I have used Richard for floors and agree with everything posted about his professionalism, competence and sense of responsibility. He's a great guy and does great work for a reasonable price.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at November 2, 2009 9:35 AM in response to Great Floor Contractor

Two of Benjamin Moore's Historical Colors might work - Glen Ridge Gold and Stuart Gold. The Historical Colors look greyed and muddy on the fan deck but have nice depth and richness on the walls. Glen Ridge Gold has a nice orange-y melon undertone and Stuart is a straight golden sunshine yellow.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 30, 2009 8:35 AM in response to Yellow With Wood

I have been looking too - tried plumbers who've been around, antique shops, appliance repair places. If you Google 'antique stove repair' or 'vintage stove repair' you'll get some hits, but the only place I found relatively close by is in Massachusetts: http://www.goodtimestove.com/

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 27, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Antique Stove Restoration

Wow, maybe I got lucky. I had a small gas leak in the pipe right below the meter and called National Grid's emergency number. The service tech came out half an hour later, located the leak and fixed it - total repair time (and time without gas) was maybe an hour. And there was no charge on my gas bill, then or later. This was two years ago.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 27, 2009 11:42 AM in response to Gas Leak

Adding to the above: get references on CURRENT jobs. Go to the sites and talk with the clients. Don't allow yourself to be fobbed off on references whose job was done a couple of years ago. This was a big mistake I made.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 22, 2009 12:14 PM in response to Architects?

I hate hearing toilet sounds, teeth being brushed, etc. Count me in the 'no ensuite' camp.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 6, 2009 5:28 PM in response to En Suite bathroom

Hot water or steam?

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at October 5, 2009 2:59 PM in response to ISO entry way radiator

Our mailman does separate mail in two-unit brownstones. My neighbors have helped by getting big boxes clearly labeled with last names and unit number.

Just sayin that in the scheme of things, this request seems reasonable. Exterminator for fruit flies? No. Mailbox? Yes. Regs say you can do it one of two ways, and tenant doesn't like your way. Like CH and NSR, I'm sympathetic to privacy concerns. Remedy is cheap and relieves you of liability and hassle. Thinking strategically, it's a good tradeoff against this tenant's other complaints and gives you some points as responsive to concerns.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 5:11 PM in response to Mailbox Issue

DIBS, sorry about that - got that upthread and not from the listing, which I misread, though "fairly new boiler" makes me skeptical since I've dealt with this broker.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 2:11 PM in response to House of the Day: 233 Garfield Place

The bubblegum house is for sale?!? Did the owner pass away? I know he's a neighborhood institution.

Price seems high for a three family needing major mechanical work.

And for any buyers out there - I had a terrible experience with this brokerage firm. In dealing with them on one property for which I was a serious buyer, I found them to be incompetent, careless, lazy, tellers of one lie big enough to matter, and not at all knowledgeable about a property they were supposed to be 'representing'. Let your watchwords be Due Diligence and Good Attorney.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 1:47 PM in response to House of the Day: 233 Garfield Place

To the OP, it sounds like it's easier to install separate boxes for each apartment/tenant than it is to fight the issue with Problem Tenant, especially given the regulations cited above. Now that Problem Tenant has put you on notice about the mail delivery, I'd be leery that s/he will blame you if any mail goes astray. You don't want to be dealing with "I never got that book from my sister and she mailed it two weeks ago and I blame YOU" all the time.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 1:37 PM in response to Mailbox Issue

Wow, beautiful. If you don't get any bites on this board, I bet Olde Good Things would be interested.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Butler's Pantry for Sale

JRE is right on.

One thing to add: if the amount is wrong (the amount times 12 is either way high or way low for your insurance), the lender will do an escrow analysis if you request it. You might have to wait a year on a brand-new loan before they will do it, but if they're over-collecting, they will refund the overage plus interest. If they are under-collecting, you will have to make up the balance when the insurance is due next year and they'll up your monthly escrow based on the 2010 premium.

Also note that the escrow amount should be for the property and liability parts of your premium only. If you have any extras covered under the policy - second residence, riders for jewelry or fine arts - your insurance company will bill you for those. So subtract those premiums when you're doing a rough estimate on how much the bank should ask you to pay each month.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 8:16 AM in response to Incorrect Mortgage Charge

You can print out your permits from the above site and tape them to the window yourself. Don't count on the contractor to do that - he's not the one who'll get fined if the DOB comes a-calling.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 23, 2009 8:35 AM in response to Permit Posting Required?

