Spring is here! This is a time for ‘spring cleaning’, starting over and feeling rejuvenated. Now is the perfect time for you to perform some common plumbing service maintenance tasks on your home’s plumbing. The warm weather we experience in spring will require you to take a different route than you would during the colder […]
Steam boilers are not very common when compared to the many types of heating systems throughout the nation and the world, but they are common to the Northeast portions of The United States and quite common in New York City where Kew-Forest Plumbing has the heating specialists since 1929. For a steam heating system to […]
A new radiant heat system installation is an excellent way to heat your home. This type of system heats your home by first installing poly-based tubing in your floors. Hot water from the furnace is then sent through these tubes to effectively heat your floors. This heat then rises, heating your entire home very effectively. […]
Snow and pipes do not mix, learn to keep pipes from freezing. While it is true that hot running water is a life saver in many freezing situations, pipes hate the cold. Especially pipes with water standing in them which is exactly what happens inside your home. This year, as record snowfall blankets the central […]
Building a new construction designed explicitly with your family in mind is one of the best ways to ensure that your needs are met. From accessibility to digital sophistication, your new home is designed to cater to your needs. After you have finalized the designs, but before you have begun construction is the right time […]
The more densely populated a region is, the more plumbing problems everyone is going to experience. Sharing a Queens building, even sharing a block with a few hundred other people puts a lot of stress on your pipes from the city water mains to the individual unit plumbing. If you have been fighting your drains […]
Hot water baseboards are a popular form of home heating throughout the NYC boroughs. It is a cost-efficient way to heat your home, and because it uses radiant heat, temperatures tend to remain more consistent when compared to traditional forced air furnace systems. Since winter has arrived, it is important to be aware of any […]
When a plumbing issue occurs, you want to address it quickly so you do not have to be in a panic and call an emergency plumber. If you wait and need a plumber in an emergency. you may end up calling the first number you can find. Without the time to carefully choose the right […]
Manhattan residents know how to use a plunger if the sink is clogged. So when the standard suggestions for unclogging a drain does not work, Manhattan plumbers are called in. It is said that drain clogs are the most common reason for needing professional Manhattan plumbers. What do the pros find when they check out […]
It’s natural to want an immediate repair whenever something goes wrong. However, there is added expense to having a professional come out during the off-hours. Therefore, it’s good to know when you need emergency plumbing services and when you don’t. Here are some factors to consider in the process. The Risk of Extra Damages If […]
Wendy has over 10 years of experience in customer service and has been with Kew-Forest Plumbing since early 2020. She holds the position of Administrative Assistant and takes care of the accounts receivable collections. Her other duties include customer service: answering calls, scheduling jobs, filing, and assisting where needed. She’s also responsible for organizing service calls and the associated paperwork for Local Law 152 gas pipe inspections. Wendy is bi-lingual and is a great asset in communicating with our Spanish-speaking clients. Wendy is kind and courteous ensuring a happy customer, is a repeat customer.
Sharon DeCoursey
Office Manager / Bookkeeper
Sharon is proud to be an integral part of Kew-Forest Plumbing’s team since 2001. She has over 30 years of experience in customer service and prides herself on her career with Kew-Forest starting as an administrative assistant and working her way up to Office Manager and Bookkeeper. Her daily responsibilities include: overseeing the administrative office staff, AP and AR, benefits, banking, human resources and payroll. Sharon also handles some of the larger accounts, and takes care of invoicing for the certified payroll accounts. She provides support to both Darren and Paul in making sure the business runs smoothly and is the back-up support for customer service and setting up service calls. Sharon brings to Kew-Forest her strong work ethic, kindness and desire to help others making it a pleasant and positive work environment.
Michelle Gutierrez
Administrative Asst. / DOB Liaison
Michelle has over 21 years of customer service experience. She has worked in the plumbing field for more than 18 years, and has been with Kew-Forest Plumbing for almost 10 years now. Michelle has experience with various office duties, ranging from dealing with customers to scheduling appointments for service work and organizing annual RPZ testing and boiler inspections. Michelle is also our DOB liaison. She handles job filings, sets up inspections, and manages paperwork & knowledge of the DOB electronic filing system in order to obtain permits for various jobs, such as new construction, renovations, & conversions. Michelle also deals with the NYC DEP for cross connection-related work & water meter permits. Through her diligence, professionalism, & overall caring attitude, Michelle ensures that a Kew client is always treated respectfully and courteously in every aspect of her job.
