denton, for national grid 2008 is good (I've applied) not for Federal (however, for Federal the date is for 'placed into service' which could be 2009 if you completed the work in 2008 end, but did not start using the residence till 2009. hypothetically.)

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Energy Saving Seminar Follow up

For New York residents, is the NYSERDA rebate separate from the National Grid rebate? Can you provide the specific webpage? I'm having a hard time locating the rebate you mentioned on the NYSERDA website.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Energy Saving Seminar Follow up

Just for closure for someone who is reading this in the archives:
I did go ahead and get all my appliances from Abt. They were great and the whole thing went off without an issue. The frig door had an issue and they responded to my concerns, and were willing to replace it or call the company, however, I eventually got Kitchenaid to fix it for me. Same with the stove. But, Abt were among the mst pleasant to deal with and gave me among the best deals (primarily because of no sales tax). The appliances all came in good condition. I contacted eba and J&R who are not authorized dealers for Electrolux, so that could jeopardize the warranty. Drimmer's was pushy and rude. They made me give them proof of the other's prices before they would meet them and then were disgruntled when I did not go with them. AJ MAdison had the highest prices.
So Abt works and I feel much more confident about them and would recommend them.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 2:18 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

I keep finding bits of your post that I have not addressed. My yard is south facing, but the above mentioned Magnolia (star magnolia) shades a portion of it (which is lovely in the summer). I have a little pond (in a buried wooden barrel) that will provide drinking water for my bees.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:25 PM in response to Forest Gardening

Also, grow the salad greens in containers so you can move them to shade in the summer so they do not flower and become bitter. That way you have salad all year from your garden. The grape vine is going to give us much needed shade on the patio and also hopefully fruit. The cherry is a Surefire semidwarf variety. With fruit trees, you can prune them to whatever size you want them to be, but also use a dwarfing rootstock. I have a huge magnolia, that provides much shade and habitat, but I was toying with the idea of replacing it with an edible crabapple that would do the same, plus fruit. Don't have the heart to chop down a lovely tree though.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:22 PM in response to Forest Gardening

vanburenproud, dunno if you're still reading this:
I think it might be cramped, but then that's the point, so that you avoid the open spaces where weeds can take hold. Check out the four trees in a hole (google this) method of growing fruit tres. I also looked at the path of sun and shade for a season befroe deciding what I could squeeze in where) and did some planning. And if they are cramped, they might be a little stunted, which for my yard is fine. Select dwarf varieties and shade bearers, to make up for lack of space and sun.
This year, planning a Mars grape vine, another blueberry bush (sorry daylilies, goodbye, although they too are edible). Forgot to mention I also have an edible Aronia.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Forest Gardening

How interesting! We have the same boiler albeit the 80,000 BTUH wall hung model and the Superstor Ultra. When I have time, I will post pics. Just had it installed last year. Awaiting the Keyspan rebates. No Federal rebates for 2008 installations :-(
We have only one zone (our rads are pretty well balanced in terms of size compared to heat loss) and we retained the cast iron rads due to their high mass which actually works really well with low temp systems like these.
Denton is right. Read the manual. Our installer had set the set point (the highest temp the boiler water reaches) at 180F which made the boiler short cycle (keep switching on and off). I set it at 127F and it has stayed there all winter. The rads never get too hot, but they emit a pleasant gentle heat and the house warms up pretty quickly too. The great thing about this boiler is how little the room temp fluctuates. We spent about 13.5K for our setup (we did not rip out the rads and piping in the house) which vents out the back of the house.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:00 PM in response to More Boiler Porn

Something like it. I have about 7 fruit bearing plants (a young sour cherry tree, blackberry bush ready to bear this year, red currant, gooseberry, passion fruit vine, strawberries, blueberry bush) in my backyard, do not weed, make compost and am going to have bees this year. Also planning a grape vine. Harvested dandelions last year, but did not eat much. Planted lettuce and salad greens (and ate them), okra (loved it), allow wild tomatoes from the compost to sprout and bear (very tasty snacks I must say), scallions are a perennial, as are a variety of herbs. And our yard is only 17 'x 40'.

