Now during the purchasing process of my new home, I needed mold remediation. I however was not quite the owner yet, but agreed to split the cost of this expensive process with the owner at the time.
I was originally quoted by All Island Cleaning for $2,000, which seemed like a damn good deal. Only 24 hours later I got a phone call that there was a type, and the price was instead $2,800. That is a pretty big typo if you ask me.
Oh, an $800 error... but not in my favor- Heavens no.
With a time crunch though, and no one left to turn to, I went for it and hoped they could get the job done in a timely manner. Besides, I was on a time crunch, I needed to get this done before my interest rate lock expired.
They got the job done quickly, and yes, I was very happy with how efficient they were, I would have recommended them to everyone in my business, but the thing is... when we were quoted that new number, the gentlemen did tell us that he would remove the heating baseboard, sand blast them and put them back over the copper pipes.
I was pretty stunned to find that this process was never done... in fact upon inspection I found that the baseboards were just gone all together.
Infuriated, I called the company.
The mans explanation is that his men must have thrown them out. He told me however he would call them to see where they ended up.
Pretty funny seeing that there was NO reason for them to be tossed. They had some rust spots on them, that I could have easily sanded off myself and sprayed down with Rustoleum... but nope... they were just gone... done... $500 worth of baseboard just MIA.
I never did get that phone call.
So there you have it... as far as I am concerned they were stolen... by the very company whom I paid nicely to simply rip out sheetrock, and run some HEPA filters in the room. Awesome! I would have done this work myself, had the piece of garbage Chase Bank actually allowed me to do so, but no... it had to be done by a professional.... crook.
This would not be the only company who took me through the coals since owning my home. Burner King is the next scumbag up on the chopping block.
The night our burner went out, they were over in 30 minutes. They pressured me into buying a service contract for one year for $309.00. They claimed that the emergency call that night would be $155.00, and to have it serviced for a yearly cleaning it'd be another $155.00 anyway, so in the end I'd be saving money!
Sucker punch me in the face. I told them I wanted to shop around first, but low and behold, believing their lines, I signed the dotted line, and $418.00 later, felt like an idiot for doing so.
They replaced an eye cell in the burner that night, and all was working fine, till 48 hours later when it was out once again.
Now that I had their contract, it took them a total of 6 hours and 3 phone calls to come back and fix the issue that should have been fixed the first time.
I also learned that the cell eye part they charged me an additional $75 for, could be found for sale for under $20.00.
Yup, so there we have it... burn me twice. Shame on me.
My doorbell has not stopped ringing, it is literally like once they know you have moved in- and honestly I want to know who is selling this info, LIPA or Cablevision... because they know... the empty house on the block now has occupants, let's go try and sell them some lies, cons, and scams for a high rip off price!
And that is what they do.
I have pretty much learned my lesson... everyone is out for themselves, and you just have to be one step ahead of the game, before you too are taken advantage of!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
First Snowfall!!!
We got our first snowfall for 2013 today- marked November 12th--- I have been waiting to see the first snowfall through my own window. I woke up this morning feeling so drained, and about 20 minutes into getting ready for work I quickly spotted activity in the yard!
SNOW!!!
I really wanted to not go in to work once that happened, I really wanted to just cuddle up with my little dog on the couch and call it a day- but alas... I need to work. :(It however was very comforting, and woke up that inner child in me, so that groggy morning mood I was in quickly vanished at the first sight of the snow.
I was pretty groggy too. I stood up all night finishing painting trim and doors all night.
BEFORE & AFTER
Target Home: Bronze Rack For the Bathroom- Oh I Like It!!!
I picked this up and figured it would fit right next to the toilet bowl. I guess I sort of thought my bathroom space was larger than what it truly was. Instead of it fitting where I had visioned it would go, I had to place it over the heat baseboard and hang it up on the wall to maximize space.
Thankfully it came with drywall screws to hand it, and a small plastic hang clip.
I was not too happy with the fact though that they included a white clip, considering the dark color of the rack itself.
At any rate, there it is, and it does exactly what I needed it to do. Give me more space for towels and other bathroom goodies. I placed the weave basket underneath so it did not look so weird hanging on the wall due to the legs. It does the trick!
I picked it up for about $40, and it is a pretty nice and sturdy shelving unit!
As Promised: How To Install Polyurethane Crown Moulding
Wood crown molding is expensive, and not everyone can afford to blow
such a significant amount of money on wood crown molding for their
homes.