The area known today as Maspeth was chartered by Dutch and English settlers in the mid-17th century. The Dutch had purchased land in the area known today as Queens in 1635, and within a few years began chartering towns. In 1642 they settled Maspat, under a charter granted to Rev. Francis Doughty. The name “Maspeth” is derived from the name of Mespeatches Indians, one of the 13 main Indian tribes that inhabited Long Island. It is translated to mean “at the bad waterplace” relating to the many stagnant swamps that existed in the area.
A September 11 Memorial has been erected at 69th Street and Grand Avenue to commemorate the local firehouse’s casualties from the World Trade Center, which were the largest of any FDNY unit. The monument, adjacent to the sunken Queens-Midtown Expressway is oriented towards the WTC site, where the Freedom Tower is now visible from Maspeth. An annual memorial ceremony is held at the monument on September 11th. [courtesy wikipedia.com]
By the mid-nineteenth century, Fresh Ponds was a thriving German farming community. In 1860, George C. Schott, a developer, was given a large amount of land in Fresh Ponds as repayment for a debt. He renamed the land Glendale after his hometown in Ohio. Nine years later, one John C. Schooley, a real estate agent, bought a substantial amount of property and also called it Glendale.
Glendale was renowned for its many authentic German restaurants, namely Zum Stammtisch (The Family Table), Von Westernhagen’s, and Hans Gasthaus. However, in the last decade all but Zum Stammtisch have closed doors for good. Stammtisch can be found highly regarded in most New York City tour guides even though it is located in an outer borough. [courtesy wikipedia.com]
The area was settled around 1816 by people of English descent and was named in the early nineteenth-century for its location as the midpoint between the then towns of Williamsburg, Brooklyn and Jamaica, Queens on the Williamsburgh and Jamaica Turnpike (now Metropolitan Avenue), which opened in 1816.
Four national historic districts were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983: Forest-Norman Historic District; Grove-Linden-St. John’s Historic District; Seneca-Onderdonk-Woodward Historic District; and Woodbine-Palmetto-Gates Historic District. [courtesy wikipedia.com]
Originally, Ridgewood was part of the Dutch settlement Boswijk (Bushwick) and was later incorporated into the village of Breuckelen (Brooklyn).
A legacy of this past stands today; Onderdonk House, which was erected in 1709. The house is the oldest Dutch Colonial stone house in New York City. Also located at the Onderdonk House site is Arbitration Rock, which was a marker for the disputed boundary between Bushwick and Newtown and essentially Brooklyn and Queens.
Ridgewood has also served as location shoots for numerous major motion pictures, including The French Connection, The Wanderers, Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Jerky Boys: The Movie, Beat Street and Cop Out. In addition to these movies, scenes for The Sopranos were filmed on Fresh Pond Road in Ridgewood on March 9, 2006, when a hookah bar next to the neighborhood bar, Glenlo’s Tavern was detonated. [courtesy wikipedia.com]
Darren Lundin
President
Darren is a fourth-generation New York City master plumber and has over 38 years of plumbing, heating, and sprinkler experience. He is a graduate of New York institute of Technology with a BA degree in Industrial Engineering. Darren is an active member of the New York City Master Plumbers Association and is currently on the board of directors. Darren was raised with a strong work ethic, and he now applies those values to his company. He has carried on his family’s legacy and has continued to build his business based on honesty, reliability, and excellent customer service.
Paul Lundin
Vice President
As a fourth-generation New York City master plumber, Paul has been working in the plumbing and heating industry himself for over 34 years. New York City Licensed Master Plumber #1806. New York City Licensed Master Fire Suppression Contractor #935B. New York State Certified Backflow Prevention Device Installer/Tester #3428. Paul, also being raised with a strong work ethic, continues to apply these values to his company. He has also carried on his family’s legacy and has continued to build his business based on honesty, reliability, and excellent customer service. From the smallest repairs to the largest plumbing/heating/sprinkler projects, he is ready to serve with pride.
William Wagner
Assistant Vice President
Bill, a New York City Licensed Master Plumber (#1498), has been working with Kew Forest Plumbing and Heating for over 42 years now. Bill is a job estimator for large commercial and residential jobs in New York City. He has a detail-oriented, specialized knowledge of the residential and commercial plumbing industry.