One Local businessman welcomes Brooklyn Ikea with open arms

Christopher Purnell, President & Founder of EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC was happier than a kid on Christmas morning when the Brooklyn Ikea finally opened. Purnell is an entrepreneur who has over 10 years of marketing experience and relocated to New York in search of something besides marketing, but just wasn’t certain what that was. While he pondered his next move the bills continued to come and soon he was forced to find something to tide him over until he found his dream job. Several friends suggested Craigslist where he could find temporary work also known as gigs. Purnell said “Right from the door I noticed all these postings for people wanting someone to assemble their furniture for them. I come from a family that is made up of handymen and construction workers hour days, 7 days a week.” It wasn’t long before he realized what he was searching for had found him. So, he went ahead and opened EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations, LLC and hired his first helper who is now his project manager, Lawerence Land. Purnell states “we went ahead and got licensed, insured, and built a web site and began marketing our services. It wasn’t long before we had more work than we could handle so we hired more technicians with a background in furniture assembly, repair, or at minimum carpentry skills.” Today Purnell’s company employs a dozen full-time technicians who are certified installers for several manufactures, are required to participate in at least two continuing education workshops per year & meet for a weekly meeting to discuss changes in products, new ideas to improve service, and keep everyone up to date on where the company is at. Purnell himself has obtained a certificate in Project Management, and got his company certified as by the National Playground Safety Council. The company has also expaned its services from just furniture to exercise & recreational equipment, barbeque grills, trampolines, swing sets, outdoor play sets, as well as building custom closets and assembling and installing kitchen cabinetry and works in conjunction with a delivery service that will actually meet the customer at the store and take them home with their purchases for far less than the stores in house service and have their furniture assembled the same day. The company is ranked #1 on both Yahoo & Google, has a 5 star rating on Ikea Fans, and was awarded the “Superior Service Award” by Angie’s List, an independent service that allows consumers to review a company’s rating and reviews from prior customers. Purnell explains “ I believe our success is definitely due to the demand for such a professional service because most of customers work long days, and the time they have they want to spend with family & doing things they enjoy not trying to assemble furniture all weekend. The competition is limited, there are really only two national companies providing the same services but they have forgotten who pays their bills, the customers. Some services that have contracts with a few big box stores have customers waiting 3-4 weeks for an appointment, where our goal is to get an appointment scheduled within 72 hours. I always stress to all my technicians and staff that no matter how many services we provide our most important service is customer service”.

From what we can see his company has found the recipe for success, and as long as they continue to make furniture requiring assembly his company will continue to grow. EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations currently serves all of New York City, Long Island, & Eastern N.J.. If you are in need of professional assembly and/or installation services you can visit them online at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com.

IKEA Hits Brooklyn! What's The Big Deal????

Hello Everyone! I can't believe all this commotion about Ikea opening in Brooklyn. The worst part is most articles make it sound like they moved into Vietnam in 1968. Brooklyn is beautiful and many great stores are there and I am happy to see the addition of Ikea, but this criticism has to stop. You would have to be a fool to believe Ikea didn't do their marketing homework before going there. I wouldn't be surprised if that location does better sales than Long Island or N.J. They sell modern furniture at affordable prices to me an obviously Ikea it makes sense to put such a store in a middle class working area. It just seems like a shock to everyone that they didn't open in Manhattan. What is your opinion???

What Size A/C Unit Do I Really Need???

We have been contacted over at least a thousand times over the last 2 years with this question, and now that we opened NYC HANDYMAN it has become ever more frequent but no less important. We have provided some useful information below.

A larger air conditioner will not always provide more cooling. It should be sized for the room area. If properly sized it should operate long enough to remove moisture from the air. It is the moisture removed from the room which actually produces the feeling of cooling. Unfortunately many people in their rush to purchase a window air conditioner buy too large a model.

Too large a unit can actually provide less cooling than a smaller, properly sized unit. This is because with an oversized air conditioner its run time is too short. Consequently it does not remove enough moisture from the room to produce a feeling of comfort. If you’re A/C seems to cycle off and then back on every few minutes and does a poor job of cooling, it is probably oversized for the room.