Posted by: ohiise at February 26, 2009 2:49 PM in response to Forest Gardening

Hi,
Just caught this thread. I need a 38" tall 6-8 section radiator. Please contact me: yash7 at aol

Posted by: ohiise at February 19, 2009 4:16 PM in response to Antique Radiators

A week ago, I installed a Jotul F3 cast iron wood burning stove in my garden floor kitchen. It's airtight and EPA certified, so it's efficient and burns less wood with less emissions. We'd had the flues relined with stainless steel liner prior to this when restoring the FP upstairs. There are separate flues for the FP and the stove. Manny did the relining work and restored the FP upstairs a year ago.
I feel that you have more options with a wood/ gas stove than with an FP. You won't have to have the firebox rebuilt and can keep it the way it is. FPs are open, so the smoke can easily backdraft if the flues / firebox are not accurately built. With stoves, the gases have mainly one way to go. Woodstoves generally use a 6" dia flue and at the point where your chimney ends, you could run double wall pipe from outside to the roof. That would work, IMHO and would be a shorter run than running double wall pipe from top to bottom. It really helps to keep most of your flue inside the house, so that it is warm and drafts better. Whn picking someone to do the work, make sure that they have experience with wood stove installation (as well as FP) since there are some important aspects, especially in how the stove pipe is run to the chimney, etc.
As far as esthetics, the stove has a smaller fire (since we'd be heated out of the room if we used a really large stove with a roaring fire), but it has an ambience too. And it heats much better than the FP upstairs using less wood. Besides the Jotul F3 allows you to keep the door open and use a firescreen which is then like a fireplace. How large is the space you intend to install the wood stove in? Also look at fireplace inserts. Again, no rebuilding, just relining. And if all else fails, look at gel fireplaces. Great ambience, no heat.

Posted by: ohiise at February 5, 2009 3:35 PM in response to Chimney/Woodburning Stove

With a cover on, the convective heat currents carried by the air, would just be directed out of the front grille and then could rise straight up anyways, so I do not understand how a cover would prevent that.
Covers block the best part of the heat of a radiator, which is the radiated heat that does not dry the room and is more even and force it to give off it's heat mainly by convection.
Theoretically the paint color would affect radiation and the best color would then be matte black. Silver paint was used on rads that were oversized to acually DECREASE heat output. But, in real life it does not make much of a difference.
Latex paint is harder to strip down the road if you wanted to restore your rads and their ornamental detail. Ideally, you should at least use an oil-based primer on cast iron. And no, high-heat paint is not necessary. Like cmu says, they do not get that hot, like stoves or barbecue grills.
Has anyone ever heard of kids seriously burning themselves on a radiator without a cover? Especially hotwater rads? Or is that just one of those urban things that get passed on.

Posted by: ohiise at January 28, 2009 12:09 PM in response to Should you paint radiators?

We switched to Coned solutions because they gave us green electricity last year (I supose they're affiliated). But, we've not had any issues at all and don't even notice it. Go to the poweryourway website and there are links to a website that you can use to compare costs, etc., source of electricity (coal/ gas/ wind/ hydroelectric. etc) and then make a choice. I think you can switch back in a month or so if you don't like it.

Posted by: ohiise at January 28, 2009 11:39 AM in response to Shoping for ConEd alternatives

We bought a fixer upper, but nothing as bad as the one you are contemplating. This is serious work and stress. Especially, if you have not done it before. We are toward the end of gut renovating the entire ground floor. And it is nasty, stressful and crazy. Even with a lot of preparation. If I had to do it over(I did love the house though and still do, that's why we are here and doing it) I still would, but it is not to be wished upon your worst enemies. Do the math, get an engineer over, several contractors. Where will you live? Pay rent and mortgage? And how will you work in the middle of all this. To each his own, but this is not something to be taken lightly. When we bought, the engineer said, 'Oh this is just... This will just cost...'. NOT!
And isn't this a market where you can get deals? Have you looked around a lot?
My 2 c.

Posted by: ohiise at January 6, 2009 8:14 AM in response to renovation, and insanity

also, ABT send out real authorized techs during the one year free warranty that you have with them. i would have breathed easier if i'd known the stuff was coming from somewhere closer rather than all the way from chicago. like eman said, what do you do if its damaged. wait 7 days for the replacement? altho the local store may take that long or longer, it's the psychological fact of the distance that played a major role for me.

