Clippers of Nfl Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Home depot. I dont know really know why. I just like them. Maybe I'm used to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Home depot. I dont know really know why. I just like them. Maybe I'm used to them. Same here. They both carry different brands/styles... I like HD for some reason, I always find what I am looking for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 HD and Lowes are about the same to me. HD is closer so they get most of my business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Seriously, when I was installing my new water softener 5 years ago... I read in the stall specs that in Mass, one can't intsall it themselves... WTF! In California, the owner of the water softener has to put it into "salt saving" mode, ie: water saving... What? They have "Softener Police" going door to door in El Segundo and Worcester? ;-) I don't think they have any police in Worcester for anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Isn't it illegal for New Canaan residents to do their own home repairs and maintenance? Aren't they required to use outside contractors so that the property values can remain high? Well duh....but we still need somewhere to buy the stuff to keep the deer out of the flowers and the salt for the water softener. If you goad him into talking about unions, this thread will be tossed to PPP so fast it'll make your eyes water. If only Home Depot employees were unionized, then you'd really see some kickass customer service! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meatloaf Sandwich Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Lowe's b.c it is very close to my house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clippers of Nfl Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 (edited) Same here. They both carry different brands/styles... I like HD for some reason, I always find what I am looking for... Hd has the premium stuff. The so so stuff and the super cheap stuff. Is Lowes like that too? I haven't stepped in a Lowes in a long while Edited July 23, 2013 by Clippers of Nfl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanker Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 I prefer Lowes, but sometimes have to go to a HD because they don't have what I need at Lowes. Lowes is brightly lit and feels clean. HD not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 Hd has the premium stuff. The so so stuff and the super cheap stuff. Is Lowes like that too? I haven't stepped in a Lowes in a long while There is only one Lowes by me and it is tucked out of the way in Northwest Indiana... I go there once in a while... I am like you, must be a creature of habit... I suppose I would find things there... Places do carry different versions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 23, 2013 Share Posted July 23, 2013 My preference when I was installing alarm systems was Home Depot. They seemed geared more towards the contractor who knows what he needs and doesn't need help. Lowes seems gear to the home owner that wants pretty things and help. One story, a lock we were installing needed some odd sized drill bits, something like 31/64's. Couldn't find them at HD or Lowes, thought we may have to special order them. Ended up finding them at Ace Hardware, in stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 We had our kitchen remodeled by Home Depot, we might as well have hired the 3 stooges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boyst Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I prefer Lowes, that's all we have here. However, I generally talk to my cousin who is a contractor and he can get things at dirt cheap prices. Much of this is stuff from Lowes that was overstocked, returns, etc. So, if someone reading this doesn't have a cousin who is a contractor, contact one or some and it will help. Never hire them at Lowes or HD or the like. But, before all that if you do not know what you are getting in to, go to your local real mans hardware store. Here we have one that is beyond expert level employees. You will pay $.05 more, at the most, per dollar...but you will have everything you need from people who know what they are doing. We had our kitchen remodeled by Home Depot, we might as well have hired the 3 stooges. oops. Sorry you did not read my post before doing that To add more to this, I was not going to... a lot of these guys they contract are one guy with experience who subcontracts or has helpers that are just walk off the streets. There are many people who do a good job with these places, but there are those that do not. Another cousin installs roofs and other such work. He also works at Lowes so in down time he still has income. For Lowes he is on their contract group that installs roofs, etc. He is a contractor in his personal life. The only good thing about going with them - they stand behind their work and if you are not pleased you can usually get some money back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 (edited) Lowes is the winner so far and I am not too surprised. Somebody call Mr Blank lol It does seem like Lowes is better organized than HD like some posters have pointed out. One thing tho, I needed some 3/4 wood plywood for the floor in my bathroom and the prices were crazy high at both HD and Lowe's. Ended up going to 84 lumber for the plywood. 2 sheets of wood cost me 84 bucks with delivery. HD would have been 110 bucks, Lowes about 90 without delivery. Wow , just for some damn wood. the plywood has been the most expensive thing for my project . Go to the plumbing store. I did . In fact that was the first place i went to but to my surprise the prices were way higher than HD and Lowes. Edited July 24, 2013 by Bufcomments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I find they are the same stores, different color If you go there and need to rely on the staf to show you how to do something yourself, turn around and walk out the doors and call a contractor to do it for you If you know what your doing and know what you need, just get it from which ever one has the cheaper prices, their employees should only be used to tell you where an item is located. Some may be knowledgable about items, but if they really knew what they were doing they would be working in the industry doing the work instead of getting minimum wage working at HD/Lowes trying to teach you how to do it. I know someone who has been kicked out of a HD for yelling at one of the employees he caught lying about a product they were