Wish I could explain your rationale to the 300 or so homeless dogs and cats tomorrow.

Whatever, more self-indulgent economic blustering! Maybe there's another New York mag mention to gain from it.

Posted by: Steve at October 3, 2008 3:31 PM in response to Reminder

You can also try Naval Jelly (spray) to get rid of the rust. If you have access to one, a compressor will dry it off quickly.

Any time you strip iron, you need to get a primer on it quickly because rust starts forming as soon as it's exposed to oxygen. Add water and the electrolytic action multiplies.

Posted by: Steve at October 2, 2008 6:58 PM in response to Cast Iron Radiator Finishing Advice

When he said "the plaster has come off all the way down to the cement" and he was talking about his bathroom ceiling, I presume he's talking about "all the way down to the base coat". You don't often find cement in a ceiling in an old house.

Structolite is definitely the way to go if you've got exposed lath or masonry but it sounds like he's lost the scratch and finish coats.

PlasterWeld or some other bonding agent is probably a good idea over old base coat.

Posted by: Steve at October 2, 2008 1:15 PM in response to Joint compound or plaster of paris?

Joint compound is basically just liquefied dust so it shouldn't be used in applications greater than ~1/8" thick.

Plaster of paris is easier to work with if you retard the setting with a little white vinegar or milk. Make sure to spray down the repair area with water first so it doesn't suck the moisture of the plaster.

Posted by: Steve at October 1, 2008 6:27 PM in response to Joint compound or plaster of paris?

I'm a woodwork freak (obviously) and these shots bother me. There are at least three different treatments here. The original appears to be the red oak of the staircase. Then someone stained the fireplace with walnut. Then there's the newer woodwork which looks like clear pine with a light stain or possibly paint because I don't see any grain.

Blond woodwork can look great but not so much when it's mixed with competing trim colors.

http://www.brooklynrowhouse.com/house/diningroom

Posted by: Steve at September 30, 2008 5:49 PM in response to House of the Day: 208 Midwood Street

The 1917 Colour Chart on that oldhousecolors.com site seems like it might be the most definitive authority.

Last week, I finished painting my first and second floor halls and stairway with a Benjamin Moore color called Beverly Hills, which looks very close to "Cream" in that chart:

http://www.brooklynrowhouse.com/node/142

Posted by: Steve at September 30, 2008 5:13 PM in response to Classic brownstone interior paint color?

Ocre?

Check the Benjamin Moore online color viewer (good luck with this link):

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_windowLabel=portletInstance_2&portletInstance_2_actionOverride=%2Fbm%2Fcms%2FContentRenderer%2FrenderContent&portletInstance_2cnp=public_site%2Farticles%2Fmain_page_articles%2Ffh_home&portletInstance_2np=public_site%2Farticles%2Fapplication_article%2Fapp_personal_color_viewer&_pageLabel=fh_home

Posted by: Steve at September 30, 2008 1:44 PM in response to Classic brownstone interior paint color?

Surbandude: dood, stop watching FoxNews and start watching the news.

A majority of Democrats voted FOR the bill. Only 40% of Democrats voted against it. If a majority of Republicans have voted for it it would have passed.

However, twelve thin-skinned Republican suits had little to do with it. 133 Republicans -- 66% of House Republicans -- voted AGAINST the bill. That's why it died, not because of Pelosi.

Posted by: Steve at September 29, 2008 10:15 PM in response to Quote of the Day

Egg-and-dot or egg-and-dart?

Posted by: Steve at September 29, 2008 10:20 AM in response to Free Egg & Dot Tin

Man, that's some nice tile!

Posted by: Steve at September 29, 2008 10:18 AM in response to Installing floor mural/tile persian rug

It sounds like you have a doghouse vent on the skylight, which is pretty common in old houses with flat roofs. I have two of them here. On the "roof" of that skylight you'll see slit vents which are protected by metal flaps, or shrouds. Over time those flaps can bend, even break, allowing water to enter the vent. One fix is to braze larger flaps over the vents, also making sure that water pouring down the "roof" doesn't get into the vent.

