Home Improvements

[SD]

I'm done with Home Depot. They won't get another cent from me.

There's one 2 miles from my house, I have their credit card, they're offering 18 months 0% financing, and I get 10% off for being a Veteran. I've had issues with them in the past. I sent in a complaint once about their zesty customer service and they sent me some lame apology. I go to two different Home Depots, each store I've gotten consistently zesty customer service. The shed in my yard is from the 70's, it's old, metal, and rusty as shtein. It sits on an 8 foot concrete slab. I found a plastic shed for $549 at Home Depot that meets the dimensions I need. Figured I could buy it and pay it off $50 a month. So I'm told to go to returns to ask them to get someone from seasonal. I wait in line, then ask if they could get someone from seasonal. They make a call over the PA. I wait 10 minutes and nothing. So I ask again, letting the girl know I'm in a rush. So she makes another call over the PA. Wait 10 minutes and nothing. So I ask her again and she says "I already called for them twice they'll be here". So I left.

I decided to drive to Lowes. I tell the lady at returns I'd like to buy a shed. She says one moment, makes a call. I wait 2 minutes and someone was there to take my order. Was in and out in 15 minutes.

In short: farg Home Depot. Go to Lowes.

[Rome]

I totally agree.   Home Depot is disgusting.   Lowe's isn't much better but it's better enough to shop there. 

[Sgt PSN]

I prefer Lowes over Home Depot as well, but in the end I have no loyalty to 1 over the other.  I have a Lowe's card and they just upped my credit limit to $4500 so they'll continue to get the bulk of my business.  That said, the Ryobi line of battery operated tools at Home Depot are excellent for the home repair DIYer.  Probably not so much for professionals, but they've been better than any pos black and decker or low end craftsman set I've ever had.

[Diomedes]

I spend a lot of time in these kinds of stores.  The way I'd describe it is that I hate going to Home Depot, and I never go to Lowes. 

[SD]

I have French doors that lead to my back yard. They're the original doors from 1976. I looked into replacing them but they run $1000-1500, plus I have 3 other projects ahead of replacing them. I decided to borrow my buddy's hand held power sander. Took the doors off, sanded them down to wood. The glass panels have paint all over them. So I had to use a paint knife to scrape them clean. The previous owners had these pink disgusting curtains hanging on them. So I took them off, puddied all the holes, primed, and put two coats of paint on. Also replaced the door knobs. I can't say the doors look brand knew but it's a huge improvement. Whole project cost me about $30.

[smeags]

I avoid those stores if at all possible, I either go to the local ace hardware store or Andalusia supply.

[Tomahawk]

Acetone would have gotten the paint off the glass with no scraping. Work smarter; not harder.

[Munson]

The cable guy is drilling through our asbestos shingled exterior wall to run a wire into our bedroom.   Is this completely unsafe or just unsafe for him while he's drilling?

[Diomedes]

The latter.  And only marginally so.

What else is he supposed to do, anyway?

[Munson]

Haha okay just wondering. The house is a raised ranch so there is an overhang where he could have drilled in from underneath the bedroom floor and come up and in that way, but would have been more work

[Diomedes]

Yeah, more work ain't part of his job.  His job is to push the wire into your house and gtfo to his next job where he'll do the same thing.

He's disturbing very little material, and not really making it airborne.  He would be wise to wear a mask while making the hole, or just hold his breath and turn aside, but there's a big difference between making a 3/8" hole in a piece of siding and tearing off all the siding and throwing it into a dumpster.  The problem with that stuff is when the fibers become suspended in air, and taken into the lungs.

[Tomahawk]

Do you use hose clamps on barb fittings?

[Diomedes]

for the black flexible water tubing?  yes.

[smeags]

put a new storm door in sunday. came out great. fixed a couple light fixtures as well. the "to do" list is getting shorter.

[Munson]

Not even a couple months in to home ownership and this flash flood storm cell that just moved through might have given us our first water damage. The wall facing the neighbors house def had water leaking into it, was very clear to hear. that side of the house facing a slight downward slope towards a very shallow man made ditch that runs between the two properties and down to the sidewalk, and the house next to us/property sits up on a hill from our place. The ditch running down the middle just couldn't handle all the water coming from their property and our rain gutters and it flooded up against the house.

Looks like im gonna be doing some digging soon, and looks like that money for the fence is gonna go towards repairing some walls...possibly....