Author Topic: Home Improvement (Read 28610 times)

tallman · « **Reply #60 on:** June 12, 2008, 11:23:00 PM »

Buddy:

I listed our tile guy above:

Carpet/Floor/Tile: Hamilton Carpet (718) 899-3610. They did our carpets, wood and tile floors and tile backsplash in the kitchen. Have a very nice showroom in Maspeth too.

They actually measure for backsplash (since they charge by the sq ft) and were by far the best part of our kitchen experience.

Not that hard to measure a room actually and actually we did a good job with getting the dimensions down. It was more the beveling of the wall and poor planning from our cabinet guy's design that made some things a tight squeeze. Considering we pulled the kitchen renovation together in a month, I'd say we did pretty good.

We ended up with more counter and cabinet space in our 7x10 kitchen than I ever thought we'd have, and we've actually used it to cook dinner for 10.

buddy · « **Reply #61 on:** June 13, 2008, 12:01:36 AM »

Quote from: tallman on June 12, 2008, 11:23:00 PM

Buddy:

Not that hard to measure a room actually and actually we did a good job with getting the dimensions down. It was more the beveling of the wall and poor planning from our cabinet guy's design that made some things a tight squeeze. Considering we pulled the kitchen renovation together in a month, I'd say we did pretty good.

We ended up with more counter and cabinet space in our 7x10 kitchen than I ever thought we'd have, and we've actually used it to cook dinner for 10.

That's fantastic. In both my bathroom and kitchen renovations, I tried to do as much as I could and it did save me money. Good for you guys. We should share photos of the finished rooms. I love looking at kitchens and bathrooms. I changed the footprint of my bathroom by moving the tub from being up against the long wall and putting it the other way across the short wall. It made my bathroom 6 inches bigger all the way around. Which was great. In my kitchen, one whole wall was bare. So I had cabinets built across it with granite countertop and put a closet in the corner for vacuum, mops etc. I'll try to upload photos but I can never figure out how to size them so they're not teeny. My bathroom is done but I still have to do a kitchen back splash on both walls. And then figure out what I want to put on the window. Probably finish the kitchen this winter, so I'll be calling your tile guy!

buddy · « **Reply #62 on:** June 13, 2008, 12:03:11 AM »

I'm going to try and upload a photo of each wall in my kitchen. Remember: still have to add tile backsplash, window treatment and maybe diff. paint color. Talk about a "work in progress".

buddy · « **Reply #63 on:** June 13, 2008, 12:04:51 AM »

Wow, I clicked on the tiny photo and it got really big. Here's the other wall that was bare before I put cabinets on top and bottom.

racert · « **Reply #64 on:** April 21, 2009, 11:25:31 AM »

I just had my bathroom redone by Old Castle contruction and I am thrilled! I chose them in part from the other comments here. I highly recommend them !

www.oldcastleconstruction.com

Pulled pork · « **Reply #65 on:** April 23, 2009, 07:23:24 PM »

Hey all, we just got approved for a Co-op in Astoria. I had asked for your help a few months back and got an estimate from Old castle. Need to get in touch with him but also want any advise on:

Best place for Kitchen cabinets. Not M&S or any contractor places. May just end up going to Home depot for Kraftmaid.

Wood flooring company? Must take Credit card. Hardwood floors or glue down good quality parquet.

Any experience with Empire for carpeting and wood floors?

Other contractor suggestions for: demo of kitchen, install cabinets and counters, painting apartment, closet widening.

Moving company? Must take Credit card.

Thank you all in advance.

Chuckster · « **Reply #66 on:** May 07, 2009, 06:03:36 PM »

I recently had my floors refinished and a few rooms in my apartment painted, and I'd like to put in a good word for the contractor I used, Carlos Ramirez. In addition to these projects, he also assisted in a few handyman odd jobs and even offered decorating tips to boot! Carlos also does complete kitchen and bath renovations. Although he's very detail oriented, he works efficiently and is tidy. It's apparent that he takes great pride in his work, and I wholeheartedly recommend him. Pricing is reasonable also.

