sxm's Profile
Author's Posts
July 10, 2009
Antique French Doors - 2 Sets
I am selling 2 sets of French Doors with Transoms which I have salvaged; totaling 4 French doors and 2 transoms with their respective original hardware still attached to them.
They are salvaged antiques, very old, painted white and I'm pretty certain they're made of pine. I wanted to save them for personal use, but they are taking up too much space, and I want them to have a very good home.
First set measures 83-1/2" x 24" x 1-3/8" for each door. A total of 10 panes per door. The transom on top spans both doors. The astragal is still there. The original ball point hinges are intact. The Flush Bolts are also intact. The original mortise lock and glass knob are intact. The knob actually turns! ALL glass is intact.
The second set measures 83-1/2" x 32" x 1-3/8" for each door. Total of 10 panes per door. The transom on top spans both doors. The astragals are still there. Yes, two astragals, don't know why. This door has one flush bolt intact. The original mortise lock is intact, but there is no knob. One door has one glass pane broken. The other door has one glass pane cracked. The transom has four of the five glass panes broken.
I can almost guarantee you will not find a complete set like this anywhere, short of demo-ing a house yourself.
All interested, email sale-pdggc-1263345866@craigslist.org.
$500 for each set. Cash only. Pick-up only.
*** visit: http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/mat/1263345866.html for a duplicate listing.
The blue tape is there to protect the glass.
May 6, 2008
Bike Tours??
I am surprised that there was no coverage of the Five Boro Bike Tour. As a site that is bike-friendly, there was no mention of it. I participated in it (first timer), and it was an unbelievable experience.
The Tour de Brooklyn is coming up on the 25th of May and I hope that Brownstoner will have coverage on it.
What do other people think?
April 25, 2008
DOB question - enlargement and Alt Type II
Hey all,
I have a question for you all. Can a job be a horizontal enlargement and an Alt Type II? I thought that any enlargement is an Alt Type I. I was looking over a neighbors job on DOB, and noticed that it is an enlargement but it is an Alt Type II. Because of the enlargement, shouldn't they also need an amended C of O?
February 11, 2008
Finding OLD dob jobs??
Hello Brownstoners,
Where can I find out past DOB jobs for a building? The jobs I am looking for are no longer listed on DOB BIS's website, but were there less than a year ago. The jobs were signed off about 10 years ago... more or less. I have seen jobs still listed which were over 20 years old. Neighbors building is about 85' on a 100' site and have to see if it is legit, and if so, how they did it.
December 28, 2007
Boiler Room Question
Fellow Brownstoners,
We have a 3-family house that currently uses a GAS boiler. At one point, there used to be a FUEL boiler in the same spot. Look at picture of old plan w/ fuel boiler. My question is, now that that room is a gas boiler, does it still need the requirements of the fuel boiler, ie 4" CMU walls and 26 ga metal for ceiling. Am I able to take those walls down and open the space up?
October 31, 2007
Sprinkler test questions
Hello all brownstoners,
We have a 3 family house which has sprinklers and they need to be tested. Can someone tell me how often these sprinklers must be tested? We are also thinking of taking that test to conduct the inspection ourselves. Has anyone taken this test or have any experience going this route?
thanks to all,
sxm
Author's Comments
nice~!!
but... they could have tinted the mortar a little red.
Posted by: sxm at August 4, 2009 9:23 AM in response to 2 Lefferts Place: Nice Brick!
mr b, i'm sure those are double panes
Posted by: sxm at July 30, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Development Watch: Windows for Sackett
sounds like rent reduction is the goal, but...
if he is the "good" tenant, call HPD, get a fire inspector to come over RIGHT AWAY (emergency) and take a look at the absent sprinkler in the public h/w and absent 2nd means of egress.
Posted by: sxm at July 21, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Inspector Unable to Gain Access?
A fire balcony should have access to 2 different apartment buildings. If there is a fire in one building, the residents leave their apartment, go onto the fire balcony and go next door to the next apartment building. Building, not apartment unit. That is the 2nd means of egress for a fire balcony.
