Renovation

Photo from basement dig out post

“Dear PoP,

I am in the process of getting the basement watertight. One way I am doing this is by removing half of drywall in the inside and repair the brick and paint it dry-lock. The other part is to get the soil in front of my basement windows removed and make it the same level as my basement entry way and build a retaining wall; however, I know there is water line that will be there probably 6″ or so from the basement floor. With soil gone, what do people do to winterize the newly exposed outside portion of the main water line?”

I’d also be curious to know what other steps people take to keep their basements dry. I don’t know about a water line but I’ve been running a dehumidifier 24 hours a day. I wish there was a less expensive solution. What do you guys do?

Photo by PoPville flickr user jimbographer

“Dear PoP,

We live in an old row house in Columbia Heights and need some of our brick repointed. Do you or any of your readers have any good recommendations on a company (or persons) that do this type of work?”

and

“Dear PoP,

Would you please ask your loyal followers if they would recommend a particular surgeon or center for LASIK or PRK?”

“Dear PoP,

I need to replace the decorative wood gutters because they have rotted and are beginning to detach from the house. Do you have any recommendations on who may be able to repair/replace the gutters and what this might cost? There doesn’t seem to be much information on the web about this sort of thing.

Of course, I am limited in funds, since I’ve just bought the house. I’m sure a more cost effective option would be to get rid of the ornate wood completely and install more modern gutters with plain flat wood supporting it. I would hate to do that, since I would lose a lot of the character and integrity of the house.”

Does anyone else have experience replacing/repairing these type of gutters? Any recommendations or guesses of how much it will cost?

Photo by PoPville flickr user ewilfong

“Dear PoP,

I recently purchased a row house in the city. One of the contributing deciders in buying this house was the ability to build a garage. Many of our neighbors have them, or some sort of car port/concrete pad in their back yard. However, I’ve been doing the research to obtain a building permit and hire subcontractors to build. What I’ve learned is distressing : multiple zoning requirements (some of them conflicting) make the maximum size of the garage that I’m allowed to build about the size of a doghouse.

OK- so maybe some of my neighbors didn’t have permits, or their garages were built prior to some of the more constrictive zoning laws and while I thought I did my homework correctly prior to the purchase, I was reading info for the wrong zone.

How have others in the area addressed this? Do they build without permit (if so, how risky is it? Are we talking a fine, or a tear-down?) Do they obtain a permit for a tool shed then build the garage they want? Do they submit a plan for a full size garage and cross their fingers that nobody will whip out a calculator at the permit office and say “nope, plan will make your lot coverage 62%…your max is 60%.” While their zoning laws are really hard ass, do the people reviewing the plans even care?”

Anyone have a similar problem? Anyway around it?

Photo by PoPville flickr user dullshick

“Dear PoP,

Could you please ask your readers who purchased homes recently and uses services of

Home inspectors
Pest inspectors
Structural inspectors
Appraisers

and are very very happy with the service and information they received. This is for Washington DC row house.

I am specially interested on a licensed bonded structural inspector who also does pest inspection.”

Photo by PoPville flickr user rjs1322

“Dear PoP,

My fiancée and I are renovating our home on North Capitol St in Brookland. It was built in 19-0-something, like the rest of the homes in the area, and has a good deal of original detail. The kitchen is to be modern, but we plan on preserving the wood trim, etc at the rest of the house (or at least replacing it with the same millwork look).

The one thing we cannot seem to make up our mind on is the boiler/radiator system. We are adding central air, and are not sure if we should be keeping the radiators or going to forced air gas heat. We are leaning towards taking them out (mostly because of the low lying pipes in the basement), but I’d hate to ruin something that may be considered vintage.

Are radiators considered “antique” or just “old?””

I seem to recall some folks have pretty strong opinions about this. Personally I love radiator heat. What do you guys think he should do – keep the radiators and add central AC only?

Photo by PoPville flickr user Rukasu1

“Dear PoP,

I just bought a condo in Adams Morgan, and the kitchen is in desperate need of an update. I know you’ve covered contractors before, but I’m not sure if that’s actually what I need. I’m hoping to put in a new backsplash, floor, and countertop. I’ll also be installing new appliances, which will involve creating a laundry hookup (for one of those combo washer/dryers) as well as a dishwasher hookup — the kitchen currently has neither — so some plumbing will definitely be necessary.

Does anyone have any recommendations for someone who would/could do all that? I’m afraid it may be too small a job for a general contractor since there’s no real construction, but I obviously want someone skilled/properly licensed who will do good work! If it’s feasible I could just hire out separately for everything, which would be nice since it’s probably cheaper, but I work pretty long hours so I’m worried that would be difficult. Thanks for any guidance/recommendations you can provide!”

Some recommendations were made here. Who do you guys think would be good/necessary for a job(s) like this?