
Yes, we have been requesting trees for the past few seasons...we get 1 per season :-( ...but we need many more as our street had no trees on it. I want to find someone who has experience with this whole process and can get the permits and maintain the trees for a short time as the city requires.
Posted by: nybk01 at January 3, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Street tree planter/landscaping company needed
Damn! We are renovating our home in Bay Ridge and are building a fireplace! ...but it wont be ready for this yer, but this wood would have been nice!
Posted by: nybk01 at January 2, 2009 9:09 AM in response to Free Firewood
Just dont base your decision off of other peoples opinions...if you ask most transplants (people from outside NYC) they will tell you not to go to SI and that you MUST live in an area with quick access to the city...if you ask most people here in Brownstoner they will tell you to move to a downtown Brooklyn area where there are Brownstones (although Im surprised no one here has complained yet!). I just bought a house in Bay Ridge BK and I had many people tell me that Bay Ridge is like living in Long Isand...so dont listen to other people. The truth is (in my opinion) in that what ever boro you live in you still have rather quick access to Manhattan if you need to go there at all. Im a producer and I have a studio in the city...but I do all my work in my studio in my house in Bay Ridge...so I dont even need to go to the city every day! ..So for me I just wanted back yard and driveway and I got it in BR.
Posted by: nybk01 at December 28, 2008 5:05 PM in response to st. george staten island
Maybe its his company and he had no where to go on Christmas...I guess Id work too if I had no family to see.
Posted by: nybk01 at December 28, 2008 4:51 PM in response to Closing Bell: Working on Christmas
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
How do you build an open staircase with less than a 4" gap between risers, unless you are using stair treads that are 3" thick (presuming a 7" step). ???
Denton?
(PS: I think you won an O'Douls. I'm preggers).
Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at June 13, 2009 11:30 PM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
saturday, I hear ya. My gap is 7" btw risers.
Maybe these staircases frazzle the inspectors so much, being new, that they just sign off. Altho that didn't work for my new boiler.
eman, we don't think it's corny looking. What I think is corny looking is cheap pine risers with cheap mass-produced turned vertical balustrades. But to each his own. Nevertheless if you consult such books as 'Creating the New American Townhouse' and 'Brooklyn Modern' similar open stairs are more the rule than the exception.
Posted by: denton at June 14, 2009 8:06 AM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
This is just a pic I found...we will be doing thicker risers and wood railings with the cables below. The pic here looks a little cheap.
Posted by: nybk01 at June 14, 2009 11:31 AM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
4-inch thick treads would be pretty sweet....
Posted by: tybur6 at June 14, 2009 2:28 PM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
We got strand woven bamboo from Green Depot. Very reasonably priced and rock-hard. Our contractor, Carlos from J Thomas Construction, did a great job installing it. He liked it so much he might put it in his own house!
Posted by: UnprotectedWrecks at June 14, 2009 7:10 PM in response to Bamboo flooring - recommendation
denton...this look can be gorgeous if detailed properly...look at the stairs of luis barragan http://www.pushpullbar.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=3569&stc=1&d=1126971169
or the matal railings in the yale art museum stairs by louis kahn....http://farm1.static.flickr.com/167/369389643_0acdb1efe4.jpg
but this aluminum storefront version is really cheesy looking in my view..
Posted by: eman1234 at June 14, 2009 8:53 PM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable
We also ordered from Green Depot. We got the EcoTimber strand woven bamboo (honey color):
http://www.ecotimber.com/bamboo-flooring.php
All of the advice above about using strand woven is spot on -- much harder than the other types. Our contractor also loved it ... email me offline at my nickname @mac.com for contact information.
Josh
Posted by: josh59x at June 14, 2009 10:14 PM in response to Bamboo flooring - recommendation
According to a strict reading of the building code open risers are not allowed not are horizontal railings.
People generally do what they want when it comes to single family residential units but responsibility would fall to the owner.
Posted by: oldrte10 at June 15, 2009 9:53 AM in response to Open tread stairs and cable side
We bought ours and had it installed by Verrazano Flooring. We love it. If you email me I can send photos.
Posted by: clintonhillgirl at June 16, 2009 8:21 PM in response to Bamboo flooring - recommendation
Check out http://thecheapreport.com for a buying guide to cheap/inexpensive kitchen appliances. The buying guides lets you know what you get, what you are missing and whether you should consider an inexpensive/cheap product. They have cheap guides to dishwashers, blenders, toasters, & refrigerators.
Posted by: brm23 at August 13, 2009 8:43 AM in response to need recommendation on inexpensive kitchen cabinets and counter please
This is just a pic I found...we will be doing thicker risers and wood railings with the cables below. The pic here looks a little cheap.
Posted by: nybk01 at June 14, 2009 11:31 AM in response to RE: Open tread stairs and cable