Posted by: sxm at July 15, 2009 3:46 PM in response to Fire Escape Alternative
Well, yes, the grinder smooths the brick, but because it is taking off a very thin layer of brick, mostly grime and dirt, the smoothness will be consistent throughout your brick wall.
I mean, you are using it as an interior wall, and people will be touching it, leaning on it, etc, so wouldn't you want it smooth w/ no masonry cement mortar sticking out and scraping you?
I have found that the muriatic acid cleans and brightens the brick. The acid really cleans little tiny pores of the brick and gets rid of all the dust from the grinding. Just getting rid of all that dust really brightens the color. The texture after the acid, makes it feel like a very matte, soft, porous, interior brick.
If you apply silicone afterward (diluted of course), you will feel slightly more resistance, small rubbery feeling when running your finger over the brick, but will still feel the graininess character of the brick. But I guess that depends on how much silicone you apply.
Posted by: sxm at June 25, 2009 11:24 AM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
i dont understand why they are saying to clean before the pointing? all pointing (unless repointing all walls) will leave inconsistencies that vary from texture to color.
I say repoint where needed, then grind down all the dirty old brick and pointing to a uniform color/consistancy. Most interior brick walls were suppose to never be seen, so most of the time, the brick and mortar is very rough. We've used a big angle grinder with wire steel cup brushes.
Then clean with muriatic acid, rinse, all the while protecting the floors, whether they are old, new or even just subfloor. Seal the brick with your favorite sealer or silicone (which we use).
Sand/grit blasting sounds good, and fast, but interior brick is old and soft, so be careful
Posted by: sxm at June 25, 2009 9:23 AM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
That's great to know slumlord.
Did the MTA do surveys of the neighboring buildings? If they did, (and they should have), then the MTA would have documentation to disprove the 44 Willoughby Street landlord.
It is a good chance that the MTA IS actually at fault.
It's a funny thing, when a contractor does damage to a building's structural stability, even allegedly, the DOB stops work immediately. They do inspections, etc.
But, with the MTA, it doesn't matter. Kinda like the Transit Authority is above the law.
Posted by: sxm at April 30, 2009 4:13 PM in response to BREAKING: Cracks at 44 Willoughby Street
that looks like a typical modern radiator. no ornamentation whatsoever. any plumbing supply store should be able to make that for you, no problem. tell them exactly what you need: 6-tube 8"deep x 24"wide (14 section) x 19" high. BTW, that looks like a STEAM radiator and NOT a hot water radiator.
Posted by: sxm at December 19, 2008 5:08 PM in response to Wanted: Radiator
William H Jackson
if you got the cash
Posted by: sxm at November 18, 2008 4:43 PM in response to Fireplace Hearth - custom size
Nice HDR photo. That picture was taken ON Lafayette Ave looking toward St James Place and the corner of Pratt Institute's North Architecture Building.
Posted by: sxm at November 18, 2008 2:12 PM in response to Tuesday Links
GMAP brings me to 208 washington
Posted by: sxm at September 11, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Sneak Peek at the Isabella Condos
She DARES, do you...
Posted by: sxm at August 28, 2008 4:45 PM in response to Closing Bell: Reality TV Finds Architecture
ohh, found the photo.. thanks dasmart
Posted by: sxm at August 5, 2008 1:38 PM in response to Tuesday Links
yah thats real... HDR photo
awesome shot.
dasmart, any chance you would share that photo for use as a wallpaper (1600 x 1200)?
Posted by: sxm at August 5, 2008 12:04 PM in response to Tuesday Links
lol, that's maple lanes. used to pass by that place everyday when i was a kid.
Posted by: sxm at May 28, 2008 4:38 PM in response to Wednesday Blogwrap
ive been looking for the map for many days now. I dont think there is one. I just saw the video and expected to go whatever route they took.