You should also caulk around the glass because that's another entry point for water. I'm not a roofing expert but I believe you want to use a tar caulk on the outside, not something silicon based. You can pick up tubes of that in the roofing section at Lowes/HD.

I was on my roof last week fixing a fan vent (contractor installed a pitched roof vent on a flat roof, which was a source of leaks) and noticed that both of my old skylights are in pretty bad shape. I'll probably replace them next year with new ones.

Posted by: Steve at September 29, 2008 10:18 AM in response to Skylight Venting

Whatever, just bear in mind that for all practical purposes the owner is under no obligation to fix violations so you can only press the matter up to his "take it or leave it", the same as any other demand.

Yes, you can retroactively apply for a curb cut permit. But if your zoning prohibits parking in front of the house this is something that would have to be corrected.

Posted by: Steve at September 28, 2008 10:11 PM in response to Curb cut legal?

You need the venting to exhaust warm air which would otherwise condense on the walls of the airshaft and create a mold/dry rot situation. This is especially important in a bathroom.

You may need a better shroud over your vent though.

Posted by: Steve at September 28, 2008 10:02 PM in response to Skylight Venting

Bear in mind that Howard Golden (past Brooklyn boro prez) commissioned a study which found that up to 90% of Brooklyn driveways were illegal. I've never been able to find the original study so I don't know if that means the curb cut was illegal or that the driveway was illegal in some other, possibly correctable way.

To my knowledge, the city hasn't been busting homeowners with illegal driveways unless they catch them in the act or a neighbor drops a 311 on them. There are some bills before the Council to change that but none have so far made it out of committee.

Posted by: Steve at September 28, 2008 6:45 PM in response to Curb cut legal?

A check of DOB filings should be enough. You need to have a DOT permit to get the DOB permit.

Posted by: Steve at September 28, 2008 3:17 PM in response to Curb cut legal?

There are a lot of snake oil merchants in the market. Econnergy is another worthless ESCO I had a bad experience with. However, the contract I have with Liberty is simple and no-games: 17 cents kWH, flat rate, guaranteed for two years. Since Con Ed was billing me 23 cents and energy prices are only going to go up, it's a good deal. Granted, I'll be paying 17 cents this winter when Con Ed may dip to 14 or 15 cents but it still works out in my favor over a year's time.

If you're with Con Ed you've already got an ESCO.

Posted by: Steve at September 28, 2008 2:01 AM in response to IDT Energy marketer

I locked in a contract for 17 cents/kWH for two years with Liberty Power, another ESCO.

Posted by: Steve at September 26, 2008 7:54 PM in response to IDT Energy marketer

Are you sure the green market is gonna be based in the Key Food lot? Isn't there gonna be a lot of construction going on there soon which would result in that lot being fenced off?

Posted by: Steve at September 26, 2008 7:03 PM in response to Bay Ridge gets its Green Market!

So long as you don't use a motion sensor you should be okay with a CFL. Here, I use Insteon home automation for stuff like this. The computer knows my lat/lon, time of day and time of year so it knows when to turn the lights on and off.

Posted by: Steve at September 26, 2008 3:24 PM in response to Dusk to Dawn Lighting

There's a little antique shop on 69th St (Bay Ridge Ave) off 3rd Avenue in Bay Ridge where I occasionally find cool, inexpensive things. It's not large so I probably wouldn't make a special trip but it's worth ducking in there when you have a few minutes.

Posted by: Steve at September 26, 2008 10:34 AM in response to Reasonable priced antique/salvage shops in Brooklyn ( or Queens)

... especially when you can buy a 2000psi pressure washer for under $200.

Posted by: Steve at September 25, 2008 8:10 PM in response to Polyurethane on Concrete

A blow torch, phosphoric acid and an angle grinder?

Posted by: Steve at September 25, 2008 8:09 PM in response to Removing Paint

Actually, now that I've thought about it, I put some K-Strip paint stripper on the urethane first to soften it up, then used the pressure washer. Wear goggles.

