On Camping and Space Heaters

I come from a big camping family and, as such, I am a big fan of fire building and bonfires; I learned the former while in the cub scouts. Throughout my high school and college years, an annual weeklong camping trip in the summer was a staple for my mother and a great portion of my extended family, whether it was at Sacandaga, Schroon Lake, Brookwood Park or Eagle Point. Canoeing was my largest outdoor interest as a teen and most of the week in the woods was spent in the water, so much so that my parents eventually purchased a canoe from a neighbor.  And when the day on the water was done, there was always the family gathering around the campfire, where I not only had my first beer but also had my first kiss (a friend of my cousin).

The camping trips have, sadly, cut down in frequency over the last few years but my family has continued with the fires: my uncle has built his own fire pit and my mother spent most of a considerable bonus on installing a fireplace in her home. Both of these things are practical and enjoyable, if not exactly cost-effective, which is why most people have foregone fireplaces in favor of space heaters. I can’t argue too much: space heaters are a good, relatively cheap way to heat up rooms that don’t benefit as much from your heating system, though they can get a little pricey when you consider the electricity used on your electric bill.

My bigger concern as of late, having read quite a lot about recent recalls of popular space heaters produced by Wal-Mart and GE amongst other companies, is the issue of safety and home care. They are relatively simple mechanisms but, like air conditioners, they use a lot of power and therefore have the ability, especially in the higher-watt models, to trip your circuit breaker or blow a fuse. There are also hundreds of reports of them causing small fires, smoking, emitting a noxious odor etc. There is also the hard-to-ignore fact that they blow out easily and often need repair: switches malfunction, fans stop working, thermostat up and dies, and the central heating elements are known to fail with a consistency that is more than a little disconcerting.

Indeed, its much more fruitful to look into getting your heating system correctly pitched in those rooms where the heat doesn’t seem to be getting or, to really nip the problem in the bud, get your boiler looked at and replaced if needed. If you’re paying your heating bill already, you should be paying to have your entire house kept at a decent temperature. That being said, the cheapness of it is hard to argue with and plenty of space heaters are used daily that will never malfunction in any unsafe way. Indeed, part of my hesitation with space heaters may simply be a recent, rather bone-chilling pricing excursion on fireplace installation. 

Step by Step Kitchen Renovation

The kitchen is the heart of the home, and a kitchen remodeling project is one of the most dramatic, as well as most expensive, projects that you can undertake in your home. Before you begin a kitchen remodeling job, it is important to plan the project from beginning to end. If you neglect this step, it is easy to experience price overruns as well as unexpected structural problems.

Establish a Budget and Design the Space

The most important part of the entire project is to establish a budget. Too often, people decide what they want first, and establish a budget around that. By establishing a budget first, you can choose what you must have, what you would like and what you would settle with in your new kitchen. Everyone's priorities are different, as is their budget, and there is no right or wrong answer. For some, a natural stone counter top is a priority, while others want to extend the size of the room. Establishing a firm budget and discussing it honestly with your contractor keeps you both on the same page for the duration of the project.

Once you have established a budget, take out some paper and sketch your ideas. Depending on your budget, your contractor, an architect, or the salesman at the local lumber store can give you computer generated plans, but prior to that, sketch your ideas, moving things around, until you are generally happy with your plan.

Empty the Area

Once you have settled on a design, empty everything out of the kitchen. This is a good time to reorganize, getting rid of the small appliances and serving dishes that you never use, as well as cleaning out those drawers and cabinets that inevitably become catch-alls for things without a home.

Complete any Structural Changes

The actual construction starts with any significant structural changes. These may include anything from moving walls, to adding or moving windows or doors. Even if you plan on doing much of the remodeling work on your own, you may consider using a professional contractor for this portion of the job.

Make Necessary Plumbing and Electrical Changes

This is another part of the job that should be completed by a licensed professional. In fact, depending on where you live, you may be required by law to have a professional make any changes to the electrical or plumbing systems in your home. Some changes, such as adding can lights or running an instant hot water tap are relatively straightforward, while others, such as adding wiring for a dishwasher, or running a gas line for a stove, can affect the entire home if not done properly.