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 10:26 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

eman1234, you made me change my mind. i had actually placed my order and then cancelled it. altho' i have this to say about abt: they really have great customer service. i have spoken to them at least thrice today and they are really courteous, no pressure, helpful. and gave me no hassle about cancelling my order.
i may just go with drimmers having bought from them earlier and try to get them to lower their price. they are a known quantity for us. or j&r which came in lowest.

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 10:22 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

I hae a fireplace (which btw, heats really well, we turn of the heat on those nights we have it on). It radiates loads of heat. I would have taken your wood.

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 4:35 PM in response to Free Firewood

OK, here are the prices I got for my 4 appliances, total with tax and any delivery charges:

AJ Madison: 4980.91
Drimmers 4848.70
EBA 4846.73
J&R 4752.23
ABT 4629
So ABT came in lowest.
But that is because there is no sales tax for ABT.

Otherwise for base price + delivery charges without sales tax, J&R came in lowest, followed by Drimmers, EBA, AJM and then ABT!!

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 4:15 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

We had a similar boiler installed recently as well. The Lochinvar Knight. Like the Viessman it too is a modulating and condensing energystar high efficiency boiler. BTW, National Grid has a $1100 rebate for those if you have the outdoor reset, indirect tank and thermostat. Claim it!

Well, I am no plumber, but it seems to me our system is not balanced. High efficiency boiler or not. There may be too much radiator suface available downstairs and too little upstairs (of course in comparison to the need / heat loss of the different areas). Are these separate zones controlled by separate thermostats? Appears not.
Is this a continuous circulation system? If so all rads will have TRVs on them that allow you to control each rad individually. If not, you could have those installed esp. on the lower rads, so that those would shut off when warm allowing the upper rads to continue heating (provided the thermostat does not shut off prior to that).
A lot also depends on where the thermostat is located too.

Check out www.heatinghelp.com

Incidentally, would you mind sharing who did the install.

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 3:43 PM in response to Boiler questions

They said they shipped to Brooklyn a lot (and all over the nation). There is also no sales tax (although a shipping charge with them, but the math works out several hundred dollars less). Consumer reports rates them #1 for major appliance sales and they have free tech support and warranty for 1 year. So all that is in their favor, but they are not local. Is it better to go local?

Posted by: ohiise at January 5, 2009 1:10 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

Thanks all!
Just decided to go with the 24" after all that. Guess I just didn't have the balls :-) I just did not want to hear any comments from visitors, future realtors or potential buyers about: 'Oh, an 18" dishwasher? Are those big enough? What do you do if you have people over?' All that for 6". Also did not want a corner sink.
It is my home, but then it is also an investment and it would be difficult to undo once an 18" went in. There was also the issue of the 18" being an endrun and the problem with supporting the countertop without a cabinet at the other side of the DW.
But, thanks again. Maybe in my next reno!

Posted by: ohiise at December 31, 2008 12:35 PM in response to 18 inch Dishwashers

Looking at it again:

I like it. It is original. A lot will depend on what the room is, what the rest of the design will be. What the other colors are, what the lighting will be, but it is cool. Good job for doing something different.

Posted by: ohiise at December 31, 2008 12:20 PM in response to What do you think of this concrete floor?

I agree. The black grout might be overwhelming. We installed a terracotta colored porcelain tile recently and after debating going with a gray grout, went for terracotta. You do want the floor to stand out and not the grout lines (and their shortcomings, because believe me, with a dark grout all problems with 'tile laying' will show).

Posted by: ohiise at December 31, 2008 12:37 AM in response to What do you think of this concrete floor?

Thanks all! senatorstreet, daveinbedstuy, the space to the right of the frig is a wall with a load-bearing lolly column inside it. So that had to stay.
townhouser, please clarify. yes, the dw when open is right behind you if you are at the sink, but you would be standing in about 12" space, although it might be possible to just turn around and load the dw (with the risk of falling into it, if you lost your balance :-)
I looked at a few 18" dws at the pc richards on the uws yesterday. They looked so dinky like toys, although they are indeed 2/3 the size of the regular ones. I measured them and their racks.
vivki vale, did you fit pots and pans in them easily?
Matter of fact, the issue of resale is in the back of my mind when thinking about this, all the time. If this were my house (It IS my house), I would go with the 18". But, then it's never entirely your house is it, unless you plan to live there forever.

