NYC Anatomy of old semi-detached home?

[dcbnyc]

Hey all,
I am a project super in NYC specializing in high-end residential, in the business over 25 years.

I am about to get into the market of renovating two family homes in Brooklyn, NY.

Can anyone discribe the typical construction of the common walls in 1900 - 1940 semi-attached two to three family homes, say in Bushwick section of Brooklyn? (Sheathing types, blocking, insulation?, The typical anatomy of these old party walls.

I would like to know what I'm getting into as far as the need for insualtion, fire proofing, sound proofing etc.

dcbnyc

[frenchie]

That's not enough information. There's no "typical" row house in Bushwick, that area's a complete hodge-podge.

[Dutchman]

Just curious, but are you "about to get into the market" because of issues with Sandy? Did that area flood?

Anyway, 25 years in the business should give you a clue as to the basics.

Frenchie knows them better than me for sure, but the basics are the basics, common masonry party walls (if they are standard issue masonry row houses), shared roof rafters or ridges depending on direction, shared roof leaks and no sound proofing.

[dcbnyc]

Thanks Dutchman and Frenchie. I'm actually continuing this thread in the framing forum

But no,not getting into it because of sandy. It's something I have been looking into for a while. Have a piece of weekend property upstate that i have an opportunity to get bought out at my original buy in, (not loose my shirt) and will take that money and put it into a two or three family. Something that throughs off some income.

I know legally in nyc a framed house can never be more than a two family. A brick house can legally be a three family and more. The problem with some of these properties is many have been illegally altered. I have found some properties going for "low" asking price. But when you vist the DOB website, some of them have between 80K- 140K worth of violations. When ever I see a building with 3 baths i check to see the classification (B1 Two family brick or B2 Two family framed, etc.)
.

[frenchie]

Just curious, but are you "about to get into the market" because of issues with Sandy? Did that area flood?

No, Bushwick is pretty far in, and up.

The problem with some of these properties is many have been illegally altered.

In Bushwick? I'd say MOST houses have had some sort of illegal alterations done, and all of them have had un-permitted work done. That was outlaw territory until pretty recently; still is in places.

[NW Architect]

Don't forget about all the asbestos, lead, and crumbling mortar issues you are all but guaranteed to find

[dcbnyc]

So back to my original question,.... restated. What is the actual difference between a B1 Brick two family and a B2 Framed two family? Would a B2 framed be framed on all 4 sides and a B1 brick, masonry all the way around?

[frenchie]

Would a B2 framed be framed on all 4 sides and a B1 brick, masonry all the way around?

Yes.

Dick Hackbarth gave you a pretty good rundown on the likely anatomy of the area's brick houses (aka "brownstones"), in your other thread, in the framing forum.

I can't think of anything to add to it, except - sometimes you'll have vents, going all the way to the basement, behind the first layer of brick in the party wall. They've usually been closed up, but keep an eye out; they come in pretty handy as electrical chases. They date back to the very early days of steam heat, when all the rads would be in the basement, and hot air would rise by convection. Never seen them in anything built after 1920 or so.


As far as the frame houses around there, I've done a little work on some, long time ago... but never had occasion to open up a party wall, or gut any rooms all the way to the studs. Can't really help you there.

Also - scraping the bottom of my brain, here - be careful about buying anything that used to have another house alongside, but doesn't anymore. That unsupported wall often starts bowing, leaves you with joists hanging in midair, hanging off the flooring. Seen that twice (once in Williamsburg, once in Bushwick), major expensive headache for the owner both times.