Honestly, that is why I ended up going with a polyurethane crown molding to finish my bathroom with. Not only was it cheaper, but I had such a large selection of molding designs that there was no way I was turning back and going with a more bland cut section of wood. Not when I could save a ton of money, and get a detailed look that seemed far more classy than wood had to offer.
Working with poly crown molding is also a heck of a lot easier, and there is no nailing required at all. If you buy yourself corner blocks for the room as well, you can eliminate any difficult 45 degree angle miter cuts. This is exactly what I did, and putting the molding up too less than an hour.
So you are likely thinking of doing the same thing, otherwise why would you be here?
Here is what you will need in order to install your polyurethane crown molding:
You will need a tape measure
You will need Spackle
You will need Caulk
You will need a Spackle knife
You will need Loctite Power Grab Adhesive
You will need a caulking gun (to be used for your power grab adhesive tube)
You will need corner blocks to eliminate miter cuts and save yourself the need to have to cut the molding in a 45 degree angle.
You will need some painters tape
You will need a hacksaw with a thin blade
How to Install:
First and foremost you will want to install your wall corner blocks. You can purchase low priced polyurethane corner blocks online. Make sure you buy enough to add to each corner. Count your interior corners, and exterior corners in order to ensure you have enough blocks.
Install the corner blocks using the Loctite Adhesive, and the caulking gun. Apply the adhesive lightly.
Press the corner blocks firmly against the wall and hold it there for a few seconds until a good solid bond has been made. It will not take long at all. You can then tape them to the wall with the painters tape to ensure they do not move as you continue to work.
Allow these corner blocks to fully dry for at least 24 hours.
The following day take your tape measure to measure out how many feet of the polyurethane molding you will need on each wall.
Once you have your measurements, if you need cuts use a thin blade hacksaw for straight lined cuts. The poly material is very easy to cut, and it takes little to no effort to get a good straight cut. You can also use a saw if you prefer, but the hacksaw is cheaper and does the trick.
Once you have your cuts you can now take your molding back into your room and apply the Loctite adhesive to the back areas where the material will meet the wall and ceiling. Firmly and carefully press the molding into place and hold it there for a few moments. You can use the painters tape again to ensure that the molding does not slip out of place.
Work your way around the room until it is all up.
After everything has dried you can now seal the seams using the caulk gun and caulking. Work your way around the bottom seam of the molding and the top seam. Use your finger to slide across it for a neat bond.
After that is finished drying you can now Spackle any seam cuts or gaps on the molding using the Spackle gun and caulking gun to apply it. Use your finger to smooth out the Spackle.
Allow it to dry for 24 hours and then you can begin your painting!
It is very easy, very cheap, and looks so beautiful when you actually paint it to your preference.
The thing I found that I liked better about poly molding in place of wood molding is that it will never crack, expand, shrink, or sag. It is not porous like wood, and it will last a heck of a lot longer, for a heck of a lot less money!
After all was said and done, my cost was about $250.00 for a full bathroom, 33 linear feet total. The poly molding was $150.00, and the cost of tools added on about another $100.00 or less.
Honestly, that is why I ended up going with a polyurethane crown molding to finish my bathroom with. Not only was it cheaper, but I had such a large selection of molding designs that there was no way I was turning back and going with a more bland cut section of wood. Not when I could save a ton of money, and get a detailed look that seemed far more classy than wood had to offer.
Working with poly crown molding is also a heck of a lot easier, and there is no nailing required at all. If you buy yourself corner blocks for the room as well, you can eliminate any difficult 45 degree angle miter cuts. This is exactly what I did, and putting the molding up too less than an hour.
So you are likely thinking of doing the same thing, otherwise why would you be here?
Here is what you will need in order to install your polyurethane crown molding:
You will need a tape measure
You will need Spackle
You will need Caulk
You will need a Spackle knife
You will need Loctite Power Grab Adhesive
You will need a caulking gun (to be used for your power grab adhesive tube)
You will need corner blocks to eliminate miter cuts and save yourself the need to have to cut the molding in a 45 degree angle.
You will need some painters tape
You will need a hacksaw with a thin blade
How to Install:
First and foremost you will want to install your wall corner blocks. You can purchase low priced polyurethane corner blocks online. Make sure you buy enough to add to each corner. Count your interior corners, and exterior corners in order to ensure you have enough blocks.