Posted by: ohiise at December 30, 2008 4:40 PM in response to 18 inch Dishwashers

p.s. also need a storm door that size. these are for the back of the house.

Posted by: ohiise at December 13, 2008 3:16 PM in response to Where can I get a small entry door?

If you don't mind floor to ceiling fabric panels on tracks, IKEA has some gorgeous ones. They're about 24" wide and you can put 3-4 tracks so you get 72-96" of room division. I'm planning to use them.

Posted by: ohiise at December 13, 2008 10:31 AM in response to Shopping Tips

Thanks all very much for all the ideas! And keep more coming.

This is our basement/ garden floor (these houses have no cellars). There was probably a coal stove (we still find lumps of coal in the backyard when we dig, since it was probably delivered through the alley at the back of the house) at some point in this location, since that was what heated the house through the 'fireplaces' (which were heat registers more than any kind of real FPs) before the radiators were put in (house dates to around latter half of 19th century). I'm trying to recreate that.

WTbound: I did look at the tiles. Nothing grabbed me, but I will look again. Thanks for the ref.

Mopar: Mantel is a great idea, however, the stove pipe enters the chimney at about 36 " from floor which is too high (the openings in the mantels we have are about 28" from the floor). I think the steel plate stoves are gross, but the cast iron are quite ornate and traditional looking.

Brooklyngreene: Great suggestions. Might be a little late for a masonry heater, but support should not be an issue since it would sit on the slab. I also felt it would have a too large footprint and might be too warm for the area (about 550 sq ft). I have seen the sites you mention. Soapstonestoves at www.woodstove.com are great, but they are all catalytic, which get real hot and also do not have such a great flame as the non-cats (see http://www.hearthstonestoves.com/wood-stoves/stove-details?product_id=4, who also have two noncatalytic soapstone stoves. They have a showroom in NJ). The Jotul (small one) seemed cute, but what is with the narrow side facing the front? Seems like it should be the other way and hug the wall instead of jutting out in to the room. My other issue with soapstone was that I want to be able to cook on the stove, stews, soups, etc. and soapstone does not get that hot. Also, even though these manufacturers advertise soapstone stoves as retaining heat, etc. the mass of a few soapstone slabs or tiles on the stove is not so great that it can keep a room warm for hours like a masonry heater.

werner: i don't like the look of fp inserts.

Here's what I am thinking of doing:
btw, check this out for a SEXY stove:
http://www.esse.com/cookers/cookers/multifuel.html; only it costs $4K

They sell soapstone tiles/ scrap slabs at M. Texeira in NJ where I plan to get my countertop. I may get some and coverthe wall behind the stove with those (I also like the blank wall suggestion). They should absorb heat from the stove when it is on and although they may lose some to the space behind the wall, they will also radiate heat into the room when the fire has died. And the mass will be much greater than a soapstone stove (although less than a masonry heater).
And soapstone when oiled turns black which would look like a stone slate 'mantel'.

What do you think?

Posted by: ohiise at December 12, 2008 11:26 AM in response to Need fireplace finish ideas

Yes, we used A. Ceriello for our kitchen renovation. They were quite stellar. They gave us a detailed estimate and then came and did the work on time without much fuss or complications. Price seemed very reasonable. We also asked them to do some additional work on the parlor floor. They worked well with the other contractors. They were very responsive and came when they were needed for adjustments after the rough-in, etc. Probably the best members of the entire renovation team.
I would use them again in a heartbeat. Their office # is: 718-797-3757.

Posted by: ohiise at December 10, 2008 4:35 PM in response to Electrician recommendation??

Yes, we used A. Ceriello for our kitchen renovation. They were quite stellar. They gave us a detailed estimate and then came and did the work on time without much fuss or complications. Price seemed very reasonable. We also asked them to do some additional work on the parlor floor. They worked well with the other contractors. They were very responsive and came when they were needed for adjustments after the rough-in, etc. Probably the best members of the entire renovation team.
I would use them again in a heartbeat. Their office # is: 718-797-3757.

Posted by: ohiise at December 10, 2008 4:34 PM in response to Electrician recommendation??