Air conditioners are rated in BTU’s. British Thermal Units are a measurement of how much heat is being transferred form the room being cooled to where the heat is dumped out of doors. This is why the cooing coil inside the room is cool to the touch, while the part that hangs outside is extremely hot.

A window air conditioner used in the average household room can be as low as 4000 BTU. While 5000, 6000, and 8000 are the most common sizes purchased.

How do I determine what size A/C I need?
Following is a basic sizing chart for calculating the window air conditioner needed for a room. Calculate the size of the room by multiplying the width of the room by the length of the room. Use your room size to determine what BTU's are required to cool that particular room size.

room in sq ft-----room in sq m-----A/C size in BTU's

100 – 250............9 – 23............5000 – 6000

250 – 400...........23 – 37............6000 – 8500

400 – 550...........37 – 51............8000 – 11000

550 – 875...........51 – 81...........11000 – 15000

Based on a room occupied by two adults, having an average insulation, number of windows, and sun exposure.

Which is the best room for placement of an air conditioner?

Wherever it gives the most comfort is where it should be installed. If you only have one air conditioner then we usually suggest the bedroom. This is because most people find that if they can sleep comfortably during a hot summer night then their next days work will be a lot easier. Getting through a hot day at work becomes a lot easier when you know you will sleep comfortably that night.

Some people do not like a cool sleeping environment so they will tend to place it in a living room or family room. Or some people will place it in the family room because the whole family can sleep there. Get out the sleeping bags and turn it into an adventure for the young ones. Beats waking up in the morning to find a dog, cat, and four kids in the bed with you.

Also window air conditioner can be noisy, which may disturb sleep. Others find the drone of the fan actually promotes sleep because all the neighbourhood noises are drowned out. Some people say the air conditioner works as well as a sleeping pill

But whichever room you eventually pick don’t expect the impossible from you’re A/C. It is not meant to cool more than one room or one open area. Air conditioners will not cool other rooms? This is because the blower in a window air conditioner is not very powerful. It is sized to cool one open area, not a number of interconnected rooms. Therefore once again a couple of smaller units may be better for your home than one large unit.

Lastly, remember to properly secure the air conditioner in the window. Once installed a piece of wood to stop the window from being lifted up is a good idea. If you have wooden sills the simple addition of a wood screw at the top of the raised window (the one you had to raise to install the A/C) will only take a minute. Otherwise an intruder could gain access to the house by lifting the window and letting the A/C fall out. This could result in the loss of both your valuables and the air conditioner

* PLEASE READ: NYC Law requires ALL units above the first floor to be secured by a support bracket and be Professionally installed. If you need Professional Installation please visit us at www.nychandyman.biz. We will be happy to answer any questions and get you cool quick!

Some Papers Are Warning NYC IKEA Shoppers To Expect To Be Robbed???

I saw this article in GAWKER and had to post it! It's like the same old stereo type of the Big Apple is coming back!!

Prepare To Be Robbed, IKEA Customers

The first-ever IKEA store is opening in the borough of Brooklyn tomorrow, a development which has the local media all atwitter. Close to 40 people have lined up for the chance to be the first ones in the rapidly gentrifying Red Hook neighborhood to buy mass-produced Swedish furniture. To celebrate the occasion, the gruff and hilarious Park Slope guy who goes by the name of Blognigger (just to make you uncomfortable) has posted his own Onion-esque take: "Red Hook Blacks Line Up to Rob First 100 IKEA Customers." But he doesn't forget to make the scheduled robberies a multicultural endeavor for the Curbed.com-reading gentrifiers themselves, too:

Surprisingly, not everyone camping on line is African American - two white Park Slope residents, Rob Tanzer, 24 and Jake Feingold, 23, have also joined the group.

"We read about this on Curbed, and we just thought that being on this side of the fence seems like a far more authentic Brooklyn experience," explained Mr. Feingold, "We basically want the black community to know that not all white people are here to displace them; That really, we're part of the solution. And of course we're also down to get paid."

