floatingapples's Profile

If it sounds like someone is banging on your metal pipes, the problem is called water hammer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_hammer. A steam system should NOT bang, or be really noisy at all. Water hammer can actually be very destructive to the pipes.

I bought in a row home that has steam heat but didn't grow up with steam, so I knew NOTHING about how it worked. Bought a book called "We Got Steam Heat" (http://www.heatinghelp.com/products/Books/5/61/We-Got-Steam-Heat-A-Homeowners-Guide-to-Peaceful-Coexistence) and now I feel like I finally understand how the system is supposed to work. Between the book and google, I've been able to correct most of the problems.

We have steam heat. They frustrated me at first but we read some books (So You Have Steam Heat" was a good one) and did research. Now that we understand how the system works, we love old radiators.

The steam heat is moisturizing and with proper maintenance, they're very quiet. If your radiators are clanging, popping, gurgling or hissing, something isn't right.

Thanks for posting this! I love seeing the inside of other rowhomes. I live in a rowhome but in jersey, otherwise I'd post pics to your flickr group.

http://brickcitylove.com

I want all my friends and family to be "refrigerator friends", as we call them. "Refrigerator friends" are friends who can come in, open the fridge, and ask "what'd you got to eat?"

I want people to feel free to come in and get themselves something to drink or help themselves to whatever's in the fridge. We don't have expensive or sentimental wine (or any other beverage for that matter), so it's never an issue. If it's there, help yourself.

My husband & I each have laptops that stay in the bedroom but there is a desktop in the living room we use for music. Guests are welcome to pick or make a playlist, surf the net, whatever. We don't keep personal info on that computer, so it doesn't feel like a violation of personal space. Anything we don't want people going through stays in the bedroom, where we don't socialize.

Maybe we're just really weird but we want people to feel as comfortable at our home as we do. Take your shoes off, play with the dog (don't tease or be mean!), look through the books or DVDs. Help me cook or cook for me! I'm SO not protective of the kitchen. It makes me happy when friends come over and just help themselves; that we've finally reached that level of familiarity.