If you have antique pine / heart pine/ pumpkin pine wide plank floors (subfloors since they went under carpet), they do not really need any finishing. They have a patina that they aquire with age and all the imperfections are part of the character. We have them and have done nothing, except shore up the weak baords from underneath (the lower floor ceiling was removed during a gut renovation). In our parlor floor they have been coated with water based polyurethane and they look fake. Some people may use tung oil on them to make them harder and more resistant to scratches and also to get darker. Whatever you do, don't sand them or you will lose the patina and they will look like a new pine board that you just got from HD.

Posted by: ohiise at November 12, 2008 7:20 PM in response to refinishing old floors and wide plan sub floors

I am looking for working hotwater radiators.
I need a 38" tall 2-3 column or 5 tube and 6-8 section radiator for my back parlor.
Please contact yash7 at aol. Please send pics if you can.

Posted by: ohiise at November 12, 2008 8:48 AM in response to Cast Iron Radiators

Before you replace the hotwater system, get a good plumber who understands these systems and see why the system is not balanced. Do you have cast iron rads in the rest of the house? Have you looked into thermostatic valves (they're little knobs with dials that are hooked on the baseboard that allow you to set the temperature of that section of baseboard to whatever you'd like). Where is the thermostat? Is it in the coldest or warmest part of the house. Also go to heatinghelp.com for a lot of information about heating systems. Hotwater heat (and radiant which is a subset thereof) are among the best ways to heat a house. So think about it carefully before you replace the system.

Posted by: ohiise at November 3, 2008 12:49 PM in response to Possible Heating Options

That's about all I have space for. Might be able to squeeze in 3 more inches depth, if that. I have seen the Elfe sink in person, and that is narrower in depth than this one.
This is the 2nd BR and is used only as a powder room, but has a shower for guests, etc.

Posted by: ohiise at October 28, 2008 10:58 AM in response to Tiniest wall mount faucet

I need hotwater rads. If they are, email yash7@aol.com

Posted by: ohiise at October 28, 2008 10:54 AM in response to Cast Iron Steam Radiators

I need hotwater rads. If they are, email yash7@aol.com

Posted by: ohiise at October 28, 2008 10:53 AM in response to Cast Iron Steam Radiators

Thanks again! Great idea to go on the side wall. Unfortunately, it might be a little lateish at this point, since I did not do all my research in advance. The plumbing is in for a deck mount faucet, so I am probably going to be forced to go with that. And they might close the walls soon. Unless, I create a fuss and make them do it over.
Any recommendations for a single hole faucet that is traditional/ rustic/ farmhouse, not modern. My bathroom has stark white subway tile walls and hexagon tile with black dots floor and an open shower. I want it to draw inspiration from an institutional bathroom like a prison/ gym. The sink looks pretty much like a utility or slop sink (or a cute variation thereof) and the open shower makes it pretty raunchy :-) Sorry if I offend...

Posted by: ohiise at October 27, 2008 1:44 PM in response to Tiniest wall mount faucet

Thanks! The sink does come without any holes predrilled.

Posted by: ohiise at October 26, 2008 4:30 PM in response to Tiniest wall mount faucet

but, it's not a wall mount faucet.

Posted by: ohiise at October 25, 2008 5:42 PM in response to Tiniest wall mount faucet

Check out IKEA. Their regular furniture and their cabinet lines are very different. And they have standard most hardware that you would pay extra for. Like soft close drawers, etc. And you can design your own kitchen with their design tool.
We are installing them in our kitchen. Our kitchen is classic, but their contemporary line has more range.
Also check out ikeafans.com

Posted by: ohiise at October 25, 2008 9:25 AM in response to Kitchen Cabinets

Is her extension legal? With permits and everything? If it is, would there be a problem with moving your vent so it exhausts above her extension. I wouldn't want my neighbor's vent to be on my property. I suppose legally, you could ask for an easement. I think you have to have used someone else's property with their knowledge for 10 years before you can lay claim to it. Besides, I wouldn't want to do that. It's a little non-neighborly. But. I'm no lawyer.

Posted by: ohiise at October 17, 2008 9:24 AM in response to Neighbor's extension

Incidentally, can you post the info about where you had them sandblasted?

