photo by Mark Andre
“Dear PoPville,
1) Does anyone who has installed an exterior staircase have any lessons-learned or wisdom to share about the permitting process and selection of a contractor? (more…)
contractors
photo by Olaf Zerbock
“Dear PoPville,
I was hoping to query the hive mind. We recently purchased an entirely gutted home and are in the process of permits and renovations. We had it suggested to us to have a third party inspector come to inspect work as it would be faster than DCRA. I was wondering if folks have experience with this and if there are any recommendations.”
Photo by District Shots
“Dear PoPville,
My husband and I desperately need a licensed, insured, bonded company to remodel our shower. We hired someone referred by our realtor to do that in September and his crew flooded our unit and those below us (we’re on the top floor), put up the tile walls horribly and in a way that definitely wasn’t watertight (thankfully didn’t test it) so they tore out the walls and put up new ones. (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
My basement is flooding (again) due to this rain. Looking for highly recommended construction folks that can help fix this? I only got about 4 gallons into my basement which is not too bad. Thinking it could be coming from perhaps a leak in a water line or something. Not entirely sure.”
photo by District Shots
“Dear PoPville,
I am a new homeowner of a townhouse in Shaw/Truxton Circle. There is a large tree that is shared between my rear yard and my neighbor’s rear yard. It needs a trim, and I’m concerned for its health, as it started turning brown and dropping leaves in ~July. (more…)
photo by Jennifer Williamson
“Dear PoPville,
I recently purchased an older rowhouse in DC, and I’m noticing a number of hairline cracks that are spreading and becoming concerning. The home inspector did not have any concerns about the foundation, and I know older homes do develop some cracks, but I think it may be a good idea to get an opinion from a structural engineer. Any good recommendations? Thanks!”
“Dear PoPville,
Can anyone recommend a contractor to replace an entryway door in the Capitol Hill Historic District? The wood door on our 1967 row house has seen better days. We’ve had a few contractors come out to give estimates–some are totally unaware of the historic preservation review part of the permit process and others are completely discouraged by it. (more…)
“Dear PoPville,
This morning’s biblical event identified my gutters are overflowing in the back of my house, causing the torrent of rain to come down the middle of my rear wall and pool on the ground and seep into my basement floor (tile, thank goodness). I’m on the Hill if it matters. It’s not a huge job, but boy is it important to me. Any help would be appreciated!!”
photo by Rukasu1
“Dear PoPville,
I am wondering if you have a recommendation for bathroom renovation contractors in the DC area?”
Photo by Ted Eytan
“Dear PoPville,
The topic of sound mitigation in these old D.C. rowhomes has been much discussed in PoPville. Hearing actual conversations on the floor above, loud footfalls in the middle of the night and the roar of the hair dryer should not be ways of life in basement homes. It’ll never be perfect silence, yet we know people have found ways to make it more bearable for the subterranean residents.
Finding contractors these days isn’t easy. Most are so busy, and so many others don’t do this sort of job. One contractor we spoke with wanted to charge what was essentially the cost of a mid-range sedan to do sound mitigation work to our basement ceiling. So we wanted to ask those members of the PoPville nation who have been there and are now living in relative quiet who they hired, whether they are happy with the result and how much it cost.“