This is the time to order cabinets, flooring and your counter top as well as any new appliances you will be purchasing. This ensures that you will have all of your finishing materials ready for installation when the major remodeling work is completed.

Install Flooring and Cabinets

Once you are finished with the major changes, it is time to begin the more exciting finish work. Your new floor and cabinets are ready to be installed. Cabinet installation is best left to professionals, but a do-it-yourselfer can easily install many types of flooring, including hardwood, laminate and tile, on their own. This is a good way to save a little money on your remodel.

Complete Finish Plumbing Work and Paint

The final step in a kitchen renovation is the finish plumbing work and painting. The finish plumbing includes installing the dishwasher as well as the sink and any additional water lines, such as hooking up the refrigerator water line and a hot water tap. Painting is the last step in the kitchen remodeling project. It is much easier to select paint for your new kitchen after the new cabinets, counter top and flooring is in. The look of your kitchen can change so much, even during a minor remodel, that you may not be happy with your paint if you make the selection too early.

Moderation is Okay

While this article explains all of the details that are included in a complete kitchen remodel, it is possible to update your kitchen by completing a less extensive remodeling project. A fresh coat of paint, new appliances or even an updated counter top can increase the appeal of your kitchen and make it a more pleasant place to congregate.

On Christmas Lights and Roof Leaks

We’re pragmatists in our house, for better or worse. More times than not its for the better, as this tends to lead to a lot less bickering than I have engaged in in my day, but I saw the other side of the coin the other day when I was ordered, and I use that word specifically, to take down our Christmas lights. I can only be thankful that this weekend saw an unseasonable warm streak for January, which didn’t much help for all the struggling and pulling I did on a silver ladder older than my grandmother. The next day, I could have very well appeared in an Advil television advertisement.

Our roof is an old pitched roof that has seen many a repair and more than one replacement, both which usually were spurred by a leak – our house used to be the property of a family friend and I have assisted in finding a good roofer for the home on more than one occasion. NYC handymen, roofers and the like have yet to deal with a big snowstorm quite yet but as soon as the first one hits, calls about leaks will likely being coming in double-time.

With a roof like ours, the leaks generally come from overlapping areas where flashing is needed, leaving an open area for the water to get into. Flashing is also needed whenever a skylight, chimney, air stack or hatch is put in, and these are also areas where leaks are common. There are similar problems with both flat roofs and tiled roofs: wherever flashing or two intersecting areas are joined is where water can get in and cause a leak over time. Gutters are also places to check, which will usually be noticeable if the leak is coming in near a corner.

The most important things to mark down in this situation is how long it has been since your roof was last serviced, where the leak is coming from, and the frequency of the leak; does it happen every time it rains or is it more sporadic? Roofing, perhaps more than any other home improvement venture, is one where professional help is required and a professional, licensed roofer will need to know these things before coming over. It is my sad duty to say, however, that most fixes are just stop-gaps before a new roof installation is needed. Much like the putting up of Christmas lights leads to the tiresome chore of taking them down, it’s a loathsome inevitability. 

On Hot Water Heaters and Gustav the Plumber

Today, at the office, my post yesterday brought up a few questions about a related subject: hot water tanks. The funny thing is that as compared to boilers, which are prone to more damage and problems, hot water tanks are relatively simple in terms of diagnosing problems and fixing the entire mechanism. One of my first jobs as an apprentice, in fact, was installing a new hot water heater with Gustav, one of those old-school Greek NYC plumbers that fill the stereotypical “crank” role so well that you’re forced to love them.

Whatever our differences, Gus was a great teacher and hot water tanks became one of the easier fixes for me. That being said, I am remiss to report that they are not something that I would suggest a novice undertake fixing, unless you happen to be particularly ambitious. What I can go through here is how to troubleshoot your hot water tank if you find that you’re having trouble getting your daily hot shower or being able to get hot water to wash your dishes. As our designer pointed out to me, this could work as a bit of a companion to yesterday’s post.