Posted by: ohiise at October 2, 2008 4:16 PM in response to Cast Iron Radiator Finishing Advice

If it is only a thin film of rust, wipe with mineral spirits and a rag and then prime in a few hours with a primer for metal (oil-based preferably). I have painted rads with Rustoleum oil-based primer (they sell different ones for heavy rust and light rust; do not interchange) and oil-based paint and do not think you need the high-heat paint (maybe if they are steam which get hotter?) You can also get it in spray cans which is easier to apply.
If you are very creative and your rads have carvings, you can apply a base coat of say gold/ silver paint over the primer and then 'antique it' by painting a darker shade on it when dry, and then rubbing it off before well before it dries. Brings the ornamentation into sharper relief and makes the rads look bronzed. Try it on a small area first.

Posted by: ohiise at October 2, 2008 4:14 PM in response to Cast Iron Radiator Finishing Advice

Well folks. Thanks for your kind advice. I found it all useful.
I asked my GC today if he wanted to deal with the boiler people directly (I firmly believe the boiler contracotrs are on another job and all these arguments, etc. are stalling tactics and that they will come around when they are done with this one). He brushed me off. I am going to try again. I may ask him if he needs to charge me to make it worth his while. He has been willing to talk to them to explain his needs and was present when they showed up for the demo and delivery. In the meantime, I am thinking of removing the hotwater heater and asking GC to get on with his part, until these lovely people show up to do the installation. At this point they are not returning calls for the last 24 hours. Anyone have any ideas for interim hotwater solutions?
MP, the boiler is a Lochinvar Knight boiler. WBN 80. Superstor Ultra indirect hotwater heater. 30 gall.

Posted by: ohiise at September 25, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Boiler installation: bad experience so far

I picked the guy though. The other trades were picked by the GC and he coordinates them, although he had me get proposals directly from them and pay them directly.

Posted by: ohiise at September 24, 2008 11:24 AM in response to Boiler installation: bad experience so far

Yeah, I can sympathize. I had a quote from All Reno, which they did for free twice (since I put off the job for a year), however, they were the highest-priced. But, they (Pietro and Alex) seemed very reliable and prompt and professional, so if I could've afforded the extra 30K or so I would've gone with them. I'm surprised to hear that they came in lowest for the OP, but then we live at the bottom of the hill and probably got some really low-ball estimates. :-)
We have had a difficult time getting good estimates overall, most come in and look and then never prepare an estimate. We're going with our neighborhood contractor who gut renovated the house across the street and I have been over to see his work and also spoken to the owner and other neighbors for whom he worked, and they all like him. Fingers crossed.

Posted by: ohiise at August 13, 2008 10:21 PM in response to wildly divergent contractors' estimates

i used the spray oil-based paint. not too many fumes once the job was dry. better for metal. i have latex paint on all my other rads (they just painted the rads whever they painted the house) and there is no smell.

Posted by: ohiise at August 8, 2008 11:33 AM in response to painting radiators

For what this is worth, we have a similar spot on the inside of our garden floor wall, adjacent to the neighbor's chimney, where it gets damp after the rains and has efflorescence. Brick can easily wick moisture from adjacent structures (in our case the water that gets into the neighbor's chimney) and when it does, it evaporates leaving behind the efflorescence or salts. Interior brick, especially what they may have used in a garage (1850? what was it used for then?) had a softer outer layer than brick used on the exterior.
Antique brick was not fired the same way as modern brick, so after all these years, the brick on the inside of your house will throw off dust/ crumble lightly. Which is why they should never be pressure washed and NEVER sandblasted, since that removes the outer shell and starts the deterioration process.
I would not bother about those though. You probably have about a foot thick of brick in those walls.
In the garage, just check for any source of water getting into the wall. If none, run the dehumidifier and let air circulate.
Just one piece of advice, be very careful before you seal the bricks. Bricks need to breathe and give off the moisture in them. Sealing or painting them will worsen the problem.

Posted by: ohiise at August 8, 2008 11:08 AM in response to Efflorescence, fast deteriorating brick, a great mason

How will the underlying brick breathe and give up moisture when all this is done? Brick needs to breathe and dry out. And what does the finished facade look like? Stucco? Or brownstone?

Posted by: ohiise at July 22, 2008 8:44 AM in response to total wall system for brownstone facade

I think a more appropriate title would have been:
How much of our (kitchen, dining, BR, laundry) renovation cost should we expect to recover if we were to immediately sell our house?

