Fireplace Demo on Dean Street
Remember when we were discussing the pros and cons of buying a house jointly with friends? Well, a couple of pals have teamed to buy a place in Boerum Hill and have documented the process in a photo set on flickr. The highlight for us are the fireplace renovation shots. Perhaps this post will get…
Remember when we were discussing the pros and cons of buying a house jointly with friends? Well, a couple of pals have teamed to buy a place in Boerum Hill and have documented the process in a photo set on flickr. The highlight for us are the fireplace renovation shots. Perhaps this post will get the attention of the owners and they can let everyone know the hows and whys of tearing open their chimneys. We can only assume the fireplaces were non-working when they bought the house…Have others done this themselves? What have you paid pros to do it?
Dean Street Brownstone Set [Flickr]
718 244 6639 — Fireside
I used Fireside. The mason’s name was Siran. Don’t know if they will put him on the job but you can ask for him and see. the foreman was Brian, really nice kid, totally on it.
To: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 7:30 PM
Who was your mason … can you pass on some contact info? Thanks.
To: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 7:30 PM
Who was your mason … can you pass on some contact info? Thanks.
To: Anonymous at February 5, 2007 7:30 PM
Who was your mason … can you pass on some contact info? Thanks.
Anon 7:30,
I never recommended doing chimney work yourself.
Northsloper,
I just stuffed a sock in my mouth.
Jake just wants to sound like he knows something. Clearly, a good education is something that cheapskates can’t afford.
As far as doing it yourself, my time is way more valuable than 25/hour, or even 200/hour. If you’re a hobbyist, and you ENJOY messing around with brick and mortar, have fun. I’ve got better things to do.
If you’re broke, that’s another matter. But keep in mind, firewood is expensive, unless you live in Vermont. How you gonna pay for that?
Finally, I needed my TR-1 letter to get a C of O, so I actually needed a pro to do this. And the mason who did it turned out to be a great guy, supporting his kid through school (getting his engineering degree — he helped his dad out on Saturdays). It was a great experience, and I am loving my gorgeous fireplaces.
Wow – Jake totally misinterpreted my post. First of all, we are doing all the work ourselves. So, that means my husband did the masonry himself. He looked online for liners and purchased one in Long Island and then installed it himself. We are now researching inserts, which most likely we will install ourselves. Lastly, we will move one of the mantels from the 3rd floor and install it on our parlor floor. So, you’re looking pretty stupid right now, “Jake”. Not only does it appear that $100 DOES mean alot, I’m not a guy. Ready to shut yer trap?
Mr. Ife,
Maybe my definition of skilled mason is different from yours. There are lots of skilled immigrant masons I know of, many from Bangladesh, who happily work for $200 a day.
Take a walk around brownstone Brooklyn when the weather gets warmer. When you see a Bangledeshi working on a brownstone and it doesn’t look like his boss is around, ask him if he does side work. He probably does.
Most of the solo masons I hire worked for bigger outfits and asked me if I had any extra work for them. Lots of those guys hate their bosses because the work them hard and don’t pay them well.