Oddly enough, the first part of troubleshooting would be identifying if you have an honest-to-god hot water tank or if you get your hot water from your boiler. This should be evident as boilers with hot water capabilities often are attached to the wall with a coil coming out of them whereas a hot water tank is, well, a tank; there’s also the difference between electric and gas heaters, though electric heaters are very rare these days. Now, comes the issue of size: there’s 30, 40 or 50 gallon units for most homes, and 40 gallons should be adequate for an average one-family home. If, in the morning, the first person gets hot water in the shower but the third one doesn’t, that more than likely means you have an undersized water heater.

Next, check your warranty. If you were smart and got a 10-year warranty, you should be set until that 10-year mark and don’t get greedy: if your heater lasts for ten years, be happy and pony up for a new one. And again, like a boiler, sometimes the problem is the pilot light, which is controlled by a small pump that should be right above the temperature control. Make sure its set to “Pilot On” and pump it if you’re suspicious that its not lit. Also, check that the temperature control is where you want it to be. These are all easy fixes, as stated before, and in the case of leaks or factory defaults, its simply a matter of calling in your warranty or replacing your existing water heater and having a licensed, bonded and insured plumber install it for you. These are really the only two options though, if he were still around, I imagine Gustav would have a few things to say about that opinion and a few, more curse-laden things to say about me. 

On Heating Problems and the Lesser Concerns of the American College Student

Talking recently with the daughter of a family friend, who just moved out to Long Island to attend Adelphi, I found myself wrapped up in a conversation about cheap winter living. For her, this meant loading up on a variety of Ramen packets, cutting down on showers, and spending as much time as possible at her boyfriend’s house in Astoria. For certain, these are all scrappy, if ultimately small-scale ways to live one’s winter on the cheap but for most of the people I know, including a great deal of NYC handymen and other service providers, the way of living cheap in winter is locating the essentials and knowing they are all budgeted.

One of the more important essentials, of course, is heat and a year does not go by when I don’t field a dozen calls or more a month, between December and March, about lack of heat. Now, any NYC plumber will tell you that the first thing you have to do in the case of no heat is check the boiler and see how the pilot light and burners. Okay, so maybe first you should be making sure that the safety switch is on but after that, its important to check that your pilot light is working. This would often be fixable by simply lighting a blown-out pilot light with an extended grill lighter, if that’s the problem. If the pilot light is working, however, and the burners simply aren’t catching, this is a problem that would call for a plumber. They will likely want to know if you use oil or gas and, more importantly, when the heat initially stopped working.

There are also times when the problem is not the boiler at all but the radiators in your home, which are separated as either steam or hot water powered. Hot water radiators run along baseboards and are far more regularly found in apartment buildings, covered by aluminum casings often. Steam radiators are typically what you think of when someone suddenly screams out “Radiator!”: a classic metal unit, three or four feet high, usually placed near windows. Steam-powered radiators are also largely typified by a hissing sound when they are turning up, a universal winter annoyance. The problem with steam radiators often comes back to whether or not it is pitched correctly or, in some cases, lack of regular bleeds; there could also be a problem with the pressure valve.  Hot water radiator problems, on the other hand, invariably lead back to piping, which could mean there was a poor soldering job done, problem with connections or even worn-out pipes.

In any case, these jobs are a professional plumber’s bread and butter, and they will likely be able to diagnose the problem and locate the solution within a few minutes of arriving at your home with the proper information provided.  Far be it for me to propose that this is something a college student should know or think about: if someone had given me a tutorial on home heating in my college days, I would have likely assaulted them with the closest empty Rolling Rock bottle. In fact, I’d rather them enjoy their unwashed, Ramen-fueled days for the time being and let them come upon these less exciting though unavoidable concerns in their own time. The tedious, inescapable boredoms of adulthood have a way of revealing themselves at the right time. 

On Hangovers and the Perils of Unlicensed Contracting

First things first: Happy New Year! How did you ring in 2012? Me? Well, I spent the night with my girlfriend at a friend’s small party in Astoria and unwisely took not only a magnum of champagne but a great deal of a bottle of Dewar’s to task. My payment for such foolishness came in the form of day-long hangover gleefully watched over by my better half, who was all too happy to dole out the told-you-sos as we made our way through the first season of Boardwalk Empire.