Can You Believe People Are Camping Out For IKEA Opening in NYC????

So the new IKEA store Brooklyn officially opens two days from now, on Wednesday June 18, but as of 11 AM today, Monday June 16, there were already 18 people waiting in line with sleeping bags. Yes, they are planning on camping out. (Does IKEA make sleeping bags, by the way?!)

Sure, IKEA is a popular store. But it’s safe to say that one reason for the enthusiasm is the fact that the first 35 people in line will get a free couch (too bad they can’t sleep on them before the store opens). The next 100 get a free armchair. And the first 100 kids (separate from the adults waiting for the furniture) get a toy.

Anyone having flashbacks to the iPhone mania last year outside the Apple stores?

IKEA's line is clearly driven by the company's incentives to get shoppers to exercise the same sort of cult-y excitement that once was seen only when tickets for rock concerts first went on sale. Now that sort of excitement is seen for brands, not bands. Last year, everyone was wondering how to mimic Apple and its lines outside its stores. Before that, it was how to mimic the fan queues for the new Xboxes in late 2005. Maybe IKEA has figured out how to have the sort of cult-y brand that usually is only found in the tech sector.

But what is particularly interesting is how the IKEA lines differ from last year's iPhone lines. Last year, people could ostensibly afford a $500 phone. This year, with the economy gloomy, they're camping out for free furniture at a store known for its inexpensive goods.

But what both IKEA and Apple share is, of course, their reputations for simple, appealing design. In the case of IKEA, is that what's driving the brand loyalty? Or is it simply the low prices? Would love to hear your opinions.

NYC New LAW on A/C Installation!!!!

This is part of Local Law 11/98, which concerns safety related to lack of maintenance in building facades; periodic inspections are required in which a professional submits a report to the city . There is a requirement that “appurtenances” to the façades be secured, which includes window AC units. Lately, the city has been cracking down on unsafely installed window AC units, thus the new focus on proper installations. Many buildings have had their inspection reports rejected by the city lately. This ends up being a big pain for the co-op or landlord, so it’s in your best interest to do the installation properly from a liability standpoint, and most co-ops and landlords are updating their rules to require an installation that allows the windows to still be operable when the unit is in place. A lot of old installations have the unit bolted to one of the window panes, however in many windows, the panes can be removed pretty easily for cleaning, and whoops… your AC unit drops out. SO, there is no real ‘grandfathering’ of this requirement for older installations. But, you might just wait until your landlord or co-op makes you update your installtion.

See the following explanation (and nice picture of a good installation!):

http://www.randpc.com/AskTheEngineer/genAsktheEngineerWindowAC.asp

Also:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dob/downloads/pdf/ac_tips.pdf


Most property management companies are requiring tenants to remove their a/c's and have them professionally installed.

For professional installation by a licensed & insured service visit www.nychandyman.biz

The Ikea That Never Was

On a visit to Washington, D.C. many years ago, a slick advertising supplement fell out of my morning newspaper. It was for a store I had never heard of, but immediately wished there was a branch in the New York area. The booklet was filled with the kind of furniture that would appeal to people who appreciated modern design and incredibly low prices, in other words many New Yorkers like me.

o I celebrate the opening of the city's first Ikea branch in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I had hoped that the store would come first to my home borough of the Bronx.

Certainly on the surface, the Bronx would be the ideal location for this particular Ikea branch. The ABC Carpet Warehouse store is already here, proving that the borough is fertile ground for this kind of retail operation. And we have plenty of large sites, arguably better transportation infrastructure, and a large pool of labor that is ready and willing to work.

The store originally was to be built at New Rochelle, in nearby Westchester County. But the plans for it required assembling a huge site that necessitated leveling a handful of homes. This created tremendous opposition to the project in an era when, as the late Senator Moynihan noted, we celebrate those who prevent things from being built rather than those who actually get things constructed.

As the fight in New Rochelle dragged on month after month it became clear that this development simply would not happen. Finally, the company threw in the towel. Ikea would have to look elsewhere.