Install the corner blocks using the Loctite Adhesive, and the caulking gun. Apply the adhesive lightly.
Press the corner blocks firmly against the wall and hold it there for a few seconds until a good solid bond has been made. It will not take long at all. You can then tape them to the wall with the painters tape to ensure they do not move as you continue to work.
Allow these corner blocks to fully dry for at least 24 hours.
The following day take your tape measure to measure out how many feet of the polyurethane molding you will need on each wall.Once you have your measurements, if you need cuts use a thin blade hacksaw for straight lined cuts. The poly material is very easy to cut, and it takes little to no effort to get a good straight cut. You can also use a saw if you prefer, but the hacksaw is cheaper and does the trick.
Once you have your cuts you can now take your molding back into your room and apply the Loctite adhesive to the back areas where the material will meet the wall and ceiling. Firmly and carefully press the molding into place and hold it there for a few moments. You can use the painters tape again to ensure that the molding does not slip out of place.
Work your way around the room until it is all up.
After everything has dried you can now seal the seams using the caulk gun and caulking. Work your way around the bottom seam of the molding and the top seam. Use your finger to slide across it for a neat bond.
After that is finished drying you can now Spackle any seam cuts or gaps on the molding using the Spackle gun and caulking gun to apply it. Use your finger to smooth out the Spackle.
Allow it to dry for 24 hours and then you can begin your painting!
It is very easy, very cheap, and looks so beautiful when you actually paint it to your preference.
The thing I found that I liked better about poly molding in place of wood molding is that it will never crack, expand, shrink, or sag. It is not porous like wood, and it will last a heck of a lot longer, for a heck of a lot less money!
After all was said and done, my cost was about $250.00 for a full bathroom, 33 linear feet total. The poly molding was $150.00, and the cost of tools added on about another $100.00 or less.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Finally got the dang shelf up
This shelf once hung on the downstairs wall. I almost gave it away when it fell off the wall... It was painted in a hideous speckled paint, and I am actually glad that the person I offered it to forgot to take it home.
So there it sat on the floor untouched for a few weeks.
After getting around to cleaning the room I found the shelf again and decided to sand it and re-paint it.
I went with a black undercoat and used my Martha Stewart specialty finish paint in Penny Copper, on top of the black.
After drying it and hanging it up, it became my perfume shelf.
I'm actually really glad I decided to take the time to restore it and put it to use.
Unlike the previous owner who nailed it right into drywall (no wonder it fell!), I found the stud and nailed it in. I then used more nails on the lower area to make hooks for my necklaces.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
So Off Topic from My Usual Blogging Agenda... But Melissa Bachman ... You Murderous Pig
https://www.facebook.com/melissabachman
I have been haunted by the images on this pigs page for quite a few days now. In fact, I can't rest until I get this post out there.
I love all things, large and small. I'm a 'leave that goddamn spider alone' sort of person. Everything- it has it's place.
Then there is us, the land sharks, the top of the food chain animals. King Kong of planet earth. Nothing can destroy nature quite like we can. But for the majority of us, we only make small dents in mother nature. We avoid killing a spider, but we are guilty of setting up traps for roaches and slapping a mosquito. Small dents.
Then there is this thing... I cannot even call her a human, because... well. If she is one, I certainly am not part of her species. The under evolved kind.. the ones that kill for fun, or recognition.
I am guilty of visiting her page, and pages of those that support her. I have argued with supporters to the brink of my own insanity, and came to one conclusion. I am not part of their kind.. the sick twisted ones. The ones who call me an emotional twit for caring... but I don't resent that. I am they way I am because I am evolved. I know I can get food at the store, and there is no need to kill for meat. Because... we are evolved.
This girl though, she is killing to kill.
She calls her dead lion, the elk she killed, the zebra, the bears.. the gators... the beauty once in life... how she calls them a beauty as they lay dead beneath her twisted mind... she sees beauty in its death... she is not my species. I want no part of her kind. I pray she goes extinct.
https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBachmanSupporters
I decided to stop trying to argue with those like her, the ones who see death as a sport. I can only hope that one day that human hunting becomes a sport. One where you can pay a fee and get a license to kill these assholes, to see how they feel when they are no longer the ones hunting.
Sigh.
At any rate, it is a sad day for me. The images keep haunting me, and facebook refuses to remove her page, as she has not violated any TOS. Fuck facebook then, and their TOS BULLSHIT.
