reno911's Profile
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Author's Posts
July 16, 2008
williamsburg low rent projects
Lived in williamsburg, well, forever, rarely had a problem.
I see condos going up everywhere, oftentimes they are across the street from low-rent projects. Will these low-rent projects remain forever you think or be moved elsewhere as the surrounding buildings become luxury. How does it work?
Last night went to pick up some chinese take-out and the girl i was walking with got hit with a bb gun from one of the project windows. I looked at her ear and saw the bb stuck in there.
Made me realize as safe as i feel and as much as the neighborhood has changed, these project buildings haven't changed at all so its hard to say that its any safer even with all the new additions
May 31, 2008
brick fireplace arch rec?
Need someone to brick up the fireplace arch seen here. There is a steel support there already and i have old bricks to use.
May 23, 2008
Garden access
What is more typical for a 4 storyish brownstone with a garden and different people living on the different floors.
Everyone shares the back garden, or the people with the garden floor (the floor that has the back door which opens on the garden) have mostly exclusive access.
May 5, 2008
soundboard vs. furring (firring) stips for ceiling
Renovation in progress.
The contractor has pretty much gutted the place - ceiling has been taken down in most of the rooms (the picture is of the inside of one of the ceilings that was left intact because it had no cracks etc.)
As you can see in the picture, there was no insulation in the ceiling - for sound reasons (every footstep, and even sometimes the cat can be heard from the upstairs apt) the contractor suggests putting insulation in since the ceiling is open in most of the rooms. Should I request any special insulation for sound? Or is it all pretty much the same.
I have researched soundproofing and I don’t believe the insulation will do much. It is designed to insulate heat not sound. To quiet footsteps and voices from upstairs I was looking into “green glue” (home theater DIY stuff) but it’s not available in stores and most people have never heard of it. So i was going to go with either Celotex soundboard or furring strips. Anyone know if one is better than the other? Or do you suggest something else.
Author's Comments
clearly someone has an angle against it ;)
i like that the place isn't 10+ stories (the tall buildings don't fit the neihborhood imo) and the location is good.
don't know anything else about it except it seems to be being built up every day while other luxury condos around here are unfinished with no work going on for months (years?).
Posted by: reno911 at May 13, 2008 6:29 PM in response to Steiner Gives 80 Metropolitan Update
summer's coming; going to start to be a bunch of very active mosquito posts in the coming months. I read the archives a while ago and all the mosquito related posts i could find. There aren't many easy answers and no complete solution for everyone.
For me i'm going to try a new product that is supposed to keep mosquitos away for a few hours. It is also suppossed to be significatly more effective than citronella.
http://www.offprotects.com/mosquito-repeller/
http://www.mosquitorepellent.com/patio-lantern.asp
off course the first thing to do before anything else is to eliminate any standing water in your yard and if you see standing water in neihbors yards ask them to do the same.
Posted by: reno911 at May 20, 2008 3:11 PM in response to Mosquito Magnet Placement
deet
Posted by: reno911 at May 20, 2008 4:53 PM in response to Mosquito Magnet Placement
same as others have said:
pros:
-no stairs, makes it easier to just pop out to go to the deli than if you had to go up and down 3 flights of stairs.
-garden access
-for some people who worry a lot(i worry too much), its good no one is below you so you don't have to fret about getting up in the night and your footsteps bothering people below.
cons:
-noise: the floor between this floor and above i think was traditionally left less insulated than other floors. Also the ceiling is usually low. For this reason footsteps/noise from above can be present.
-cell phone - to talk clearly you have to step outside, this may get annoying in the winter months. Your probably going to want a landline.
Posted by: reno911 at May 28, 2008 3:31 AM in response to Garden-level Apartments
the bottom floor of this brownstone is slightly below ground level so the windows are small and there isn't much light. Having window AC isn't really an option. I was thinking of getting pricey $500 portable AC units for the rooms but after reading through this i think will just try to find some nice looking fans
Posted by: reno911 at May 31, 2008 12:01 AM in response to Portable Air Conditioners
can't help much but for me personally if i'm looking to rent or buy, i feel better better getting it from owner than from agent
Posted by: reno911 at June 1, 2008 9:05 PM in response to Selling w/o an agent
the $1500 seems like a fair price to me.
was quoted $1800 for a new single custom size door with lights and a panel for the little door under the main steps of a brownstone.
Ended up getting it cheaper at home depot but spent maybe 4 hours at 4 different home depots getting it all arranged, home depot has really bad customer service right now but they have good selection and decent prices so people put up with it.
