We have 6 inch duct and the fan duct diameter is also 6 inches, so it's not a question of mismatched sizes. The flexible aluminum duct measures a bit bigger (6 1/4, actually, although it was sold as and is labelled 6 inch duct. We got it from Grainger.

CMU: the screws are to hold it in place? Puncturing it won't cause, I don't know, condensation to drip?

And this aluminum foil tape stuff, does it have an adhesive?

Thanks all!

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at August 26, 2007 3:07 PM in response to bathroom exhaust fan installation?

orig poster here:

guest 9:12: My husband tried to make the same point. In the dead heat of summer true, but in the spring and fall, there are some mighty chilly mornings when it can be very unpleasant to get naked pre shower and worse wet post shower. Call me a weenie, but there's gotta be some way of heating the bathroom beyond the heating system.

8:17 (and others), I've heard radiant heat is great, but also that it can be slow to heat it, and that electric and hydro deliver very different results. Would love to hear about experiences with either.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at September 26, 2007 11:52 AM in response to bathroom heating?

Second the recommendation for Gowanus Nursery. They have the best variety of plants anywhere, and they are so personable. I haven't had them do any work in my garden, but I've gotten almost all my plants there. They've given me enormous advice over the past couple years as I've been doing my garden.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at October 6, 2007 9:33 AM in response to Garden Help

We live on 46th street. You'll be fine. I have never felt unsafe, even late at night.

And you won't be that alone. Seems like there are more funny haircuts on the 46th street platform every day.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at November 11, 2007 5:05 PM in response to Safety of Sunset Park, around 45th?

We moved in to our Sunset Park rowhouse in October 2004. Gutted pretty much everything except for the room we were living in. We're doing most work ourselves with the exception of plumbing, electric, and plastering.

Temporary kitchen for a year (microwave, toaster oven, etc). Temporary bathroom for three. Nothing is done, although the half-bath is down to a punchlist, and much of the space is now relatively liveable. Although it's still not safe to be barefoot in most of the house.

I think if we did an accounting of how much it has cost, we would cry. At least I would.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at November 30, 2007 12:59 AM in response to Length of Time for your Rehab/Renovation

Ha! The CHARD!
We signed up when we first moved to Sunset Park. Even the small box was way too many vegetables, but I stopped freaking out about it and just brought the excess to coworkers and gave them away. Spreading the vegetable cheer. But there was so much of the "eh" stuff (chard, carrots). When we signed up it was winter, so I said, hey let's just wait until all that summer good stuff comes. But then the "summer good stuff" would be one very bruised tomato (and a whole lot of chard and carrots), and for fruit one peach. That was irritating. I wanted summer fruit. Not more chard!

Fairway. Best thing ever.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at January 8, 2008 12:11 AM in response to Urban Organic - Yay or Nay???

After much toing and fro-ing, we went with Charlie, who was recommended by Mondial (which is where we got our tile). Bathroom. We had lots of glass tile and weird corners and hadn't thought out some areas -- he really helped problem solve as well as do a great job. When we weren't happy with one part (my husband is very picky), they came back and took it out and redid it without complaining.

And there is something about Charlie's manner which is very soothing. FWIW.

Sorry I don't have his phone number. If you email me at johanna at verizon dot net I can send you pictures (don't know how to publish them here).

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at January 18, 2008 10:24 PM in response to Can You Recommend a Tiler?

The panasonic whisper fans are so quiet it's criminal. You can barely tell ours is on when it's on. And it works GREAT. Our bathroom mirror doesn't even fog up when it's on.

We did have to special order ours, but it wasn't a long wait, and it was well worth it. We got it from that lighting store on Court street in Cobble Hill.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at February 8, 2008 11:22 PM in response to Very Quiet Bathroom exhaust fan with Light

We had one in our backyard -- standard type, it was about 6 feet tall, but big and heavy. I thought it would be a major pain to get rid of, but it wasn't -- like an earlier poster, we started to dig a little around the cement, and then after a very short time it was possible to rock back and forth. Eventually the whole darn thing just toppled and came out, including the cement plug.

Granted, that sounds like it probably wasn't installed very professionally (this was a couple years ago, but my recollection is that the cement plug itself was only a couple feet deep (definitely not 3.5), but still, that may be the case for you too.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at March 20, 2008 10:53 PM in response to Clothesline Pole

Did you have any luck with Total Tool?
I've got to amend our backyard too, and so I"m looking to find a tilling solution.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at April 11, 2008 7:39 PM in response to Ready to till my yard

To elaborate on my suggestion to use different things on different sections of the fence - my problem with putting up the same kind of fencing all around our small brownstone gardens is you then feel like you are in a box. A trapped feeling that is psychologically weird. One nice thing about chain link is you do see beyond your yard. So there's depth and perspective beyond your yard at places. It's a good thing. Keep that effect in places by having a green shrub in front of the fence, or a vine growing directly on it, as I said. Then in other parts attach some fence or lattice to the chain link.

