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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Stig / Major Tom on February 01, 2022, 09:22:22 PM
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I needed two new locking knobs for the house....some roof tar, and something for my gloves.
Lowe's said they could re-key the knobs to our other doors so we wouldn't have to deal with 'new' keys.
I thought, 'what the heck' I'm going to stop first down the street at the mom/pop hardware store, see what he can do.
Long story short : we had a coffee, a donut, shot the breeze about the Bengal's miraculous football run, while he fixed me up with two newly keyed locking knobs., advised me on leather glove protectant for my wet scooter ride tomorrow, and sold me some tar to replace my roof shingle before tomorrow's storm.
The fellow dropped what he was doing ("inventory") and gave me great customer service.
I paid by card - but tried to give his wife a ten for him while he went back to work. His wife said, "he'll never take it".
She was right.
Stig
*that was my final trip onto this 26 yr old roof!! Shingles are shedding so much sand ..... no fun sliding around up there. A bummer to think I'm now too old to roof it myself.
I texted my wife and daughter, at work and school as requested - "Elvis is safely off the roof!" when I finished. Even my dog looked nervous when she saw me with the ladder.
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I kinda know what you mean.
At 66 I just replaced our deck last summer... totally. Walk out lower level and the deck is off the upper level so that puts it 10 ft off the ground. Totally removed the old deck and built up from scratch. The neighbor said she was often holding her breath while I was working on it solo hanging off the side of the ladder sometimes to put things together. This job wore me out. Hard to believe I built a 24 ft square 2+ car garage on my own (when I was 30), even lifting 3 of the walls myself from laying flat onto the anchor bolts (the wall with the overhead door header was just beyond my ability to lift myself since those double 2 x 12 headers have a LOT of weight) as well as the rafters and all the roofing. My wife did help some though... by handing me up more roofing nails when I ran low.
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I have a chimney brush & rods, and I've done it before, but this time I keep procrastinating getting the ladder and climbing up to do my Santa Claus imitation
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To all you guys I’ll just say at our age, “discretion is the better part of valour”! Know your limits.
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Dad always beat this drum - buy from the local guy. Keep your friends and neighbors in business.
Works for me - saving a little money by going to the chains or internet is not always the best way to buy. I'd be fooked if the local ACE hardware went out of business. Most of the small hardware and lumberyards are gone, along with the service, quality products, and specialty items.
And always try to buy products made in your country if possible if you have a choice. 'Nuff said.
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Our local ACE for hardware and the local lumber yard was where I did business. I gave up going on the roof long before the stroke. Just had a new roof put on two years ago with impact resistant shingles ((50 year warranty)) they should outlast me.
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as a self employed business owner, I have found that loyalty and buying local gives returns tenfold. When someone needs a boundary survey, who do they call ? yup, me. Same thing for the other services I provide
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Our local ACE for hardware and the local lumber yard was where I did business. I gave up going on the roof long before the stroke. Just had a new roof put on two years ago with impact resistant shingles ((50 year warranty)) they should outlast me.
All the houses in our neighborhood were built the same summer, 25 yrs ago. We bought, most others were leased (which might have been a portent of troubles ...but hasn't,,)
Anyway..4 summers ago all those leased homes were roofed with architectural shingles, so I know I'm due.
I might try one of those guys who inspect the roof and then go after my ins. Co. for a new roof. They've been around twice. I said no thanks...but I'm no longer going to replace shingles myself.
Put new $7k hvac in. And replaced 5 appliances, but for the water heater....so roof is next.
Stig
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I had one of my clients replace my roof about 5 years ago, the ashpalt shingles were 38 years old, barely any stone on em, but the roof still didn't leak, I have architectural shingles now
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All the houses in our neighborhood were built the same summer, 25 yrs ago. We bought, most others were leased (which might have been a portent of troubles ...but hasn't,,)
Anyway..4 summers ago all those leased homes were roofed with architectural shingles, so I know I'm due.
I might try one of those guys who inspect the roof and then go after my ins. Co. for a new roof. They've been around twice. I said no thanks...but I'm no longer going to replace shingles myself.
Put new $7k hvac in. And replaced 5 appliances, but for the water heater....so roof is next.
Stig
Unfortunately my HVAC is 22 years old and my 8 year WH is now 10 years old. Replaced the washer and dish washer 2 years ago. Since the HVAC is so expensive I will run it until it has a issue. WH I will probably replace this year as preventive maintenance. I was planning on having a new 3 car garage built this year. Goes to show you what happens when you make plans.
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houses are kind of like old cars...everything seems to start breaking at once! I'm in a similar boat..our house was new when we bought it 17.5 years ago...replaced (upgraded) fridge and dishwasher in 1st year, stove last year, still on original washer/dryer, replaced both water heaters (we have geothermal and have 1 functioning electric water heater and 1 identical, non functioning storage tank)..and need a roof from a hailstorm last year (insurance will cover most of that). Compressor went out on geothermal unit at the 5 year mark but I got it covered under warranty (parts, not labor, of course). We do use local appliance stores for our appliances as prices are similar but service seems to be better.