Posted by: reno911 at June 17, 2008 10:14 PM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
saw a post from someone putting in these fujistu slim a/c's i think this is what you are talking about.
cost them 15k but they were in another state and did the whole house.
dunno how much it would be for 1 room through brick, would like to know this as well because i may do it for a room or two. Hate those floor standing ones because the huge duct in the back of it
Posted by: reno911 at June 18, 2008 11:37 AM in response to Thru the Wall AC Installation
i just know they are very heavy
Posted by: reno911 at June 25, 2008 9:32 AM in response to Frameless glass shower door? (Or just glass)
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
The article, “cost for salvage doors” were written by customers who wrote they were looking for new doors for their brownstone. I referred them to companies who make new doors. They came back to me stating the prices were too high. Their search has been going on for more than a year. After a year I have shown them numerous sets of salvage doors at various prices. Their quote was they were “quoted $1500 for a pair that was in bad shape without the glass”,
is a lie. I told them I would give them a price after I talked to person who repairs the doors. I could not and would not give them a price before. This misrepresentation of the truth which you printed on our website is unfair and inaccurate. Any one at any time can sign on your website and make false accusations which cause bad publicity and undo harm. If we are going to be responsible, speak the truth and tell both sides of the story. Mister B, much success with the website and with Brooklyn Flea.
Posted by: guest at June 18, 2008 11:30 PM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
its on the top floor of the building - 4th floor.
Posted by: washingtonandatlantic at June 19, 2008 9:10 AM in response to Thru the Wall AC Installation
11:30-Not sure who you think I am, but I had never been in contact with Eddie's before let alone for an entire year and I am certainly not searching for new doors. I never once stated anything negative about the shop, I was merely asking for feedback on what one might expect to pay for doors. The purpose of this site, specifically this section, is to allow people to trade information, which is exactly what I was looking for. My portion of the story is accurate and their are no false accusations or bad publicity.
Posted by: PHfamily at June 19, 2008 9:41 AM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
Eddie seems a little crazy.
Posted by: guest at June 19, 2008 10:28 AM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
For new doors, you will have to pay up; for used doors in decent shape that fit your brownstone, good luck. Last year Omar was charging over 3 times that for custom new doors and you can check with Tamer. Finding the right size doors in good shape used is like winning the lottery. Doors are expensive. Very expensive. I believe Eddie, and that he would not have given you that price if he said he needed to check further. What might be the most cost effective would be to buy something from Eddie at what he wants (you will not find cheaper!!) and then bring it to Omar or Tamer and have them rebuild the doors which might be cheaper and possibly sturdier than brand new ones, since Eddies doors are vintage and generally constructed much better than what you can buy new at reasonable prices. If you decide to have doors made, stay away from poplar.
Posted by: donatella at June 20, 2008 9:38 PM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
We installed shower doors on two claw foot tubs. This is difficult because the tubs are rounded and not attached to the walls at any point.
We used corian to build a waterproof bridge from wall to tub and Bear Glass installed the glass doors. The cost was about $2400 for
the installed doors on the two tubs.
The results are very pleasing.
Posted by: LM at June 25, 2008 10:42 AM in response to Frameless glass shower door? (Or just glass)
update: ffemax stove they just called me its coming so it took about 48 hours to get here, all worked out very fast, pretty surprising since i just went online and clicked buy at all these websites and didn't leave the house or speak to any humans and all the shipments came super fast, think it helped that the places i ordered from happened to be in NY (as far as i know)
Posted by: reno911 at June 25, 2008 2:46 PM in response to aj mandison, pc richards or sears
Can I ask what model AC you chose for your bedroom?
I have a similar project.
Mike C
mpcmpc@yahoo.com
Posted by: mpcmpc at June 26, 2008 11:22 AM in response to Thru the Wall AC Installation
Can you tell me where I can find Tamer, I know Omar is located on 2nd Ave. I went to see him and asked if he could repair our doors, the front of them has the Veneer peeling off and we need that taken off and new veneer placed on them, but he said he did not do that kind of work. Maybe Tamer can, or perhaps someone has another contact.
Thanks
Posted by: guest at July 12, 2008 5:21 PM in response to Cost for salvaged doors?
I"ve been told that bats won't bother to come over here when they have Prospect park and probably Fort Greene park as well for better pickins. Has anyone had any luck with bats at all?
And thanks to Global warming, we DO have Tiger mosquitos this far north.
Posted by: guest at July 13, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Mosquito Magnet Placement
you can call 311, i think it is usually free fro the city to remove graffitee, they do it during these months until like november. Seen some vans going around williamsburg recently removing graffitee with high power hose. Think their campaign is active at the moment.
Posted by: reno911 at May 8, 2008 6:08 PM in response to Graffiti