Try Cablevision's Channel 12. That at channel 156 on Time Warner.

Posted by: tommurphy at August 9, 2007 3:29 PM in response to Pat Kiernan can't say "Bay Ridge"

You can ask your electrician to install a switch inside that will control the outdoor outlet.
BTW if you don't like the idea of an 'ugly' box on the exterior wait until you see the black box for reading the meter. It will be install without your consultation exactly where you don't want it. It was so ugly my dog ate it.

Posted by: tommurphy at August 8, 2007 2:17 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question

You lucky bastards!
Why, when I was closing back in '84 the rates were 14% plus and Reagan was President!
Where's your sense of adventure?

Posted by: tommurphy at August 7, 2007 3:05 PM in response to A must read for those in the process of buying

Go get the tax photo from 1940, or the original floor plans from DoB(good luck). Then you will see what the the architect had in mind.

Posted by: tommurphy at August 4, 2007 3:45 PM in response to second floor entrance

Gotham Woodworks.

Posted by: tommurphy at August 1, 2007 2:48 PM in response to Radiator Covers?

If a negligent condition of a neighbor's property is harming your property they are liable. If it presents an imminent danger to life or health (wall collapse, water damage, mold, etc.) you should proceed to repair. Take lots of pix; document everything. Forget the lawyer. Hope that this is the only problem your neighbor has that will damage you. Have you looked in the basement?

Posted by: tommurphy at July 30, 2007 5:04 PM in response to real estate litigation attorneys?

It's also common to run conduits up the exterior of the building. Maybe they run extension cords from there. Really adds to the curb appeal.
You own it; you destroy it anyway you want.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 30, 2007 4:40 PM in response to Upgrading the electrical

Actually de facto NYS government policy is toward ending 'rent control'. They are slowly, or not so slowly, eliminating those units.
There is no legislator or public official in NYS who can or will interfere with that trend.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 29, 2007 4:03 PM in response to Rent Control

How about smoke & CO alarms near each bedroom?
Don't block windows or hallways(egress is such a great word).
Practice escape plans with the kids. Always know how to get out in a hurry.
NFN: NO candles in the bedrooms! There have been two fires, one fatal, near my home resulting from THAT source alone. Don't go looking under a bed with a candle for illumination. Also you do have to tell those religious freaks, yes freaks, who think its necessary to set up an altar in a bedroom and burn a candle all night long (or until the FDNY arrives) that IT IS NOT OK! Remember when people smoking cigarettes in bed caused all the fires? Same thing.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 29, 2007 3:52 PM in response to Fire Safety

Instead of raising the hoop, they're lowering the floor. Interesting.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 20, 2007 5:28 PM in response to Friday Blogwrap

You can pay for flood insurance but can you collect?
For that you have to ask questions and read the fine print.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 20, 2007 5:24 PM in response to Flood Insurance

You want to see beautiful 'brownstones'. Go down to Savannah, GA.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 20, 2007 5:19 PM in response to What really is a brownstone?

NFN I was down at Lowes near the Gowanus Canal just after the big rain this morning. I walked over to 9th Street to see if it flooded again (see the picture on the Mayor's emergency preparedness brochure). Well, I wish I had a surf board when the buses finally got through and made those waves. I figure it was one- or two-feet deep near the bridge. This was equal to the water level of the Gowanus Canal. I had observed the water level from Lowes flooded parking lot which was draining directly into the Canal.
I looked at the storage bins under the El and wondering where they'll end up when THE BIG ONE hits.
I think it is timely to ask what we can realistically expect. People in Brooklyn are buying and building on flood plains and at low elevations. Of course, they then want to build down. You want to be careful, or get a surf board.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 18, 2007 4:54 PM in response to Water in basement

Tom here.
The turbines can remain in the winter. Their spinning precludes water infiltration. That said, after twenty years, they were rusty and one froze in place when snow and ice built up to its openings. This was an extraordinary event. Also, these models were from HD and I could not easily lubricate them. As a result I had a leak. I had to go up on the roof in the storm and 'cap' it. I replaced it in the spring with a better model which can be easily removed and maintained.
That was my only bad experience.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 15, 2007 2:29 PM in response to whole house fan for a flat roof??