Posted by: Steve at September 25, 2008 2:16 PM in response to Polyurethane on Concrete

I had a can of water-based poly leak through a garbage bag on my sidewalk. I got it off in five minutes with a 3500psi pressure washer.

Posted by: Steve at September 25, 2008 2:11 PM in response to Polyurethane on Concrete

I can't recommend any place in particular but when I'm looking for stone or pavers I usually hit the stone yards on Long Island. HD and Lowes ain't discount stores. You can usually find better prices on higher quality stuff from a local retailer.

Locally, you could try Kings on 15th Ave @37th St. They'll at least have a better selection.

Posted by: Steve at September 25, 2008 10:39 AM in response to Reasonably Priced Pavers?

The GC is under no obligation to do so, correct, but I've been in this situation several times and not only did the GC not have a problem directing a sub that I contracted, he appreciated it because it allowed him to manage his own resources and schedule more efficiently. Rather than sending his guys to the site only to have them sit because the electrical sub I hired killed the panel, he could send them to another job while the electricians worked.

For example, when I did my master bath renovation, I decided after the walls came down that it would be a perfect time to install split unit AC on the second floor. I contracted the AC installer and I asked Frank (the GC) to manage them. He was happy to do so rather than have four guys trying to work in my small bathroom. Both contractors were happy.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 7:12 PM in response to Boiler installation: bad experience so far

The past few years have actually been more subdued than previous ones. Two of the most outrageous displays are gone.

One (my favorite) was in front of a beautiful old Victorian on a triple wide lot and depicted scenes from "A Christmas Carol" using life size mannequins in lavish, Broadway-quality costumes. The other was "Christmas Around the World", which was a knock-off of Disney's "Small World" with ferris wheels, a train, and so forth.

One year, I think Christmas 2000, someone constructed a "Christmas dragon". It was an animatronic dragon's head and neck mounted on the roof of a garage. I think it used hydraulics. It had glowing red eyes and swooped down on pedestrians, growling and belching smoke. It scared the hell out of little kids, which is probably why it had such a short run.

As BRG said, the giant Santa has a hidden speaker, mic and video camera so the owner can talk to the gawkers.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 4:10 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

Here's a sample of those Dyker Lights:

http://www.brooklynrowhouse.com/dyker_lights

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 3:23 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

5 baths, 4BRs and a rec room that looks like Chateau Deville, all in just 1892 square feet? No wonder the aspect ratio is way off in those photos.

Dyker Heights does have some beautiful old homes, even a couple of newer ones I really like. Unfortunately, they're overshadowed by the recent trend which seems to derive its architectural aesthetics from Miami Beach drug dealer cribs and superpimp movies.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 1:16 PM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

It doesn't matter who picked who. They all work for you. Someone's got to be in charge of the construction, what goes in when, who needs what done in which order, etc. That should be the GC, not you.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 12:44 PM in response to Boiler installation: bad experience so far

The trees usually follow the sidewalk cuts two or three weeks later.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 11:21 AM in response to NYC Parks Dept tree planting season is here!

The coordination should be between your GC and the boiler installer, not with you in the middle. Tell your GC to deal with them and to make whatever accommodations they need. Tell the installer that he needs to work through your GC.

It's an unfortunate fact that some construction types have a pathological inability to work with homeowners directly.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 11:19 AM in response to Boiler installation: bad experience so far

He did the work on my loft after I got out of college. If he's still around he'd be like 90 years old now.

Posted by: Steve at September 24, 2008 1:02 AM in response to license plumber who can do a sign off on our boiler

Unless you already have the ducts, a split unit system will always be cheaper to install than conventional central air. I've got a 36k, two head system upstairs which cost $5200 to install. The plaster repairs were on me though.