Nabbing Ikea would have been a much-needed shot of adrenaline in the ailing Bronx economy. It even might have attracted some young people to give us a hard look and see that the Bronx is as ripe as Brooklyn as an emerging, upscale place to settle.

Ikea certainly attracts recent college graduates. Upon my younger son's graduation from college, he cleared the shelves at the Ikea in Elizabeth, N.J., furnishing his brand new apartment in Riverdale. And my older son, now with a growing young family in the Atlanta area, a place that young people have flocked to in recent years, celebrated the opening of an Ikea in a quickly gentrifying section of town.

Unfortunately, my hopes and aspirations were not shared by those in leadership positions in the borough. The former president of the Bronx, Fernando Ferrer, led the borough through 14 years of economic stagnation. His successor, Adolfo Carrion Jr., has been even more ineffective, especially since his term has coincided with a period of remarkable economic growth in the city.

The Bronx president controls an entity called the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. When Mr. Ferrer called the shots, the BOEDC was led by his boyhood pal Jose Ithier. During the critical period after the New Rochelle project fell through, they insisted that they were negotiating a deal with Ikea. But when students from the Bronx Beat, a paper that is published by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, contacted the furniture company's U.S. headquarters, officials there insisted that there was never any communication between them and Bronx officials.

Shortly thereafter, the Brooklyn deal was announced, and a golden opportunity for the Bronx was gone.

As a New Yorker, I'm glad to see Ikea, along with its hundreds of jobs, and infinite purchasing opportunities for bargain conscious consumers here in Gotham.

I note that northern New Jersey now has two Ikeas — one in Elizabeth and a newer one in Paramus. That gives me hope that with our larger population, and favorable highway access, some future Bronx president who is more concerned and more creative — perhaps the one we elect next year — will be successful in achieving what Messrs. Ferrer and Carrion failed to do. There is room for an Ikea serving the Bronx, burgeoning northern Manhattan, and Westchester, and beyond.

awolf@nysun.com

A/C MAINTENANCE IS A MUST!!!!!!!!

Schedule Your Window A/C Maintenance

Summer is finally here and before we know it, summer will be breathing hot air down around us. NYC HANDYMAN recommends that anyone utilizing window air conditioners for their comfort cooling needs consider scheduling a maintenance check on their units as soon as possible to ensure the unit is operating to its maximum capacity. A maintenance check will not necessarily stop failures, but it can minimize problems and keep units performing within their maximum operating capabilities. Scheduling early also provides time to resolve any issues that might arise from the inspection before the weather gets too hot.

Maintenance checks include the following elements:
• Cleaning the evaporator and its filter if necessary
• Cleaning any dirt and debris blockage from the condenser
• Checking the discharge air temperature for proper parameters
• Cleaning the drain pan
• Addressing specific reported problems
• Performing an over all inspection of system components

NYC HANDYMAN mechanics will share their professional opinion on whether the unit is repairable or needs to be replaced, and discuss possible options with you. If removing the unit is the only option, keep in mind that air conditioners are considered hazardous waste, and when discarding older units or units that are not repairable, the refrigerant and the oil must be properly recovered and disposed of according to EPA guidelines. NYC HANDYMAN has procedures in place to dispose of your unit properly, avoiding any environmental violations or potential fines.

To prevent an extensive waiting time, NYC HANDYMAN suggests that the departments service their window air conditioners early in the season, rather than wait for mid summer. Those departments who have window units that are exposed to near-by construction work are especially encouraged to get those units cleaned due to the extensive dust and dirt in the air.

To schedule a maintenance check for your window air conditioning unit, submit an online request through the service website www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

NYC HANDYMAN Runs Driveway Seal Coating Special in NYC!!!

NYC HANDYMAN, New York City's #1 Handyman Service is running a 10% Off Special on all their services including Driveway Seal Coating which can make any driveway look Brand New Again!! Visit them today to view all their services & specials!!! www.nychandyman.biz

What does it cost to have my driveway sealed?

