September 16, 2009

Change a window into a door?

Hello folks - you've all been so helpful with answers to past questions, and I've tried to be helpful by posting my recommendations based on what I ended up going with (after your suggestions). Hope my answers have been helpful to someone!

My latest question is about changing a window into a door and having steps built from that door down to the courtyard. I know this is a "brownstone" forum, but I live in a co-op. Has anyone had experience with something like this? Know anything about codes for it? Obviously I have to get board approval, but the previous owner did get approval for just that so I'm hopeful.

I guess the primary question is who is the right kind of tradesperson to contact about something like that? Would I need a GC? Or is cutting through a brick wall something I'd go straight to a mason for?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. And, as per my usual, once I've gone ahead with something, I'll report back my recommendations.

Thanks all!!

Erin

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 4:24 PM | Comments (2)

June 24, 2009

Water valve replacement cost?

Hello all... I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a plumber for a teensy job and give me a ballpark on what it might cost. All I need is one valve replaced for the hot water under the kitchen sink. I know the valves themselves only cost about $5 at Home Depot, but I'd rather a plumber do it than chance me messing it up and ruining my newly finished floors.

Any suggestions?

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 7:01 PM | Comments (6)
Categories: Plumbers

June 12, 2009

Attach moulding to plaster wall?

Hello all... I searched the posts but couldn't find an answer. Maybe it is too basic a question! lol I am trying to figure out how to attach new wood moulding baseboards to my plaster coated walls (pre-war apt building) and my original fantasy of nailing it was cut short by the reality that behind the plaster is block (not wooden studs). Is there any more modern way to affix the moulding than those crazy long spikes that are nearly impossible to get in the wall?

Help!

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 9:00 PM | Comments (5)

May 16, 2009

GREAT Movers!!

Ok, I lied... one last recommendation before I'm done for the night.

My movers... they were great. I used them last year for a move after hiring them through u-haul's movinghelp.com site and they were very efficient.

When I moved all my stuff into storage a few weeks ago before moving into my coop, I found some other company on that movinghelp website that was much cheaper so I went with them. Big mistake!! They were sweet but took FOREVER even with me helping as though I was a third mover!

SO, when I moved into the coop from storage, I went back to the company I had liked from the year before. Mike and Sinbad from Moving Forces, Inc. arrived right on time, and got right to work. They moved me from a storage unit into my coop in a third of the time the previous company had taken and they were cheerful and friendly the entire time.

Great company. Very professional. Great guys working for them. Loved Sinbad and Mike!!

http://movingforces.us/

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 11:06 PM | Comments (0)
Categories: Movers

Great electrician!

I feel like I've had the luck of the Irish with me or something because I've had a great string of people helping me out with my renovation projects.

My last super recommendation for this evening is for my electrician Eric (Erik?). Such a nice guy, so patient with my complete ignorance on how these things work, and so completely fair in providing me an estimate that saved not only my money, but also potentially my life!!!

So yes, Eric the wonderful electrician was recommended by my superintendent who is also great, but that's for another forum. He arrived on time (which means a lot to me these days) and carefully examined all the issues I presented.

In the end, I got a fabulous new ceiling socket for a fixture, a new electrical outlet in my bathroom, and a new circuit breaker box (his recommendation to replace an old Federal Pacific that I learned was a potential fire hazard!!). He even did me the amazing and uncharged for favor of bringing 220v into the box, should I ever need it in the future (which was handy for the floor guys who came the next day!!). All this for less than two other guys wanted to charge me, and in a much shorter time frame!!

Finally, I can't say if he'll do it for you too, but he offered to let me pay in installments when he realized I am really just not swimming in capital. Who does that?!?!?!

Contact info: (917) 971-3821 (tell him Erin from Eastern Parkway sent you!)

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 10:59 PM | Comments (1)
Categories: Electricians

Love my stair guy!!

Can't recommend him highly enough: Bill from Fine Circular Stairs. He wasn't put off by the single step I needed replaced for my sunken living room. Several other companies weren't even interested in giving me an estimate! Bill came right on time (no small matter, it seems, with reno people!!) and provided a very reasonable and straightforward estimate.

When he came with the finished product, he installed the BEAUTIFUL brand new step in minutes and it blends right in with my floor.

Great guy. HIGHLY recommended.

(718) 218-9051

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 10:47 PM | Comments (3)
Categories: Stairs

Verrazano Flooring

Just wanted to give my 2 cents on Verrazano. They just refinished my wood floors and did an OUTSTANDING job at a very reasonable price. Their quote came in lower than a few others and they completed the job exactly on time.

The guys who came were very conscientious about keeping my superintendent happy - they took amazing precautions with the dust and odors. Also, they called me midway through to come look at some stained areas they were concerned wouldn't be up to par when finished.

Finally, the owner of the company stopped by to offer his advice about the stains and made another unrelated suggestion to me that, while somewhat costly right then and there, ended up saving me HUGE amounts of grief and money in the long run.

VERY happy with this company. Extremely professional and excellent quality work. My floors are GORGEOUS!!! YAY!

Contact info: (718) 369-9663

http://www.verrazanoflooring.com/verrazano/asp/default.asp

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 10:42 PM | Comments (0)
Categories: Floors

My Plasterer Recommendation

Hello Brownstoners!

I just started priming my walls tonight after having them plaster skim-coated. The difference in the before and after was already astonishing even before I started priming... but since starting that process, I've come to realize how fabulous of a plastering job really was done!!

I highly recommend Junior Prates for plaster work. While there were a few minor issues along the way that I wasn't 100% happy with, Junior and his wonderfully patient wife, Aida, resolved those issues quickly and to my satisfaction.

Another plaster guy quoted me FOUR TIMES this price and double the turn around time. The next guy quoted twice what Junior quoted and wanted me to pay for materials on top of that. Junior's price was outstanding, which made me a bit nervous about how the finished product would be, but based on other reviews here I went ahead and I am SO HAPPY I DID!!! It is as though I live in a different apartment completely. The quality of the work is top-notch.

So, it is without reservation that I enthusiastically recommend Junior and Aida Prates for plaster work. Do make sure you can be a little flexible with their arrival time though, and be sure to clarify whether they need you to provide tools or they will bring them along.

Contact info: (914) 562-2706

website:
www.pratesplastering.web.officelive.com

Posted in Forum by sogr8ful at 10:35 PM | Comments (3)
Categories: Plaster