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I had to replace a lot of major things this past year, beginning with a refrigerator, next, was the check valve in my well, only a $15 item, but $1500 to pull the line, and because my pump was going on 40 years old, I replaced that too, and also had to upgrade the wellhead to meet code, extending the casing to above grade, $3500 in total, next, was my range, and shortly after that, my hot water heater. in the end, my bank account is 10g lighter
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Well after reading all these posts, I see what I have to look forward to....built our house in 1999 and moved in June 1st. Going on 23 yrs, with my luck everything will go to hell most anytime!! My poor wifes body already has with 2 hip replacements and getting ready for second back surgery. I have had a triple bypass and waiting on shoulder surgery. Between the house, the wife and myself, who gets the most repairs?? Only thing gold about the " golden years" seems to be the color of our urine !!!!
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Well after reading all these posts, I see what I have to look forward to....built our house in 1999 and moved in June 1st. Going on 23 yrs, with my luck everything will go to hell most anytime!! My poor wifes body already has with 2 hip replacements and getting ready for second back surgery. I have had a triple bypass and waiting on shoulder surgery. Between the house, the wife and myself, who gets the most repairs?? Only thing gold about the " golden years" seems to be the color of our urine !!!!
dad always said the golden years should be called the rust years, now I know exactly what he meant.
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or I coulda let my house go to hell and buy a scooter instead
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or I coulda let my house go to hell and buy a scooter instead
I do know some older people who said there done with home repairs. It will last longer then they will. Kinda funny/sad depending on your perspective, when I purchase major appliances now it is with the intention of it being the last time.
Reminds me of a salesman trying to sell my 85 year old uncle new windows, the salesman was touting the fact they had a lifetime guarantee. My uncle's reply was priceless (( how long do you think they have to last I'm 85 years old)).*
* my uncle lived until 91, his wife lived to be 96.
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I do know some older people who said there done with home repairs. It will last longer then they will. Kinda funny/sad depending on your perspective, when I purchase major appliances now it is with the intention of it being the last time.
Reminds me of a salesman trying to sell my 85 year old uncle new windows, the salesman was touting the fact they had a lifetime guarantee. My uncle's reply was priceless (( how long do you think they have to last I'm 85 years old)).*
* my uncle lived until 91, his wife lived to be 96.
now that I'm retired, and have a little extra $$ to spend, I've been replacing most of my junk tools with high quality, my son visited me right after I bought a new worm drive Skil saw 10¼", and thanked me for buying good tools that he will inherit someday
long time ago, an elderly woman in her 70s called me to design a new septic system, she lived there with her centurion mother. soils were crappy, and disappointed them when I told them they could pump their existing tank weekly for 40 years for what it would cost to replace the system. But, I found them a grant and they were happy
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now that I'm retired, and have a little extra $$ to spend, I've been replacing most of my junk tools with high quality, my son visited me right after I bought a new worm drive Skil saw 10¼", and thanked me for buying good tools that he will inherit someday
long time ago, an elderly woman in her 70s called me to design a new septic system, she lived there with her centurion mother. soils were crappy, and disappointed them when I told them they could pump their existing tank weekly for 40 years for what it would cost to replace the system. But, I found them a grant and they were happy
I still have Dad's Craftsman circular saw Mom bought him for Christmas to put new siding on the house. Not only did it last his lifetime it will probably last mine as well.
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I've kind of been doing the same with all my power tools lately. Since I retired my Craftsman circular saw that was bought back in the mid '80s crapped out and was replaced with a mini Rockwell, since I wasn't using it much these days anyway. Just last year while re-building my deck the Craftsman jig saw that I inherited from my wife's dad crapped out. He built houses back in the 40s, 50s and into the 60s, then garages after that and then worked for Overhead door as a contract salesman. That jig saw was at least 60-65 years old. I replaced that with another Craftsman saw. But the problem I'm finding is even Craftsman tools and almost all other brands of tools are no longer made in the USA... so not so local.
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I've kind of been doing the same with all my power tools lately. Since I retired my Craftsman circular saw that was bought back in the mid '80s crapped out and was replaced with a mini Rockwell, since I wasn't using it much these days anyway. Just last year while re-building my deck the Craftsman jig saw that I inherited from my wife's dad crapped out. He built houses back in the 40s, 50s and into the 60s, then garages after that and then worked for Overhead door as a contract salesman. That jig saw was at least 60-65 years old. I replaced that with another Craftsman saw. But the problem I'm finding is even Craftsman tools and almost all other brands of tools are no longer made in the USA... so not so local.
For several years Craftsman tools are the same thing as Harbor Freight quality. Disposable tools sold cheap.
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couple years ago, I bought a Montezuma tool box, a top triangle box, very convenient for most often used tools, made in Montezuma, KS, I understand that at one time, they made boxes for Snap-On
my old circular saw I replaced was a cheapo 7¼" Black & Decker, wandering blade , the 10¼" is kinda big for most stuff, ( I got it to do rough cut 4" ) so I plan in getting a smaller worm drive Skil
I have an old AMF era Dewalt radial arm saw that I plan on restoring, mostly all it needs is a new table top, and brushes in the motor, I bought it from my ex brother in law 30 years ago for $50 when he bought a new Craftsman with all the fancy do-das