selling and saying it meets the Building code (The guy being kicked out is a building inspector). You would be shocked to find out how many products some of these places sell that do not actually meet minimum codes or have approvals to be used here. Your fine using them if you decide you want to take a chance by not getting permits to do the work. i always find the "mom and pop" hardware stores are the most fun to go to, especially when they are ones that have been in business for decades, usually still have stuff from decades ago on their shelves. Its hit or miss on pricing, but sometimes they even have cheaper prices and they are usually much more helpful. For supplies (nails/screws/lumber) I like them, for finish materials (tiles/flooring/fixtures) the Big Box HD/Lowes always have bigger selections of stuff that are considered 'in' and won't make your eno job out of date before you finish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 If you go there and need to rely on the staf to show you how to do something yourself, turn around and walk out the doors and call a contractor to do it for you I need to take a little issue with this because it's really not true for me. Now, granted, growing up I was never taught how to do pretty much anything other than wash dishes, take out trash, sit down, shut up, turn off the TV and read a book. So for the longest time, simple things like electrical and plumbing issues were only considered simple to me if they were compared to speaking Mandarin. Through patience and direct help from HD folks, I've learned to do a lot of basic stuff on my own; upgrading lighting fixtures, replacing bathroom sinks/vanities, garbage disposals, fixing dishwasher leaks, soldering pipes, and even stripping away a 10x10 area filled with lava rocks, and installing pavers for a cook patio/firepit area. Granted, I'm not going to ever build a Gibson guitar or replace my roof, but I've learned a ton from the HD folks by starting my question with "Okay, look, I'm a dumbass. See these things in my hand? I need to find them and replace them and I ain't no McGyver." Even cooler...I teach my son so he'll be less of a dumbass. In fact HD (and Lowes) have children's workshops the first Saturday of every month with pre-packaged DIY birdhouses, pencil-holders, etc. that build, paint, etc. It takes 20 minutes, but my son digs it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I need to take a little issue with this because it's really not true for me. Now, granted, growing up I was never taught how to do pretty much anything other than wash dishes, take out trash, sit down, shut up, turn off the TV and read a book. So for the longest time, simple things like electrical and plumbing issues were only considered simple to me if they were compared to speaking Mandarin. I had the opposite growing up. From the day my parents bought their house in 1973, it's been worked on/remodeled since, so many years growing up I had experience of ripping a room down to the studs, then putting it back together. Also weekends were watching This Old House on PBS, back when they actually showed how to work on a house, not like today where they show you how a $300 kitchen faucet is made. A good show now to watch how to not fix your home is Holmes On Homes on HGTV. Some of the homes he's working on, you'll wonder why they're still standing, or haven't caught fire yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 A good show now to watch how to not fix your home is Holmes On Homes on HGTV. Some of the homes he's working on, you'll wonder why they're still standing, or haven't caught fire yet. I started to watch that, but then I realized I mis-read the title. I thought it was Holmes on Homies, and the Holmes was Katie, so I turned it off when I realized my error. Maybe I'll try it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I started to watch that, but then I realized I mis-read the title. I thought it was Holmes on Homies, and the Holmes was Katie, so I turned it off when I realized my error. Maybe I'll try it again. There's another show he has, Holmes Inspection. The debate on this one is that he goes too far with his repairs. Instead of just throwing down some caulk to stop a leak, he'd rather figure out why there's a leak, and make it right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Lowes is much better in my opinion - sounds dumb but the blue trim in the store and bright lights makes for a better shopping experience than the brown and orange darkly lit HD. I find the Lowes' consultants are very helpful and knowledgeable (at least in my comparing the two stores in the area where I live). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I need to take a little issue with this because it's really not true for me. Now, granted, growing up I was never taught how to do pretty much anything other than wash dishes, take out trash, sit down, shut up, turn off the TV and read a book. So for the longest time, simple things like electrical and plumbing issues were only considered simple to me if they were compared to speaking Mandarin. Through patience and direct help from HD folks, I've learned to do a lot of basic stuff on my own; upgrading lighting fixtures, replacing bathroom sinks/vanities, garbage disposals, fixing dishwasher leaks, soldering pipes, and even stripping away a 10x10 area filled with lava rocks, and installing pavers for a cook patio/firepit area. Granted, I'm not going to ever build a Gibson guitar or replace my roof, but I've learned a ton from the HD folks by starting my question with "Okay, look, I'm a dumbass. See these things in my hand? I need to find them and replace them and I ain't no McGyver." Even cooler...I teach my son so he'll be less of a dumbass. In fact HD (and Lowes) have children's workshops the first Saturday of every month with pre-packaged DIY birdhouses, pencil-holders, etc. that build, paint, etc. It takes 20 minutes, but my son digs it. I didn't mean to offend you with the comment, it sounds like you may have actually found a few of the good employees that have some knowledge.Working in the construction industry, I see it many times were a home owner goes to places like Home Depot, talks to someone there and thinks that they now can do it all. I also run accross many home owners who think they are doing something right (or better then code) and they don't even come close to minimum code, even though the guy working at Home Depot said it was good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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