And Senator St. has come up with the 80% figure. Any others?

Posted by: ohiise at July 22, 2008 8:37 AM in response to How much will a new kitchen increase the value of my house?

Thanks all that helps!
If this is of use, current kitchen is main house kitchen not rental, needs serious plumbing and electrical updates. There are no cabinets, countertop, just shelves and 30 year old appliances. No DW. Flooring is old vinyl tile. Ceilingis ripped out and wires are dangling fromt he ceiling.
IMHO, the current kitchen would turn off buyers who were looking for at least the bones, or a basic kitchen, and then looking to make cosmetic changes according to their taste. I do not think this kitchen was touched for the last 50 or more years, except to bring in appliances.
Our plan is to have a simple white kitchen, IKEA cabinets, GE, Bosch appliances. I think the infrastructure will cost a lot though. (I have previously posted about this kitchen here.)

Posted by: ohiise at July 22, 2008 1:09 AM in response to How much will a new kitchen increase the value of my house?

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/lc/lc_bat_benefits.asp

Posted by: ohiise at July 17, 2008 4:18 PM in response to Best way to deal with mosquitos?

Also, grow the salad greens in containers so you can move them to shade in the summer so they do not flower and become bitter. That way you have salad all year from your garden. The grape vine is going to give us much needed shade on the patio and also hopefully fruit. The cherry is a Surefire semidwarf variety. With fruit trees, you can prune them to whatever size you want them to be, but also use a dwarfing rootstock. I have a huge magnolia, that provides much shade and habitat, but I was toying with the idea of replacing it with an edible crabapple that would do the same, plus fruit. Don't have the heart to chop down a lovely tree though.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:22 PM in response to Forest Gardening

I keep finding bits of your post that I have not addressed. My yard is south facing, but the above mentioned Magnolia (star magnolia) shades a portion of it (which is lovely in the summer). I have a little pond (in a buried wooden barrel) that will provide drinking water for my bees.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 12:25 PM in response to Forest Gardening

i'm a little fuzzy on this, but if chise says 127F, water heaters can produce that for hydronic. So if FH is right, you can save a lot on your next boiler replacement.

Capacity may be an issue; the Polaris is 100kbtu, you'd need more for a 4-story brownstone (typically 150-180kbtu). The article was probably for smaller houses where 100kbtu was enough.

Posted by: cmu at March 5, 2009 1:45 PM in response to More Boiler Porn

Just for closure for someone who is reading this in the archives:
I did go ahead and get all my appliances from Abt. They were great and the whole thing went off without an issue. The frig door had an issue and they responded to my concerns, and were willing to replace it or call the company, however, I eventually got Kitchenaid to fix it for me. Same with the stove. But, Abt were among the mst pleasant to deal with and gave me among the best deals (primarily because of no sales tax). The appliances all came in good condition. I contacted eba and J&R who are not authorized dealers for Electrolux, so that could jeopardize the warranty. Drimmer's was pushy and rude. They made me give them proof of the other's prices before they would meet them and then were disgruntled when I did not go with them. AJ MAdison had the highest prices.
So Abt works and I feel much more confident about them and would recommend them.

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 2:18 PM in response to ABT, A J Madison or Drimmers?

denton, for national grid 2008 is good (I've applied) not for Federal (however, for Federal the date is for 'placed into service' which could be 2009 if you completed the work in 2008 end, but did not start using the residence till 2009. hypothetically.)

Posted by: ohiise at March 5, 2009 5:36 PM in response to Energy Saving Seminar Follow up

non to make a lot of fuss, but how it that a "high efficiency", if you spent 35K on installation?
I have original 1910 boiler for hot water. I feel it will work for next 20 years (the effective life of your boiler). Mine is 60% efficient your is 95%. So we get 1/3 difference in oil cost. It amounts to ~1000$/year. Which is 20K for 20 years. So I will actually save money by keeping what I got :)

As for the "CO2 footprint, etc", you should not forget that any way you spend money in oil consumption. In my case it burns oil. In your case there is burning involved in melting copper and building device and then you pay for installation and the installer will use your money to fill up his truck and drive around. I seriously do not see much difference.