The short answer is that it depends. With driveway sealing, there are enough factors to consider that it is difficult to zero in on a price for every different type of driveway in every city. What we can do is provide you with some guidelines so that you know how to figure the approximate driveway sealing costs of your particular home and how often you should have it sealed.

How Often Should You Seal Asphalt Driveways?
If you look around the web you will find differing opinions on this matter. Some say that you only need to seal your asphalt drive every 3-10 years. Others, every year. The real difficulty in determining what's right for you is weather. If you are in an area where you receive a great deal of rain and snow, or in an area where it freezes and thaws often, or in an area where the temperature reaches well over 100 degrees in the summer and your driveway is unprotected from the brutal rays of the sun, then you need to seal your driveway at least every other year. If you have some moderate weather, then maybe every three years.

Let your vision be your guide. If your driveway is cracking or chipping before it is time for a new coat, then have it treated again.

*Note. Do not seal a new asphalt driveway. This material needs to cure for 6 months before treatment is applied.

How Often Should You Seal Concrete Driveways?
Concrete driveways are more durable (and more prevalent) than asphalt driveways, so they don't need to be sealed as often. Even in the harshest of conditions, our contractors tell us that every five years is the right amount, and even longer in moderate climates. However, just as with asphalt, let your vision be your guide. If you notice cracking, even very slight cracking, contact a NYC HANDYMAN who will be able to tell you if you are in immediate need of sealing or if the problem is a deeper issue.

What Does Driveway Sealing Cost?
Driveway sealing costs are going to be different all across the country because of the demand. In New Mexico, the average driveway sealing cost may be higher because the weather conditions don't demand that it to be done that often. In Upstate New York or northern Minnesota driveway sealing costs are likely to be lower because this needs to be done every year to some asphalt driveways.

While we can't really pin down your exact price, here are some general estimates that should help get you in the ballpark on the cost of driveway sealing.

First, if you don't already know the square footage of your driveway, measure it to find out. Most contractors are going to figure the job by the driveway size.

Now that you have the square footage, here are some figures. In the east, the average cost for driveway sealing is typically between $.10-$.16 per square foot. So for a 1000 sq. ft. driveway it will cost between $100-$160. In the upper-midwest, many driveway contractors charge per 1000 sq. ft., typically between $85-$100 per 1000 with a minimum charge of $100. Lucky is the homeowner with the 1990 square foot driveway.

Final Word
Most of the cost of sealing driveways is tied up in prep work. If your driveway is particularly dirty or covered in oil slicks, then it takes more effort and thus costs more to treat. The application is pretty standard. However, the pricing listed above will help you to figure out the range of what this task should cost. If you talk to a driveway contractor who is way over these amounts, get a few more estimates to see if that is the standard charge in your area.

IKEA Furniture Assembly Have You Nuts?

EZ Furniture Assembly
& Interior Innovations, LLC

I Hate Flat-Pack Furniture !

...well,
obviously I don't actually hate it once it's "up and running" - otherwise I
wouldn't buy it! I just hate the hassle of having to put it
together.

That's wht we wre
her to help. We have a trained staff of 10 certified technicians that are
licensed & insured so you eill have the furniture you biught on the showroom
or online, not a bunch of boxes with a bag of nuts and bolts witha piece a paper
they call directions. Well, I'm certain at leat the asprin companies are
rooting for them since sales must've sky rocketed when IKEA hit the
market.

Anyway, we are a
Professional company that has assembled thousand of pieces rnaging from,
furniture, exercise equipment, storage units, custom closets, Murphy beds, and
hundreds of Kitchen Cabinet installations. We are a Certified member of the
National Associatopn of Professional Assemblers, maintained a 5 Start Rating on
IKEA Fans, ans was presented with the "2007 Super
Service Award" by Angie's List.

We are the City's
leader in Professional assembly, so you don't have to worry about how long it
willl take you to build that entertainment center, or if you should buy a drill
or not. Don't waste your weekend and late nights trying to assemble something
when one simple call or email will do it all. No need to ask friends if they
know someone who does this kind of work or search on craigslist because God
only know who will show up at your door. We have been in business going on three
years and we have built on our name on Quality Customer
Service, Honesty, Guaranteed, Workmanship, and the ability to schedule all
appointments within 72 hours of contact. You can spend time with
your family, or relax and read your paper while our trained technicians
professionally assemble your furniture.