I was also privy to an e-subscription to the New York Times (a gift from my dear aunt Margaret), which has become my best friend in the world on the drives to and from work and various freelance jobs. While I was checking it out on my girlfriend’s iPad, I came across an old article from 2006 that I found somewhat apropos of recent crackdowns on unlicensed NYC contractors, general and otherwise. The article detailed a slew of citations that the NYC Department of Consumer Affairs handed down in 2006 and the lowering of fines that came with said citations in the case where the contractor agreed to get licensed.

It’s a pretty good system, one that from all my research seems to be more or less still in place though perhaps not as readily available as it seemed to be five years ago. I’ve written before about the importance of hiring insured workers and there are similar benefits to hiring licensed contractors. First of all, it’s a certification that they have a legitimate business and at least a mid-range idea of what they are doing when it comes to home improvement. It also tends to mean that they have been around for some time, which is always a good sign.

Still, plenty of licensed contractors are capable of scheming and are prone to using their knowledge to make unfair deals with uninformed customers. That’s why a licensed contractor also guarantees that if, by some chance, the job you hire them to do is not done well or is done without the proper permits or if there is any other major problem with the project, you can take legal action. An unlicensed contractor isn’t on file with the Department of Consumer Affairs (how do you know you can contact him or her?) and also can argue, essentially, that you get what you paid for. The instances in which any court has sided with a consumer who used an unlicensed contractor over a licensed one are extraordinary, if not downright non-existant. So, as we take our first steps into a new year for housing, be sure to hire laborers who took the time to get there license. Also: never mix Dewar’s and champagne…ever.     

Glass Shower Doors Are A Brilliant Alternative

Glass Shower Doors Are A Brilliant Alternative

A glass shower door can take a bathroom design that's plain and ordinary and make it incredible. Functional, yet chic the glass doors of today offer a lot of more options than designs from the past, too.

It's true that for some, the bathroom is simply a room to take care of business. It can be plain, basic and boring as long as it's functional. Glass doors can work here, too. By going with one of simplistic designs, the care is easy, the functionality is present and there's no shower curtain to wash and/or replace.

Others, however, see the bathroom as an escape. It's a place to soak in a warm tub or take in a hot shower. It should be relaxing, eye appealing and a pleasure to retreat to. For these people, a bathroom design can be as important as the living or dining rooms. Aesthetically pleasing, clean and beautiful are musts.

Here's where glass doors can make a real difference. Depending on bathroom size and design, shower doors can be simply functional, yet beautiful or they can make a statement in a room.

Large bathrooms, for example, often have a separate showering area along with a standalone tub. Showers can be enclosed entirely in a frameless glass structure that speaks to style with unusual lines and visually pleasing designs. Elaborate and beautiful, these structures add an architectural appeal to a bathroom. Whether going for basic glass or intricately designed glass, too, can make a real difference. The choices here are almost endless as good glassmakers can even create a motif in the pieces. If what's wanted isn't available in a standard door, a custom made one can fill the need.

Smaller bathrooms can still benefit from a glass door. The sliding types that tend to go into shower/tub combinations can still be beautiful. Think beyond the basic frosted or bumped glass sheeting to pieces of glass with designs or colors and the idea starts to become clearer. Here, too, custom pieces can be designed or special styles ordered.

Whether going basic and frosted or elaborate and frameless, the choice of glass for the bathroom is important, too. It should be rated for safety no matter the design chosen. Glass in the bath should break like a windshield on car in tons of little pieces rather than sharp shards.

Once glass has been chosen and installed, caring for it might take a special touch. Depending on the type and style you've chosen, the care may be slightly different. It's a good idea to talk with the installer or follow manufacturer instructions for care. No matter the case though, caring for glass can be easy if regular maintenance is part of a routine.

Wipe down the glass after each use and be certain to remove any soap or conditioner residue that might be stuck on it. Don't use harsh abrasives. Regular wiping will help cut down on water stains or mineral build up, which makes overall care that much easier.

A glass shower door can turn an ordinary bathroom into an extraordinary one. They can also lend a utilitarian sense to a regular bathroom, serving basic needs better than curtains.