Posted by: sxm at May 8, 2008 5:14 PM in response to Bike Tours??
Tour de Brooklyn
http://www.tourdebrooklyn.org/
5 Boro was a planned and organized event. It is your own fault for being out of the loop. Should have taken mass transit.
Posted by: sxm at May 8, 2008 8:58 AM in response to Bike Tours??
The 5 Boro Tour caused an inconvenience for one day in Sunday driving. The inconvenience is a good thing since no cars were allowed on those routes and over 30,000 people participated in the tour which offset the tons of pollution put out by the cars and trucks a day.
Posted by: sxm at May 7, 2008 8:15 AM in response to Bike Tours??
yes, the DOB did already approve plans as an Alt2. BUT, DOB makes mistakes everyday. BTW, this was not self-certified.
So, who is correct? the Guest or Smokychimp?
If smoky is correct, is there anyway to retroactively disapprove this job? or some action like that?
Posted by: sxm at April 29, 2008 3:52 PM in response to DOB question - enlargement and Alt Type II
Does a horizontal enlargement into the rear yard change egress, since all rear doors were changed/moved. They also added a full bathroom. Does that matter?
Posted by: sxm at April 25, 2008 4:44 PM in response to DOB question - enlargement and Alt Type II
if I give them the block/lot number, there may or may not be multiple jobs for that lot. how do the "Maury viewing girlfriends" at DOB know which job to pull.
Posted by: sxm at February 12, 2008 5:00 PM in response to Finding OLD dob jobs??
premier range
lg fridge is too much for a rental
check out summit appliances for fridge
Posted by: sxm at February 12, 2008 8:43 AM in response to Appliances for small kitchen
but how does the expediter know which was the most recent plan if there is no DOB job number to reference?
afaik, you pull DOB folders by job number, and not building number or lot/block
Posted by: sxm at February 11, 2008 1:47 PM in response to Finding OLD dob jobs??
Original Poster here: So it must be enclosed and have a 2-hr fire rated separation in some form or another plus ventilation. Is there a requirement on the boiler room size, or clearance from the boiler? If the room cannot be opened up, it would be nice to make the room smaller. Also, can I relocate the Washer and Dryer to that same room? Thanks to all.
Posted by: sxm at December 28, 2007 12:25 PM in response to Boiler Room Question
Sounds like something is wrong w/ your pitch, either the radiator pitch or your risers or something.
Maybe your old radiator is sinking into the floor and rotting your wood floor/subfloor and is now not draining excess water properly from the radiator back down the pipes which leaves water in the pipes.
When water trapped in the pipes and gets "steamed" up again, it makes the terrible noise you hear.
Posted by: sxm at November 2, 2007 12:46 PM in response to Noise-making radiators
So I do not need a plumber to check the sprinklers, nor do I have to take a test to check them. I just have to learn how to check them. Is this correct? A plumber once a year is fine w/ me, it's calling a plumber to check them every month that I want to avoid.
Posted by: sxm at October 31, 2007 11:38 PM in response to Sprinkler test questions
Beams can rest on the exterior walls if the walls can bear the weight. It all depends on your walls. An engineer can definitely tell you. Who knows, your buildings walls might be reaching its limit at 3 stories. Regarding your knocked out wall, that was -probably- not even a load-bearing wall, as your beams would be running the width of your house, which I will assume is about 17' and all loads on that floor should be transfered to the exterior walls.
Posted by: sxm at October 31, 2007 12:20 PM in response to Does it cost more to add a top floor or an extension?
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
sxm- I've tried using the angle grinder with the wire brush cup and it gives the brick a smooth texture as well as discoloring. Does the muriatic acid affect the brick texture and color?
Posted by: Adam Dahill at June 25, 2009 9:42 AM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
Well, yes, the grinder smooths the brick, but because it is taking off a very thin layer of brick, mostly grime and dirt, the smoothness will be consistent throughout your brick wall.