If you look, some of the animals are still alive, dying, being tortured as she smiles before their suffering bodies.
She's a cunt, and sadly there are many like her. Not my kind though, not of my species.
Please sign the petition to keep her murderous ugly ass out of Africa....
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-government-of-the-republic-of-south-africa-deny-future-entry-to-melissa-bachman?share_id=ChMzDtmKPJ&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
I have been haunted by the images on this pigs page for quite a few days now. In fact, I can't rest until I get this post out there.
I love all things, large and small. I'm a 'leave that goddamn spider alone' sort of person. Everything- it has it's place.
Then there is us, the land sharks, the top of the food chain animals. King Kong of planet earth. Nothing can destroy nature quite like we can. But for the majority of us, we only make small dents in mother nature. We avoid killing a spider, but we are guilty of setting up traps for roaches and slapping a mosquito. Small dents.
Then there is this thing... I cannot even call her a human, because... well. If she is one, I certainly am not part of her species. The under evolved kind.. the ones that kill for fun, or recognition.
I am guilty of visiting her page, and pages of those that support her. I have argued with supporters to the brink of my own insanity, and came to one conclusion. I am not part of their kind.. the sick twisted ones. The ones who call me an emotional twit for caring... but I don't resent that. I am they way I am because I am evolved. I know I can get food at the store, and there is no need to kill for meat. Because... we are evolved.
This girl though, she is killing to kill.
She calls her dead lion, the elk she killed, the zebra, the bears.. the gators... the beauty once in life... how she calls them a beauty as they lay dead beneath her twisted mind... she sees beauty in its death... she is not my species. I want no part of her kind. I pray she goes extinct.
https://www.facebook.com/MelissaBachmanSupporters
I decided to stop trying to argue with those like her, the ones who see death as a sport. I can only hope that one day that human hunting becomes a sport. One where you can pay a fee and get a license to kill these assholes, to see how they feel when they are no longer the ones hunting.
Sigh.
At any rate, it is a sad day for me. The images keep haunting me, and facebook refuses to remove her page, as she has not violated any TOS. Fuck facebook then, and their TOS BULLSHIT.
If you look, some of the animals are still alive, dying, being tortured as she smiles before their suffering bodies.
She's a cunt, and sadly there are many like her. Not my kind though, not of my species.
Please sign the petition to keep her murderous ugly ass out of Africa....
http://www.change.org/petitions/the-government-of-the-republic-of-south-africa-deny-future-entry-to-melissa-bachman?share_id=ChMzDtmKPJ&utm_campaign=share_button_action_box&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=share_petition
The Prettiest Pink Paint Ever! Review of Behr's Sugar Sweet Paint 680A-2
When I became a homeowner though, my dream came true. I had a bedroom, that had french doors that literally opened up into another bedroom. Well, instead of using that room as a bedroom, I decided to make it the dream walk in closet I always wanted. The room however is so big, that I call it my changing room, as walk in closet status is below me.
Yup, I am a snob!
At any rate, I finally got around to picking paint colors for the room. Pink and black, 2 of my favorite colors combined, and I knew I had to be ever so careful with the color hue of pink I went with, because I could easily mess up and end up with neon pink walls.
I was looking for something softer, more subtle but of course I wanted the pink to pop, in a flat finish with a cotton candy like sweetness to it.
So, off to the Home Depot I went, and began studying paint swatches to try to envision how it would look in a room. Turns out I have a good mind for when it comes to imagining what something will look like before it is executed.
After peering back and forth from one swatch to another, I finally settled on Behr's Sugar Sweet Paint 680A-2, in a flat finish. I am not really into semi gloss finishes on walls, as I always use a high gloss paint on trim. I think it looks nicer that way, but this is just my preference.
I was nervous about how it would look on the walls, because from past experience, things tend to look brighter on the walls than on the swatch. Once I got home though, and began painting, I was so excited and pleased with the color.
It was pink alright, but a sort of soft one, which did not scream at you.
The quality is phenomenal, and I only needed one coat of paint. I have been using all sorts of paints since buying this house, and so far Behr has been the highest quality paint I have brought home to use. It goes on quickly and evenly, dries pretty fast, and leaves behind gorgeous color.
All in all, if you have been looking for that dreamy colored candy pink, I think that this particular color will please you through and through. The downside of course is that this paint costs a tad bit more than other brand names, but for good reasons!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)