They pretty much keep the whole house comfortable except for maybe two weeks in the summer when I flip on a wall unit in my kitchen extension.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 6:26 PM in response to No More Window Air Conditioners

Way too many cops for that to go on for long. The mayor and all the local politicos show up at this festival so they try to keep it orderly.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 6:19 PM in response to Bay Ridge festivals

No idea what it costs but you're probably looking for something called an automated zone or volume control damper.

It can be either a conventional heating register or a section of ducting with a motor that opens or closes based on an external signal. The damper is driven by a 24V motor or solenoid so the power line is sometimes run inside the duct itself. The dampers could, in turn, be controlled either manually or by a computer employing a timer and/or wireless thermostats inside the rooms, perhaps using something like Insteon protocol.

Won't be cheap though.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 6:03 PM in response to Heating question

It's unlikely you'll get a busy, licensed plumber to sign off on another plumber's work, especially with something like a boiler installation which can be dangerous if not done correctly. Install an undersized pipe, screw up the venting or even use the wrong kind of pipe dope and the liability can be on him.

I'd look for a newly licensed plumber who hasn't built up a business yet or a retired guy who still has his license. At my old loft I used a retired master plumber who worked for the MTA (subways) and who did it the old-fashioned way (string on pipe threads, poured lead, etc.) He would only work two or three hours a day, three days a week, but he eventually got the job done.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 5:46 PM in response to license plumber who can do a sign off on our boiler

Strange because those tax photos were done to identify a building with a posted block/lot number. The photographer set up a sign on the street in front of the entrance with the tax ID on it, or at least in every tax photo I've seen.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 4:35 PM in response to Got an old picture of my house

My neighbor, Joe, will be working the Food Coop table too.

The Harvest Festival also has the canine costume contest, right?

The Third Ave festival has all kinds of people. Yeah, you get some mutants like any large street festival, especially hanging out around the boombox car club dorks who usually have a "booth" in the low 70s.

Hope the belly dancers are back this year.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 4:26 PM in response to Bay Ridge festivals

I'm cringing, waiting for Halloween. That's when they do Haunted Halloween, or whatever it's called, in Owl's Head Park. The immediate neighborhood becomes a mob scene, especially they shut the Haunted Walk down and thousands of kids descend on local homes for their sugar fix.

I want a government subsidy of my candy supply because of that event. I went through 15 pounds last year.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 12:24 PM in response to Bay Ridge festivals

On my block it just seems to work out, except for the few off-duty cops who don't move their cars for nobody. The street cleaner usually finishes 15 minutes after alternate side begins and Traffic agents are pretty hardcore about writing up violations right up till the minute alternate side ends. (Then we don't see them again for a week).

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 11:32 AM in response to Ethics-free Parking?

It's big and it's very crowded. Thirty blocks of 3rd Ave get shut down for the Ragamuffin parade on Saturday and the street festival on Sunday. If you come, the R train or a bicycle is your best bet because parking can be ridiculous around here.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 11:23 AM in response to Bay Ridge festivals

I haven't found a lot of written history about my neighborhood, although senatorstreet (the user here) probably has a bunch of interesting resources.

I did find a 1918 obituary from the Brooklyn Daily Standard Union on an archive site:

"Annie R. FELD, who died on Friday at her home, XXX XXXX, Bay Ridge, is survived by two daughters, Edna and Mabel. Funeral
services were held at her late home yesterday with interment at Greenfield Cemetery, Hempstead."

The Felds may have been the original owners.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 11:19 AM in response to Got an old picture of my house

As I understand it, the Green Church is actually more of a co-op owned by a handful of parishioners, which is all that's left of the congregation. They will all share in the proceeds of the sale. Their interest was #1: the money and #2: a smaller church on the property for themselves.

As beautiful as the church is, it desperately needed millions of dollars in restorations because it was literally falling apart. One analysis I read cast doubt on whether it could even be repaired given the ravages of time and the elements on the serpentine stone.

Posted by: Steve at September 23, 2008 12:01 AM in response to On to the Afterlife for Green Church

Sorry, BRG. I just realized that I never enabled a "contact" option on the blog. It's there now but I'll email you.