I mean, you are using it as an interior wall, and people will be touching it, leaning on it, etc, so wouldn't you want it smooth w/ no masonry cement mortar sticking out and scraping you?
I have found that the muriatic acid cleans and brightens the brick. The acid really cleans little tiny pores of the brick and gets rid of all the dust from the grinding. Just getting rid of all that dust really brightens the color. The texture after the acid, makes it feel like a very matte, soft, porous, interior brick.
If you apply silicone afterward (diluted of course), you will feel slightly more resistance, small rubbery feeling when running your finger over the brick, but will still feel the graininess character of the brick. But I guess that depends on how much silicone you apply.
Posted by: sxm at June 25, 2009 11:24 AM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
Having just spent 2 weekends cleaning and pressure washing my deck, I really can't imagine wanting to use a pressure washer inside the house -- even if it's all ripped apart and undergoing a renovation. The amount of water involved is huge.
Posted by: grand army at June 25, 2009 7:14 PM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
Here's what happened: our contractor promised to do a very gentle wash ( I sent him the link to the restoration website) and we are very pleased with the results. As sxm mentioned, the brick is much 'brighter'.
It came out so well that we've decided to forgo any further work on the walls except for sealing -which is thankfully saving us a few $$$.
The wood beamed ceiling and plank floors also benefited from the wash. Fortunately with the recent dry weather and the fact that we have no windows (the masons are working on the openings) the entire place dried out pretty fast.
This was definitely one of those situations where we just had to grit our teeth, go ahead and hope for the best - sometimes renovation takes nerves of steel. We were lucky this time.
Thanks again for all your intelligent input.
Posted by: awatcher at July 14, 2009 8:48 PM in response to Pressure Washing Interior Brick
who is the "we" here. if you have front and rear apartments, you have 8 tenants and this really only impacts the rear top two units (assuming you can jump from first two floors). in most fires, you get out of your apartment and out either by going down or up. Make sure access to roof is available too all residents in an emergency. Otherwise, yeah, the balcony itself is probably good enough.
Posted by: Ringo at July 15, 2009 3:47 PM in response to Fire Escape Alternative
Unless you're on a ground floor, a jump from the first floor alone would be probably about 7-8 feet. 2nd floor? Even higher. You're looking at broken legs or worse. And if you can't get away from the building that's on fire, being able to get out on a little balcony won't do squat.
Posted by: bxgrl at July 15, 2009 6:58 PM in response to Fire Escape Alternative
Be careful what you wish for. It does seem like there are some hazardous issues but do you want all the other tenants homeless??? The overcrowding is a separate issue.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 21, 2009 1:40 PM in response to Inspector Unable to Gain Access?
The best route would be to first work with the landlord. See if they are willing to make the necessary changes to accommodate him and bring the building to code. Just from looking at the historical posts, it seems like everything is an issue (which may be legitimate).
Posted by: guikazoid at July 21, 2009 1:44 PM in response to Inspector Unable to Gain Access?
Vagrant rhetoric at its finest.
The 'victim has apparently been unhappy for sometime or approx. one month, the time since first choosing to undertake the condemnation of his residence.
After reading his posts in their entirety. I find him/her to be deceptive, ill versed, and feeble.
You've obviously had a problem with said landlord. Yet instead of acting you've chosen to bombard the thread with constant imagery in search of pity?
If your really out to help others in that building- get off your arm chair and do something.
POST flicks of the conditions- address etc. I'm sure that will at the least suffice the pallet of those with the means to act accordingly.
just saying..
Posted by: Brooklynchimp at July 21, 2009 4:33 PM in response to Inspector Unable to Gain Access?
the complaint is that 3 story house has no second mean of exit
Posted by: stnzz at July 23, 2009 2:03 AM in response to Inspector Unable to Gain Access?
While i love pratt,
Caradonna is a smug bald ass. Every word from his mouth is condescending. Also, like GW Bush, he loves to make words up.
Posted by: sxm at September 10, 2009 3:49 PM in response to Inside Third & Bond: Week 100