Photo by Mr.TinDC
“Dear PoPville,
Has anyone tried this? Is it allowed? Contractors that did it? Cost?”
contractors
Photo by John Brighenti
“Dear PoPville,
We want my dad, who has worked in HVAC and plumbing for over 40 years, to install air conditioning minisplit units at our house. He’s not licensed in DC, but I seem to remember reading something about DIY home improvement projects being done yourself or by immediate family not needing a permit or something similar, and heard the same from our real estate agent. Was this a hallucination/told to us in error? Is he able to do this work for us at all, or are we forced to hire a DC contractor or risk fines? It almost goes without saying that the DCRA website is less than intuitive or helpful, and has very little info for people interested in doing work themselves.”
and
“I find myself in need of help/advise on building a pool in NW DC. We are purchasing a home in Hawthorne and I don’t have the slightest clue where to begin with this endeavor. I know we will need DCRA approval, but I also want to find a reputable pool company-preferably not a big name chain, to do the design and work. Can you help please!”
Photo by Eric P.
Ed. Note: We spoke about best windows to reduce noise here.
“Dear PoPville,
I recently bought my first condo in Adams Morgan and have unfortunately found out that my upstairs neighbor has some of the creakiest floors I’ve ever heard. It actually sounds like the crack of a whip and it’s right above the bedroom. I moved in only a month ago and have been woken up pretty much every night at between 12am-2am. I’m a really heavy sleeper, too. I’m just now starting to look into my options for soundproofing the ceiling and was curious if anyone else has done this. Disclaimer: I’m not handy at all and would need a contractor, I’m not going to ask the neighbor to be quiet because as far as I can tell he’s simply just walking around in his apartment, and I’m not going to go into the past and not buy the place.”
Photo by Jen Morrissey
“Dear PoPville,
My lot sits on an alley. I’m thinking of finally putting in a parking pad (which will require excavating about two feet of dirt and then installing permeable pavers and a gate). Any contractor recommendations.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Caroline Angelo
“Dear PoPville,
Do you know of any handyman / repair places that are open during this time? Not an ideal time to have your refrigerator go out!”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Josh Bassett
“Dear PoPville,
My roommate and I live in a row house with a theoretically working fireplace but we’ve been told the chimney needs to be swept first. Would love if the community could be tapped for potential recs.”
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Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric Williams-13
“Dear PoPville,
My boyfriend is going through the process of buying a house, but so many sales are the unit splits that seem like shoddy construction. While he is trying to avoid those types of units in general, I do want to see if there are some renovators that do a good job at it (or rather those to avoid). Would love to hear of any positive/negative experiences so we can at least be more informed while searching!”
“Dear PoPville,
I’m moving within my own building, and was looking for recommendations for labor only movers, specifically to help with the disassembly and reassembly of my bed. (Everything else I can do myself and/or with the help of friends, but as far as the bed is concerned, we are not the handiest of people). I’ve looked around and have found most places charging around $140/hour with a 2 hour minimum, which is a lot for help with one piece of furniture.
FWIW, I considered craigslist and task rabbit, but would feel more comfortable having someone who actually knows what they are doing help.”
Photo by PoPville flickr user Tim Brown
“Dear PoPville,
Was wondering if readers knew of any good painter recommendations. Very small task. One bedroom (11 by 11). Want the ceiling, four walls, closet, bedroom door and window painted.”
“Dear PoPville,
We are looking for recommendations for a skilled carpenter, who could build/install built-in bookshelves on a wall in our basement. We would love recommendations from the PoPville community. I’ve included a picture below of something similar to what we have in mind. Thank you!!”