All Forum Posts by: Johann Jells

Piling on to the "go classic" crowd, though I'm partial to midtone shaker and black or "brown and tan" granite.  I've seen too much stained lighter color granite. Dark looks really good with real or porcelain slate colored backsplash.

No one uses electric ranges here and I've never heard of a hood requirement. Where possible I install a microwave with the biggest fan available, 300 cfm that requires a 6" duct. And I've been putting fans in baths even with windows. Tenants never open the window in winter, I've seen some nasty mildew. In one I just installed a light switch with an adjustable fan timer to turn it off a set time after the light is turned off.  There's also humidity sensors, but this seemed more foolproof and effective against, um, odors.

Does anyone know the legalities of requiring E-payment of some kind? I'd love to make checks. late or otherwise, a thing of the past. I've had good tenants who were just space cadets who were perennially late and I didn't have the heart to penalize them though I threatened. My sympathy is based on my being a space cadet who was always late when I was a renter, no matter how flush I was.

 Their importer's warehouse is nearby. The only real advantage is they're assembled by experts. The turnaround is a week minimum, on the cheaper chinese stuff assembled in Brooklyn it's overnight. 

I've built my own using ply and edge veneer, like you ordering the doors, but not for rentals. I don't find it cost effective, I can usually design a kitchen using stock sizes and fillers.

What I'd really like to find is a supplier of quality all-ply Euro style frameless at a similar price point to the Fabuwood and it's ilk. For very small kitchens it give more space, especially in the drawers.

 There's a lot of decent quality no particle import cabs available. I just did a kitchen of Fabuwood, and was very impressed with the value and construction. But I've used Chinese import cabs of half that cost and they still look good 10 years out. If I was going to DIY a top it would be granite tiles. I've done 5 kitchens with great success.  Did my own vanity of marble tiles and would not do it again, too porous no matter how much you seal.

Photo is of super cheap cabs with $5/ft granite tiles.

 Everything you say makes perfect sense. Thanks.

 Not a joke around here, scenes for the Sopranos were filmed up the street.  And the head of the Incinerator Authority just resigned in disgrace after his subordinate brother and some associates were arrested for graft, specifically taking payments for mixing construction debris in with household collections!

 I try and avoid them, though some like to schmooze them and even pay them some cash. Not my area of expertise. Wish it was, would have helped with the Buildings Dept! 

Did you see the national story about the recycling collectors soliciting booze payments from the Downtown bar Pint?

 Not an option in JC any more. stopped more than a decade ago.

Diana, haven't you seen the dumped garbage back by the Science Center or under the turnpike on Monmouth? THAT'S the way it's done here!  

OK, this is a serious issue, how to play nice with the JC garbagemen and get them to take as much of your stuff as possible. Technically they don't have to take "construction debris" but success can be had if it looks like DIY, it's small and light, under 30lb, and don't put out too much at once. EX: you can put out entire kitchen cabinets, but not a whole kitchen at once. You can put out bundles of demo lumber, ceiling tiles or carpet as long as they're not longer than 4', not too heavy, and not more than 2 or 3 at once. Trickle it out. I have totally put 700 sq ft of carpet and pad and a kitchen on the curb, just not all at once.

My favorite trick is when I have a lot of cement or plaster from a minor demo (my walls weigh like 20lb /sq ft). They'd never take contractor bags with nothing but 30lb of rubble. I dump 10lb in each of the household trash cans in my multifamily every collection day til it's gone. 

Get the tab crimp type tool and collars, the tool is much cheaper and much easier to reach into tight spaces during a reno since you don't have to get around the pipe, just grab the tab and crimp. The swage type might be better for new construction.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SharkBite-Full-Size-Sta...