I have installed wind turbines on my 'flat' 3,500' brownstone. It's simpler(pick locations; cut holes; level, secure and seal mounts); requires no electrical power; and you don't need an electrician to run a line to the attic/roof area (I presume you don't have one there already). The units cost $50 per and there is a company on Vernon Blvd in LIC that stocks them and makes them to order. I got my first from HD and when I sought to replace them some twenty years later they were selling an inferior product. They have now dropped them altogether. They are for year round use (removing damaging moisture) but I do have caps for them in case a hurricane threatens.
Don't worry about how un-modern they appear, no one will see them. They vent the super-heated attic space 24 X 7, and they do make a real difference in comfort to your top floor.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 13, 2007 1:11 PM in response to whole house fan for a flat roof??

Keep watching the Weather Channel. Next time they say it going to rain hard get a lawn chair and a cooler with a six-pack of your favorite brew. Set yourself in the basement with the lights on and wait. When the water appears on the basement floor note where and how it got there. Proceed from there to your adjoining neighbors, ask if they have water in their basements. Look in the backyard and out front to see if there is pooling water or overflowing drains or drainpipes. I think you'll know enough then to teach us a thing or two.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 12, 2007 8:22 PM in response to Basement Flood revisted

Check your metaphors please. A dead or injured worker is NOT 'icing on the cake'.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 9, 2007 12:33 PM in response to Tragic Construction Accident at 639 6th Avenue

Re the window leak: It could be from the roof. Check the gutter and downspout for a blockage. Then check to see if the roof covering overhang has separated from the rear back wall above the gutter. The water infiltrates behind the wall through an forced gap. This can occur from ice build-up pushing up the overhang. Again, this would be due to a drainage problem. Don't waste time, the hurricanes are coming.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 8, 2007 9:51 PM in response to Water Problems

I applied a silver coating to my flat roof some years ago and am planning to re-coat now. I hear that white is a better reflector than silver. You have to read the specs and directions first. Since I'm going to do it myself I'll go for the high-price spread, white, because there is NO MIXING! Worth the price.
What's this with hiring someone to do it for you?

Posted by: tommurphy at July 8, 2007 9:34 PM in response to Cool roof coating?

You might want to use a welder's hammer (HD)to knock off built up paint and rust. Even a tack hammer would do around tight spots. I used these to clean off an iron gate with a century of paint. Be patient too. It's a labor intensive and annoying job.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 5, 2007 12:25 PM in response to Stripping paint from iron bars

You might want to restrict air infiltration on humid days and nights, increasing it when the humidity is forecast to be low, if that is possible.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 5, 2007 12:14 PM in response to Sweaty Pipes

A terrier. That's what they're bred for.

Posted by: tommurphy at July 3, 2007 7:20 PM in response to rats in the garden

Buy the through-the-wall unit with the sleeve (I have three Friedrich's) and prop it on the window sill with the back-end outside. You have to construct wings to seal the window(I use insulation batts trimmed to size).
Of course, this unit, plus a sleeve, is more $$$ but works fine.

Posted by: tommurphy at June 28, 2007 10:18 PM in response to Help, we're melting!

It was a chilly April, remember?
Ask Keyspan on-line for your billing history for the last two years(free overnight response). Check the heating-free summer months. That will give you good numbers.

Posted by: tommurphy at June 21, 2007 3:29 PM in response to Summer Gas Bills

Try Rockport, Maine.

Posted by: tommurphy at June 21, 2007 3:21 PM in response to Shade Sail Installer Needed

The Ubell's, of course. Al & Larry are at Accurate Building, Inc.

Posted by: tommurphy at May 26, 2007 3:02 PM in response to House Inspector

SPer, I'm reminded of a defense Pete Hamill advanced some time ago to counter a similar situation: Would you want to clean up all the horse shit?
Cars in great numbers have a downside; however, it's how we got here, right?
Brooklyn, where we live, is also a great workplace and a great marketplace. Convenient transportation is essential for this to function.
When I see home-owner spending big bucks to create off-street parking, I see someone who is extremely frustrated. I don't see this person as selfish but as someone who wants to survive given the current predicament.
Sunset Park lacks sufficient on-street parking. That fact doesn't deter DoT from eliminating even more legal spots year after year and making a bad situation worse.
By the way, we don't have the 'excellent' mass
transportation as you might presume. I would give a good grade only to a service running when it's needed. The MTA has been gradually eliminating service to this locale. Five of our seven bus lines don't run at night. The 'R' and the 'N' lines are also curtailed during non-rush hours. During weekends service is eliminated south of 36th Street at night. I guess they think we all have cars.