Carlos Ramirez

Phone: (347) 738-0347

e-mail: TwoAsHomeImprov@aol.com

NYC Native · « **Reply #67 on:** May 08, 2009, 11:26:28 PM »

Chuckster · « **Reply #68 on:** May 10, 2009, 08:04:43 PM »

Anyone have hardwood floors in the kitchen? I've spoken to various contractors and seem to be getting conflicting information from all. What are the pros and cons? I'd prefer flooring with a bit of give rather than hard ceramic or porcelain tiles, so suggestions on alternatives to wood flooring are appreciated. Thanks.

NYC Native · « **Reply #69 on:** May 10, 2009, 10:47:42 PM »

You can do whatever you want dear. Obviously porcelains are great and easy to maintain. Wood floors are very pretty in kitchens, specially if your floor and cabinets match. Unfortunately they will require more maintenance if you spend lots of time in the kitchen. Some of the engineered floors have ceramic or ceramic like inclusions that make the surface super durable. Make sure the floors are tight and well sealed so water isn't a problem. If you do use the kitchen a lot note that you may want to place a small mat by the stove or sink so it wont wear as much. In my opinion do what you like. If pipes bursting or water leaks are a real possibility than warping also will be.

In this apartment below I used reclaimed wood and I finished it with a couple of extra coats of polyurethane before the final gloss finish. I liked it and so did lots of people but many also had the same concern, water damage. If you keep up with basic maintenance it wont be a problem. If you have gaps in the boards pay special attention or even consider some silicone before your finish coat. If you do have spills dry it up right away and fix all leaks promptly. Oak will do well in your kitchen but stay away from the softer woods like pine and cherry since they are much softer and a hard working kitchen will put some real wear on them. Don't wax or oil your floors if you will use it in a kitchen, always use polyurethane since it will handle the drama much better.

Chuckster · « **Reply #70 on:** May 11, 2009, 12:03:21 AM »

Thanks Native! You're always so helpful and funny at the same time dear.

Water damage is my primary concern, and one of the people I spoke with also recommended oak if I decided to go ahead with wood flooring. Another option I may explore is cork. Hmmm..... I may need to bust out a few bottles of wine for that one!

spanishfish · « **Reply #71 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:51:56 PM »

Cork tends to be good in kitchens because if you drop something, it bounces. But, it also is more susceptible to water damage than an oak floor would be.
So...

dotley · « **Reply #72 on:** August 10, 2009, 09:50:09 AM »

does anyone have any recommendations for a neutral paint color (a specific name or #), that they have seen or used? This would be for a common area of a co op.
Also, anyone recommend a reliable yet reasonable painting contractor?

NYC Native · « **Reply #73 on:** August 10, 2009, 06:55:45 PM »

http://www.benjaminmoore.com/bmpsweb/portals/bmps.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=minisite_hiddenPage&includePage=cfyh

If you are planing to sell or rent neutral colors like creams, white hues etc. If it's for your enjoyment go with what you like regardless of what anyone else thinks. My advise is go to your local paint shop and look at all their books...maybe Lowes or Home depot or even your local Benjamin Moore store.

Look at a room and once the color jumps at you simply have the paint shop duplicate the color. It is always a nice idea to have all your doors and trims in a different color...maybe a pure white or a lighter shade (or darker) of the color you use for the walls. If you really have no idea of what you want and just want to play it safe use an Indian white or antique white in a flat tone on your walls (maybe eggshell finish/sheen) and do all the trims in a high gloss pure white. This is as safe as it gets I think.

There are plenty of painters out there...craigslist, yellow book even your super will know. Safest contractor work you can do is painting - requires minimal skills but that doesn't mean you want some inexperience individual doing it. I'm unable to take any new work for now and I don't usually do paint jobs as stand alone. If you have to do patch and repair work careful because you may end up looking worst. If you have to patch and repair walls might as well consider lightly skim coating the entire walls...just so it looks nice. GOOD LUCK! :laugh:

spanishfish · « **Reply #74 on:** August 11, 2009, 09:23:17 AM »

Dotley, the color should be coordinated with other interior finish items. This shouldn't be looked at in an isolated fashion.

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Author Topic: Home Improvement (Read 28610 times)

tallman

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buddy

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buddy

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buddy

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racert

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Pulled pork

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Chuckster

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NYC Native

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Chuckster

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NYC Native

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Chuckster

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spanishfish

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dotley

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NYC Native

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spanishfish

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