Used Flat Rate for two recent moves and they were very good - professional, on time, careful with our stuff, no hidden charges.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 23, 2009 8:32 AM in response to ISO Great Moving Company

Directing you to one of my favorite kitchen forums - the Home forums at Garden Web. Link to kitchen forum is http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/kitchbath/. If you do a search, there are multiple threads about people's favorite things, what they could live without, splurges that were worth it, etc. There's a separate Baths forum that is less active but still has lots of good information.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 22, 2009 10:30 AM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

Have you looked at the antique sink in person to see where the piping for the faucets goes? Can you tuck it behind the pedestal, or is the pedestal hollowed out in the back to conceal the pipes? You want to make sure the holes drilled in your wall tile for the current sink line up and work for the new sink - otherwise you have a visible run of pipe to hide.

Also, look into purchasing the faucets and drain assembly before you buy the sink. You can always go with a rubber plug and use the faucets pictured. If you want a mechanically operated plug, you'll need to measure the drain hole carefully and shop for the right faucets (to fit the cutouts) and a drain narrow enough for a vintage sink.

Other thing to do is measure and make sure you have clearance between the tub and the toilet for the sink. That particular pedestal sink is very wide and might not give you adequate elbow room/clearance around the toilet.

If the piping works, you work out the faucet/drain question and there's adequate clearance, swapping out a sink is an easy plumbing job.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 17, 2009 12:25 PM in response to Sink Replacement - How?

I used Paradise Glass and Mirror for a large bathroom mirror, cut to order, beveled and installed for $150. Their number is 718-765-0779.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 17, 2009 12:10 PM in response to Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

Maybe they worked out a deal with the sponsor to rent-with-option-to-buy. With so much new construction unoccupied, the sponsor is probably bending over backwards to keep these people in the building rather than risking their looking elsewhere. Sponsor knows they are ready to buy, so why not make nice with them until they make up their minds? Under that scenario, the sale to you would be a purchase from the sponsor and you would have to pay the associated fees.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 14, 2009 8:19 AM in response to Is This Shady?

Late to this thread - my $0.02 - easiest way to ignore the rumble is to play music and to make sure all the things that could rattle from any vibration are protected, by putting soft liners in the silverware drawer, etc.

I live a block from a subway tunnel and only notice the noise late at night when nothing else makes a sound. If I have music going, I never hear the trains. If your friend buys a white-noise machine and the sound of the trains is truly as quiet as an a/c, white noise should cancel it out.

I do know someone with a Soho loft who disliked the vibration and noise from the trains and consulted an engineer about how to make it go away. The engineer came up with a complicated scheme involving suspended floors, rubber insulation and something-or-other with the building's old cast-iron support columns. Price tag was thousands and thousands.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 11, 2009 3:29 PM in response to Subway Vibration

Second the recommendation for Nate. He does beautiful doors.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 11, 2009 12:10 PM in response to Front Door Repairs

Some but not all HO policies do cover renovation but they'll endorse your policy and make you pay extra - Chubb did for us. We had to take a higher deductible and a hefty surcharge in order to continue coverage both while the house was empty and when we moved in but some work continued. Other HO carriers will not cover you at all during reno.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 10, 2009 12:21 PM in response to Renovation Insurance

Not the OP but I do need bluestone - any sources for that?

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 8, 2009 4:17 PM in response to sidewalk replacement

Plans first, then get bids from contractors. It's not a bad idea to get a ballpark number from a contractor for an addition, so you know if it's affordable for you right now, but know that it is only an estimate. Once you have plans in hand, you should give them to the first contractor so he can adjust his numbers to bid on exactly what is laid out in the architect's drawings.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 8, 2009 2:48 PM in response to Extension Process

The disabled-access is long overdue, and I'm glad to hear about the a/c. This summer they've been running a combination of huge LOUD fans and those standing a/c units that are the size of a refrigerator and vent outside through a flexible tube pushed through hastily-cut hole in the window. It keeps the temperature manageable, though not cool, but it is very noisy.

Maybe they'll do a little staff training in the interim. The desk staff is disinterested at best.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 4, 2009 1:39 PM in response to Park Slope Library to Close in Fall

It's really scary that I even know this, but....

There's a great site about toilets by a Washington (State) based plumber, who rates all the toilets out there. There are forums at his site where people discuss the fine details. It's obsessive but the site was a great help to me when planning which toilets to buy for my renovation.