Posted by: tommurphy at May 24, 2007 12:07 PM in response to Making a driveway

If you have the requisite depth from house to curb you can do it. Minimum of 20', I believe. You must pay NYC for permission to cut the curb; assuming there is no tree or hydrant in the way.
You can always break into the front wall of your house if you lack the requisite open area. There are contractors who specialize in this. You will need DOB approved plans.
However, as you can see above, you really don't want to be the first on your block to do this.
Something to think about and talk over with the neighbors first.

Posted by: tommurphy at May 23, 2007 3:59 PM in response to Making a driveway

I remember passing this site when they were just putting in the foundation. Unfortunately they undermined the old building to the west. This caused the facade to crack right up to the third floor where some bricks were dislodged. A crew was erecting scaffolding in front of the damaged property. The supports extended onto the blue stone in front of the next property. The boss was on his cell. I mentioned to his crew he was probably asking the lawyers for quick advice. Don't need TWO lawsuits in one day.

Posted by: tommurphy at February 14, 2007 2:24 PM in response to New Development: The Atlantic State Condos

The source of the quote about Wells Fargo’s rates was *not* Wells Fargo, but Manhattan Mortgage Co (a broker). Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Banking sent me a rate sheet today quoting 6.875% for a jumbo coop, condo or 1-4 family loan.

Posted by: Sandy Mattingly at August 7, 2007 4:25 PM in response to A must read for those in the process of buying

The hedge funds are trying to break everything.

Posted by: anonymous at August 7, 2007 6:10 PM in response to A must read for those in the process of buying

I came back from citibank today, and the mortgage guy there had raised his eyebrows at the new spread between jumbos and conforming that showed on his screen (i asked him explicitly what the savings were if I stayed below jumbo).

If you go over $417k you can expect a jump in rate of at least 0.50%, normally it is a few points or slightly stricter docs.

Posted by: at August 7, 2007 6:42 PM in response to A must read for those in the process of buying

and what are people going to do, run extension cords to their house? iron their clothes in your front yard? charge their ipods? seriously, what are people going to do to "steal" your electricity?

like the first person said, get a cover that locks.

Posted by: at August 8, 2007 2:18 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question

I don't know why it is required, but it is. And yes, I have administered jobs where we put one in.

Posted by: an_architect_in_Brooklyn at August 8, 2007 2:55 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question

Re: "black box for reading the meter", these are NOT required in NYC Historic Districts, although you may have to fight Con Ed to avoid one. OTOH, a front outlet, if it could be unobstrusively placed, would be great IMO--I wish I had one. I had an outlet installed on my rear wall several years ago and it sure beats running an extension cord out the window.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at August 8, 2007 2:55 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question

The covers that lock are ugly. And at least the water meters can be low. I'm guessing that code will make it a min. height from the ground for the outlet cover as well. Double ugly.

Posted by: at August 8, 2007 2:58 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question

I just applied for a 30 year jumbo loan. I was quoted 6.625 last Friday, and on Monday it was up to 6.825. I stuck with this new rate cos I think it's going to get worse.

Posted by: PL at August 9, 2007 2:42 PM in response to A must read for those in the process of buying

Clearly you have too much time on your hands.

Posted by: anon at August 10, 2007 12:14 AM in response to Pat Kiernan can't say "Bay Ridge"

This really is in the code. There are five legal options:

1/ Get an exemption because you are in a historic district.

2/ Install it somewhere hidden from view. Under the stairs maybe?

3/ Don't do it and pay any fine, then sue the city to recover the fine and remove the DOB violation. Being in a historic district is key to this, and it would help if you first try to get an exemption based on this status.

4/ Forget about the big electrical upgrade and do the upgrade piecemeal over a number of years.

5/ Convince some city council members to change the code.

As for stealing electricity, you can put the outlet on a switch, or it's own circuit breaker. If you can do it, option #2 is probably the cheapest route. Option #1 is probably the most desirable, but will require some sweet talking and a lot of time on your part.

I would love to have a back of the house outlet, but for my 30 inches of concrete front lawn a front outlet is beyond useless so I feel your annoyance.

Posted by: danielk at August 10, 2007 12:53 PM in response to Crazy Electrical Code question