No matter
the size of the job,
whether commercial or residential our trained
staff can handle the job and do their best to exceed your expectations. We
encourage you to visit our website WWW.EZFURNITUREASSEMBLY.COM by
Clicking Here. Or call us at the number below to be
connected to one of our own managers. We look forward to hearing from you
soon!

Christopher Purnell, President
( 718) 541-9863

Lawrence Land,
General Manager (803) 553-4988

Major Furniture Companies Have Lowered Their Prices But Quality Too!!

To my, and several of my longtime technicians and project managers we were suprised at how low Bush is selling their products. That was until we went out on a big job that was all Bush and we saw a dramatic change in their quality of material. Now most assembly services like ours work on a % of the retail cost the lower the cost the lower we charge, but what do we do when they are selling desks for $200.00 and are pure junk where none of the holes line up, missing parts, and out of square componets? Do we tell the customer sorry since you bought this brand we have to charge you as much as it costs because it will take 4 hours to fix it for assembly? I know that a lot of big box stores are selling furniture from companies out of China, but Bush? It is the economy, nobody is going to pay $900 for a desk now! But it us that suffers, and soon the customers because us and others will stop assembling their products. I guess we can only pray the recession ends and we start brining back plants to America. I am a proud American and have vowed to only buy products made here unless forced otherwise. What is your take???

ATTN NYC: IKEA SALE ENDS SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hurry in for the IKEA Summer Sale. From now until June 9th, save 20%-60% off select items throughout the store. Monday June 9th is the last day, so don’t wait to take advantage of us! Go to www.IKEA-USA.com
	All good things must come to an end, but there's still time to fill up on payloads of select home furnishings at 20-60% off our already-low prices. You'll find everything from summer furniture to storage (both big and small) to sofas, mattresses, bathroom accessories, lighting—and yes, you can even get the kitchen sink! Check out the website now and start your shopping list! Remember, the Summer Sale ends Monday, June 9th! Find your nearest store
	When you come to IKEA during the Summer Sale, you can fill up on more than just great design! We serve hot, tasty and nourishing meals all day long, starting with a full breakfast for just 99¢! See what's being served at your IKEA store
	Only 3.5% Sales Tax With IKEA Elizabeth's 3.5% sales tax, now furnishings are more affordable than ever. Plus, every Saturday and Sunday take advantage of our complimentary NYC shuttle from Port Authority to IKEA Elizabeth. (3.5% sales tax and complimentary NYC shuttle only at IKEA Elizabeth.) For details, call 1-800-BUS-IKEA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IKEA Summer Sale: May 22, 2008 through June 9, 2008. Offer valid only at IKEA Elizabeth, Paramus, Hicksville, New Haven and Stoughton. Offer valid on in-stock merchandise only and while supplies last. Not valid on prior purchases. Selection might vary by store. Not all offers valid at IKEA Direct. Some products require assembly. Visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com for all your assembly needs

The High Name Furniture isn't The Same Since Recession

For years certain companies provided top quality products that were second to none. However, now these companies joined the majority of the industry of the smaller no to promising companies and went to China for their manufacturing which has resulted in lower prices, but very bad poor quality. One brand being Bush, we recently began to notice the change when we saw the price cuts in the Bush brands in the stores both locally & online. Pieces that normally sold for $1100.00 are going for $500.00. Which obviously hurts our industry and especially our company that charges 33.3 % which means the lower the retail price the lower our companies makes. The worst part is that since the cut backs the quality of the material has been terrible. Our technicians at EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations have reported missing or extra pieces, broken pieces, as well holes that did not line up which stops the drawers from closing correctly. This is just NOT the Bush many companies that were once top producers of fine furniture are now selling furniture that is being sold for half the price but not of the same quality because it is being made by companies in China. I can only assume that this is their way of dealing with the recession.