Link: http://www.terrylove.com/crtoilet.htm

For local sources, I've had good luck with Park Slope Plumbing Supply on 5th Avenue.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 2, 2009 2:08 PM in response to Toilet recommendations

Oooh, Con Ed one will be great. I went through a period of months where I got estimated bills from Con Ed because I missed the meter reader, and the website would reject my meter readings as 'invalid, not typical of prior usage patterns.'

My new water meter went in last week - good timing. I was just about to call the DEP and confess that my husband had cut the wire to the box accidentally while doing yard work.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 1, 2009 3:39 PM in response to Wireless Water Meter Today

We paid half of that to skim and paint the interior of an entire ROWHOUSE, including skimming some original plaster walls that were all but falling down. Way high quote. Is this a firm that specializes in commercial work and has no idea how to price residential?

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 28, 2009 11:58 AM in response to Skim Coating

Have your attorney put a time limit in the contract, giving the seller x number of days to sign or the contract is void. Ten business days would be generous; I'd go 5-7 if the seller's attorney will agree.

Binders mean nothing in NYC; both buyer and seller have to sign before you're 'in contract'.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 27, 2009 6:36 PM in response to How to buy a house?

Nah, it was a Verrazano-installed new floor.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 26, 2009 11:52 AM in response to Varrazano Flooring

Same experience here, though we've gotten faster service for small, one-off jobs (marble/stone installation, finish carpenter for built-in work) than we would have in a booming market. Seems like those guys are available to start almost immediately, instead of "I'll call you a week from Friday to let you know how my schedule looks for September."

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 26, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Reno Prices Down?

Had a terrible experience with Verrazano when I was living in Manhattan, and this was several years ago. A crew came in to replace sections of water-damaged parquet flooring and they made a hash of it - random pieces of wood were glued at odd angles to mimic parquet and it looked like a child's work. Had to call in another company to repair their work.

Friends in the North Slope recently had a good experience; other friends on the same block did not (poly bubbled and peeled). Seems like the quality depends a lot on which crew you get.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 26, 2009 8:29 AM in response to Varrazano Flooring

Try Foro on 3rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. For a piece as small as a hearth, you should get a good price by using a slate scrap/remnant from their yard.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 22, 2009 1:06 PM in response to Slate Supplier/Fabricator?

What's spelled out in the contract about change orders? Did you have to sign off on them and approve the scope of work and the price before the work was done? If you have not agreed to them in the manner specified in the contract, the contractor is not entitled to payment for them. If you have agreed but you are disputing the amounts after the fact, that's a very tough argument to win.

Yeah, probably the worst they can do is put a lien on the house and then execute it (i.e. actually sue, rather than letting the lien sit). It means both of you incur legal costs and headaches for the next few years while the thing wends its way through the legal process. For $45K, I'd assume they'll pursue it if they have any legal leg to stand on. Probably worth it at this point to negotiate with a neutral third party present (architect, if s/he's not compromised) to help horse-trade and come up with a number you can both live with. If you get there, definitely get a lien waiver as part of the agreement so you can hand over the check and be done with this contractor forever.

Good luck.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 22, 2009 1:03 PM in response to fight with contractor

In my old coop, the board kept an emergency reserve fund of three months' maintenance.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 22, 2009 9:10 AM in response to Reasonable Reserve Fund

This was on the Brooklyn Heights house tour in 2008. Great house, unique block, and it looked like a really high-end reno.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at August 12, 2009 1:35 PM in response to House of the Day: 20 Grace Court Alley

I had a sublet in this building several months ago.

On the plus side, the building was well maintained, Cheever is a pretty street, the ceilings are high in the apartments and the walls are thick. The windows are large and you get strong good light.

Downsides: it was a shlep to the subway. The Bergen Street F is closest, and it's a solid 10-minute walk to the entrance at the corner of Warren and Smith Streets - the blocks between Henry and Court are long ones. There is a constant low-level BQE rumble if you're on the Hicks Street side of the building, punctuated with air brakes and truck horns at the wee hours of the morning (from the balcony pics, this apartment might be on the Cheever Place side). The electric/heating bills are high due to the high ceilings and older forced-air heat units in the apartments. And if they're really able to get a full mezzanine space, more power to them. The place I sublet had a sleeping loft/mezzanine with less-than-full-height ceilings and it was miserable. I suspect that the 'attic' used as a playroom does not have a ceiling high enough for an adult to feel comfortable.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at July 30, 2009 1:38 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 44 Cheever Place, #505

Just went through this. We did a gut on one floor but had to vacate for a number of months due to related work on the mechanicals in the rest of the building. Our homeowner's carrier amended our policy at a substantial additional premium and increased the deductible from $1000. to $5000. for the duration of the work. Our carrier also specified minimum amounts of liability for each subcontractor to carry. We did receive back the unused portion of the additional premium when the work was substantially completed.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at July 28, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Builder's Risk

'Safe' is a relative term. Even if there is none of your personal property in the house, things like fixtures can walk away in an unattended house. I'd ask for 3-5 references from the contractors, including current jobs, and talk to those clients about their comfort level with the work crews. Once you're satisfied, you can hand over keys.