Posted by: guest at May 17, 2008 11:22 AM in response to dressing up chain link?

If you go the vine route, and want something that will come back every year, the only vine that I have seen reliably survive the winter on chain link is Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus cinquefolia). All others will freeze at the attachment point (to the metal) and die back so you'll have to re-plant every year. Anyway, it's gorgeous stuff -- lush, feathery texture in the summer and brilliant vermillion fall color.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at May 17, 2008 5:46 PM in response to dressing up chain link?

gowanasaurus: all three of the vines I've got going on (honeysuckle, quinata akebia, and clematis), as well as a couple of the weedy vines (a morning glory and another one that gives off tons of annoying red berries), happily survive our brooklyn winters.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at May 17, 2008 9:40 PM in response to dressing up chain link?

OP again. Thanks very much everyone for all the great suggestions. I'll look in to assorted vines and creepers and get some lattice for the parts I want to keep private.

Posted by: guest at May 18, 2008 6:16 PM in response to dressing up chain link?

I have to back your girlfriend/wife here since nobody else has. Some people are just more likely to get chilled than others. In the winter I dread having to be soaking wet getting out of the shower. I run a space heater in addition to the heat-fan that I can switch on in the bathroom that does already have a steam pipe running through it. If my husband comes in while I'm showering and forgets to shut the door to keep in the warm air I am livid. I hate it when I realize there's no conditioner and I have to open the shower to reach out into the cold to get some.

If you want the open shower wall (which I admit look great and have to be easier to keep clean) I suggest you find a way to keep her warm. Don't argue that people on the internet said it would be fine. That's almost certainly a bad move on any husband's part. Instead start researching heating systems that will make the air outside that wall just as warm as that inside. Heated towel rack and a nice new fluffy robe might make her happy too. You have to give a little to get a little.

Posted by: guest at June 10, 2008 9:43 AM in response to open shower or a door that closes?

In response to 9:43, I would say this: I'm the same way -- I hate being cold, I hate when there are drafts in the bathroom, and I was convinced I would be freezing with this arrangement. And no manner of persuasion convinced me that the open shower wouldn't leave me freezing, hence the electric heater we installed.

The one thing I didn't expect with our open shower is that the cold is actually less of an issue than the bathtub/shower curtain arrangement we had before. Maybe because the temperature equalizes throughout the bathroom? I still get irate when my husband leaves the door open, but I was actually very, very surprised by how comfortable I am in our open shower.

9:43 does make a good point that your significant other is unlikely to be convinced by people on the internet, and a backup plan can't hurt.

Posted by: saturdayrenogirl at June 10, 2008 12:07 PM in response to open shower or a door that closes?

I really do wonder at people who get 'livid' and 'irate' because someone leaves a door to a room open. (And no, I'm not a lazy husband, but female, and I also dislike chilly bathrooms.)

Posted by: guest at June 11, 2008 11:46 AM in response to open shower or a door that closes?

Another What Rick Said - going on 6 years in Sunset Park.

Comments about the latino part are ignorant. I live in what would be considered the latino part and my neighbors are Puerto Rican, Dominican, Italian, Philipino, Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Polish, mixed European and who knows what else. There are some nasty, filthy, drunk, and/or substance abusing individuals in the neighborhood and many of them are latino, but if I were to generalize about latinos in the neighborhood, I would say warm and family oriented captures nearly all and the negative stereotypes relatively few.

The neighborhood isn't perfect, but compares favorably to what "nice" and "white" neighborhoods were like when I lived in them in the 70's and 80's.

Posted by: guest at June 27, 2008 11:28 AM in response to The last straw in Sunset Park

Critter52,

I can relate, but have just the opposite problem. Thirteen years ago, I moved to working-class/working artists community which over the past five years has become overrun by self-involved hipsters and trust funders.

Fed up with the scene, we decided to move to Vermont, but we're keeping the house as a golden parachute. Ironically, the kidults we abhor pay top rent!

Posted by: guest at June 27, 2008 11:51 AM in response to The last straw in Sunset Park

It's all getting better.

Posted by: guest at June 27, 2008 2:02 PM in response to The last straw in Sunset Park