My neighbor around the corner -- actually the guy who found me this house -- was the former City Register for NYC. He gave me a framed tax photo of my house for Christmas.

italiana71: my house is right off Owls Head Park, in north Bay Ridge. I knew my garage dated back to 1942 from that tax photo. This new photo shows that it was here in the 1930s as well. There's some evidence from the framing that it may have been constructed when the street was regraded in the 1910s and all the lower stoops were built on the block. Or at least, that's what a neighborhood historian alleges happened.

Posted by: Steve at September 22, 2008 11:07 AM in response to Got an old picture of my house

Practically speaking, unless you have zoned central air, split units will be cheaper to run, if only because you can shut off the split units in rooms you don't need to A/C, especially at night.

Posted by: Steve at September 22, 2008 1:57 AM in response to No More Window Air Conditioners

I have the Fujitsu Halcyon system here. Very reliable, if not exactly attractive. It was installed by Coolco NY (347) 219-7570 (Dmitri)

Posted by: Steve at September 21, 2008 9:06 PM in response to No More Window Air Conditioners

Yes. Clean the door with mineral spirits first to remove any oil from the machining. Use a red oxide or other oil-based metal primer too.

Posted by: Steve at September 21, 2008 7:46 PM in response to Prime & Paint new steel door??

Real estate markets don't all obey the Law of the Bubble. Housing prices could be crashing ten miles away but still be zooming upwards in the Slope and Fort Greene by virtue of the fact that other market factors may be supporting the latter. Like, for instance, a shorter and cheaper commute, or people dumping their second homes because of taxes and heating costs and reinvesting the money in a nicer primary home in the city, or foreign buyers taking advantage of a more favorable exchange rate to buy something in an established, gentrified neighborhood, or nervous investors pulling their money out of an increasingly flaky stocks and bonds and putting it into real estate in high demand neighborhoods.

Point is, when the market runs out of "FOOLS" willing to pay top dollar to live in those neighborhoods, that's when those prices will start to fall. Not surprisingly, that's one rule that is constant across all real estate markets.

Posted by: Steve at September 21, 2008 7:41 PM in response to Can someone explain sellers' prices to me?

Today was my first visit to the Brooklyn Flea. I brought my neighbor, who's a chocolate maker who does street fairs, so she and Justine talked shop. Great chocolate. We picked up only a few little things, like pickles. Overall, we had a terrific time. I'll be back.

Posted by: Steve at September 21, 2008 7:22 PM in response to Where's My Scooter!?

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Posted by: affiliateprogram at March 30, 2009 8:25 PM in response to Classic brownstone interior paint color?

Use a heat gun to soften any silicone or glue that may have been used, run a box cutter or 5 in 1 knife to separate frame from tile. In less than an hour you are ready to go.

Posted by: Ingrid at May 24, 2009 12:23 PM in response to removing glass shower door frame

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Posted by: angushopper at June 19, 2009 3:43 PM in response to Installing floor mural/tile persian rug

hello:
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Thank you
Mark

Posted by: angushopper at June 19, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Installing floor mural/tile persian rug

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Posted by: StevenM at June 21, 2009 10:30 PM in response to Outdoor Furniture?

I'm trying to imagine what the roof is like. Based on the solar panels I've seen I would highly doubt that you would be able to take something like that with you.

Depending on your landlord, maybe you could convince them to put a solar panel up. It would lower energy costs.

It would definitely not be worth it to do it yourself, since it would probably be quite expensive and you couldn't take it with you. I think the best way to find out more is to talk to a local New York solar installer . They'll know the laws and costs and everything.

http://www.getsolar.com/new-york-solar-power-panel-installation-professionals.php

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Posted by: jone5455 at July 7, 2009 10:32 PM in response to stainless steel undermount kitchen sinks

Did anyone ever find out about a New York approved roof hatch? I've seen them for sale by Bilco, for about $750 incl freight, but I wasn't sure if that's NYC approved?

Posted by: ewoodward at July 21, 2009 5:53 AM in response to roof hatches and ladders