BUT there's NO WAY you should not go over every single day after work to check the house, not only to check progress but to make sure doors and windows are properly secured, water is not running, tools are unplugged, etc. When our house was vacant for renovation, we were also in temporary housing an hour away but we went over every day. The daily inconvenience was more than offset by peace of mind and a feeling of control over the job.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at July 14, 2009 8:50 AM in response to Renovation and Home Safety

Our mortgage broker was invaluable in all our purchases, two co-ops and a house. He shopped for the best rates and closing costs and locked us in when the rates were most favorable. He even managed to get us a great fixed rate and a generous line of credit when the lending market was starting its freefall.

We only had to fill out one application with him, which he used for every bank he approached on our behalf. Plus the lenders pick up his fees, not us.

PM me at zeebee64 @ earthlink.net if you would like his contact info.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 25, 2009 8:49 AM in response to Benefits of a Mortgage Broker?

And up the block from Home Depot is Gracious Home on 3rd Avenue between 69th and 70th. Customer service can be spotty - I've had good reps and incompetent ones - but they have a lot on display and you can comparison-shop on the Internet if you see stuff you like.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 23, 2009 8:21 AM in response to Bathroom Fixture Showroom?

Iddelz, that quote doesn't sound too bad. When negotiating the contract payment schedule, our a/c guy estimated that the cost for the crane, permits, steel and two guys on the roof to set the beams in place and mount the condensers was around $5000. We had electrical in the electrican's contract and our overall system cost was higher than yours, plus we're in a rowhouse, so it's hard to compare apples to apples but at first glance that price isn't outrageous.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 10, 2009 12:50 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage

Re dunnage not always being required: we went through this recently with the installation of our a/c system. We were told that dunnage IS necessary if the air handlers and/or condensers are too large to be placed inside the house (in a dropped ceiling, for example). The dunnage is required for fire reasons - the condensers themselves are only 150 pounds or so, but one resting directly on the roof is an immediate hazard if there's a fire, as it becomes a 150-pound deadweight plummeting through every floor of the house.

We did the parapet-spanning beams instead of a corner installation and didn't think the price was outrageous. Whether you can get narrower beams that your architect spec'd or a corner set-up, the main cost is the permits and cranes and the actual cost of the beams after that is pretty marginal. Can I ask what prices you're getting?

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 9, 2009 1:22 PM in response to a/c rooftop dunnage

I'm glad you reposted - I answered this morning and then was thinking, am I crazy? I did post, right??

It took the city six months to bill us - we closed in October and got our first water bill the following April.

Did you fill out the transfer form at closing? If not, the FAQs on the link below have a downloadable Customer Registration Form. Once that's in the system, the DEP and its billing department will catch up with you.

Link: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/water_and_sewer_bills/wsbillfaq.shtml#A13a

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at June 8, 2009 6:23 PM in response to water bill

We did 12x12 oak parquet with a double border on the parlor floor of the house, including hallway (so lots of staircase spindles to work around). The install included laying a plywood subfloor, two coats of stain and three coats of poly. Total cost worked out to a little under $12/square foot.

I would recommend our flooring contractor highly. Speak to Richard at US Wood Flooring, phone 646-739-7535.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at May 28, 2009 12:52 PM in response to Hardwood flooring

Recently did water-based on my oak floors and I'm having them stripped and re-done in oil-based. The water-based is whitening where the floorboards meet and it has chipped and flaked in several places. I did water-based because I didn't want off-gassing but I did/do want durable good-looking floors. I didn't get them.

Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at May 21, 2009 11:33 PM in response to Oil versus Water Based Finish

I have one and I like it. Im sure i would like it even more if we had children or other people living with us. It makes the master bedroom feel a little more luxurious and private.