Well except you will get back 30% of govt. money... my tax money... Wait a second, the only way to get even with you is to install the same thing. :)

Posted by: bobjohn at March 5, 2009 11:44 PM in response to More Boiler Porn

bob, sometimes it's just about doing the right thing, even if the economics aren't completely favorable. Plus no one knows what the price for natural gas will be down the road. But I need to point out that the 35k was for a whole system, not just a boiler. THis was a complete gut reno and the price covers the tubing and rads and so on for an entire house. To look at your comparison, I'd have to know what the cost was for the boiler alone, and I don't.

Posted by: denton at March 6, 2009 6:43 AM in response to More Boiler Porn

People, don’t take this personally. Rather, take it from where it’s coming:

I love reading people’s justifications for being cheap by claiming smart.

Frequently, posts on this forum seem to laud the virtues of doing things the wrong, cheap and non-compliant way. Often those virtues are limited to the money saved.

Here is no exception.

In our part of the country we use boilers because we have winters like the one we're experiencing this year.
Our dwellings are connected and we live next to and on top each other.
In many other parts of the country, the stupid stuff that people do affects only them and their families. Here, what we do affects many other innocent people just trying to live their lives.
So…
We have a code that dictates the use of fuel burning appliances that are engineered for safety and efficiency.
Heating boilers differ from domestic water heaters in that they are designed to sustain higher internal temperatures indefinitely while employing redundant safety devices to protect the occupants in the event of things like runaway flame, low water, carbon monoxide spillage, overheating, electrical failure, etc.

An overwhelming majority of water heaters don’t do that. They are big dumb tea kettles for the most part with a single gas-regulating control of limited accuracy.

And the idea of using an open system to make heat and hot water is ridiculous in this day and age. The previous poster is right to site the growth of legionella as a major concern.
Ask the cruise ship industry.

It takes a lot of BTUs to heat a house and controlling and distributing that amount of energy safely, effectively and efficiently takes a boiler that is designed to do that task.

Water heaters are far less costly because they’re designed to do a less-demanding task.

And Denton is right.
Didn’t we all love All Gore’s movie and after watching it get pissed off at people who routinely don’t do the right thing?

In Europe, most countries have official Boiler Inspectors that make annual inspections in every home to measure efficiency. Europeans know that a home-heating boiler lasts 10-15 years before it drops below an acceptable level of efficiency. Then they get a new one and start burning less fuel again. Should we blame Europe for global warming by citing their boiler-filled landfills (boilers are over 90% recyclable) or embrace their commitment to efficiency?

Posted by: Master Plvmber at March 6, 2009 9:10 AM in response to More Boiler Porn

you sound convincing. I will get new boiler this spring and replace pipes in basement. I will not put 95% (since it is overkill IMHO). But something like 85-90% gas furnace.

Sorry if I offended anybody.

Posted by: bobjohn at March 6, 2009 9:30 AM in response to More Boiler Porn

While I generally agree with you, MP, in this case, even with my cynicism quotient turned up, I have to defer to Fine Homebuilding. I doubt they would suggest an unsafe installation...I posted the "open system" noting that FH said it was controversial, meaning that the danger of bacteria is well known, but not everyone agrees. I have no opinion on that issue, but:

"Heating boilers differ from domestic water heaters in that they are designed to sustain higher internal temperatures indefinitely while employing redundant safety devices to protect the occupants in the event of things like runaway flame, low water, carbon monoxide spillage, overheating, electrical failure, etc. An overwhelming majority of water heaters don’t do that. They are big dumb tea kettles for the most part with a single gas-regulating control of limited accuracy"

But the point is, that the w/h can run at 125F instead of "sustained higher...temp"; as Polaris and others are both well-established brands and have a reasonably long track record, I cannot agree that they are "less safe" as heating sources than boilers. For one thing, they don't go low water so there's no need of a probe (I'm sure they have a catastrophic empty turn-off.)

I might eat crow if you could cite non-trivial figures as to actual damage/fires caused by w/hs.

As to capacity, Polaris has a 199kbtu unit, more than enough for the typical brownstone.

On your other, moral, point on efficiency, I agree fully; but, at the same time, green as I try to be, ROI does play a part in my replacement strategy (otoh, I have steam, which gives me an easy out since there ain't no he steam units.)

Posted by: cmu at March 6, 2009 10:44 AM in response to More Boiler Porn