Posted by: MrsLimestone at October 8, 2009 10:37 AM in response to En Suite bathroom

CONTACT GABRIELA PAINTING THIS GUY IS GREAT SKIM COATED AND PAINTED 11 ROOMS IN MY FRIENDS HOUSE ON 3RD ST BY THE PARK AND SAVED HER 35% THAT QUOTE IS NUTS AND CRAZY CALL THE BROOKLYN DA'S OFFICE HIGHWAY ROBBERY HE COULD BE REACHED AT GABIPAINTINGINC@AOL.COM OR 718-331-3889

Posted by: max senises at October 8, 2009 11:13 PM in response to Skim Coating

You will hear about many 'must haves' in people's kitchens. Of course, this is a personal decision, and you must do what works for you. A qualified kitchen designer will take the time to talk to you, discover your lifestyle, and talk about possibilities. Most kitchen designers do not charge for this service. I am not a big fan of 'gadgets' unless they're usable.

I have done many kitchens in the slope, and can talk about what's possible in your space.

Check out my website: www.StephenWangel.com

Posted by: STEPHENWANGEL at October 12, 2009 4:36 PM in response to ISO Your Kitchen Reno Favorites!

David Cunningham at 718 208 0815

I'm working with him now on a whole-house renovation with 1-story addition. The goal is to achieve both greater sustainability and livability on a tight budget. Without David I couldn't possibly have navigated all the paperwork involved in changing the C of O from a 2- to a 3-family, not to mention sussing out the credits for reducing the carbon footprint. The job has just gone to bid. I'm very impressed with David's knowledge of sustainable renovation and attention to detail. He listens closely to what I'm trying to achieve and has added greatly to the design. And his partner Audra Manzano has been helpful beyond imagining in pulling together all the details involved in selecting tile and wood and lighting and fixtures.

I'm probably going to blog this renovation on Brownstoner once we get going. This may be helpful to others going through the same process.

Posted by: Silvermax at October 22, 2009 11:50 PM in response to Architects?

Call a plumber, NOT the gas company!!! Years ago (in the B.U.G. years), we made the mistake of calling Brooklyn Union; they came, confirmed that yes, we had a leak, turned off our service, and slapped big humiliating red warning stickers all over the house (that said something like "Idiots With Leaky Gas Live Here!") It was a freezing weekend and we had to go days without heat trying to scare up a plumber, who of course said, "Whoa! Never call da gas company! They'll lock ya meter!"

Posted by: Brenda from Flatbush at October 27, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Gas Leak

Belgrove is in Yonkers. I haven't used them, but see them referenced often for vintage stove sales, restoration: http://www.belgroveappliance.com/contact.html

Posted by: vinca at October 27, 2009 11:59 AM in response to Antique Stove Restoration

Denton - I agree, don't ask Nat'l Grid, just get a plumber. NG will turn off svc, post those notices AND won't restore service until you've had an inspection.

Posted by: Arkady at October 27, 2009 1:37 PM in response to Gas Leak

I agree; get a plumber. It is really not such a big deal; once I had Hlad plumbing down to check a few things out and they checked the pipes, found a tiny area near the meter and applied some kind of plastic goop which hardens to cover up the leak. Don't freak out, just call a plumber right away.

Posted by: donatella at October 27, 2009 1:49 PM in response to Gas Leak

Whatever you do, do not go to Belgrove Appliance for repair of your antique stove! Unless your stove is a Chambers, Carla Belgrove will be clueless as to what to do with it. But, even if it is a Chambers, I would not recommend her to you as she is totally incompetent, unprofessional, and charges unreasonable prices for work she either doesn't or can't deliver. When we called her to our house to fix our antique stove (not a Chambers) stove, she was completely lost as to what to do. Used some smoke and mirrors to temporarily "fix" the problem, claimed she would return to finish the repair, collected $250 from us and, of course, never returned. We later ended up calling in another technician who doesn't market himself as a vintage stove repairman. He not only fixed the issue for us but also showed us how Carla Belgrove's so-called repair was just a mask for the problem and bemoaned the total mess she left left in her wake. Citing the bad name people like Carla Belgrove give to his profession, and realizing we were already out a chunk of money on the repair, he charged us only $75 to actually fix our stove!

Apparently, Ms. Belgrove inherited the company from her dad whom she describes as an old school master appliance repair technician. Unfortunately, she seems not to inherited either his skills nor his integrity and is a whole new ball of wax altogether. I don't think you want that kind trouble on your hands.

Posted by: Brooklynista at October 27, 2009 2:09 PM in response to Antique Stove Restoration

Thanks all. Plumber it is. Slopenick, I'll be back later.

Posted by: denton at October 27, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Gas Leak