I just priced pine tongue and groove flooring at Home Depot, $10 for an 8 foot piece, yikes. Went over to the local lumber yard, got 16 footers of the same stuff for $8 each. How does Home Depot stay in business with prices like that?

How does Home Depot stay in business with prices like that?

Home depot looks 'nicer' to a lot of people.

They make it up in volume....

They're counting on "Joe-Avarage" not to know that you can drive an extra 5 miles to the contractor supply house. It must work for them, they're still in business.

I'm a tile setter by trade and needed another 25 lb bag of floor grout to finish a job. Most places around here I pay between 20-25 bucks a bag. HD wanted 42 buck a bag, crooks!!! They count on the fact that the average DIY'er dosen't know what it should cost. HD's cost on a 25 lb bag of floor grout is between 13-15 bucks. Talk about a nice markup.

I see Andy is putting some new pine tongue and groove floors in your 69 chevelle?:D

Maybe he's building a Buick bumper

The big stores are all that's left around here. I hate the way things are now. There isn't a single lumber yard around for miles.

Maybe he's building a Buick bumper

pff, with pine? are you nuts? that car deserves no less than fresh lignum vitae :D

pff, with pine? are you nuts? that car deserves no less than fresh lignum vitae :D

Wouldn't that cost more than the car is worth? ;)

Wouldn't that cost more than the car is worth? ;)

that car is priceless :)

I think there is one lumber yard around here besides HD and Lowes. At least at the chains I am merely ignored. The local place acted like I was bothering them by showing up.

I think there is one lumber yard around here besides HD and Lowes. At least at the chains I am merely ignored. The local place acted like I was bothering them by showing up.

So they know you? ;)

Home Depot and Lowes has been more expensive for a long time now.:yes:

Those private jets don't pay for themselves.:(

find out where local contractors get their lumber. HD and Lowes use the leftovers that the real lumber yards don't want. It's almost impossible to find a straight board in Home Depot that isn't warped or full of knots.

They dont use the leftovers, the just dont purchase the higher grade stuff necessarily. I know its a pain, but you can complain to the manager and have them adjust the prices. Granted they will do it for you but leave it up. I always shop around before going anywhere, choosing the place with the most lower prices, and then have the rest price matched. My alligence lies to no one in businesses, even local.

My local hardware store that I had been using for over 15 years went to a different hardware vendor, and all of a sudden I couldnt get a standard 5/16, or 3/8 frigin bolt or nut... I complained, went there a couple times over a 3 week period whild putting the Chevelle together for bolts and nuts. I complained to the OWNER he shrugged it off and said, "Do what you gotta do!" Well they are only open 3 days a week now and have a lot less inventory.... I wonder why.

find out where local contractors get their lumber. HD and Lowes use the leftovers that the real lumber yards don't want. It's almost impossible to find a straight board in Home Depot that isn't warped or full of knots.

I know thats right.

When building my dog kennel and various other stuff in the backyard and doing the crown moulding (home depot and lowes were closest)
I would literally go through sometimes 10 / 12 pieces or more just to find one acceptable, patially straight wood and I would have to buy long in order to cut down and get a good piece.

I HATE home depot with a passion. Not just because of price but they literally worked to rip me off on a rebate of 100 bucks when I bought a compressor. They lack in service, ignore people.....and then had the balls to put in "self checkout" registers so they arent even there to help with that anymore.

Screw home depot. I still like lowes for tools and they are better than HD so will still go there from time to time. But HD....good god. If someone combined WalMart and HD somehow and told me I had to go in I would request to speak to the devil himself to put in an expedite request for my soul to go straight to hell instead.

i found it interesting that while lumber may be cheaper at a local place drywall was significantly cheaper at the box stores...

that car is priceless :)
Priceless at the demolition derby:D

Blame it all on Wal-Mart...I DO. :)

"find out where local contractors get their lumber. HD and Lowes use the leftovers that the real lumber yards don't want. It's almost impossible to find a straight board in Home Depot that isn't warped or full of knots."


YEP...that's why my front deck is on a GANSTA' LEAN too. I thought it was just my "measure once, cut twice" method...:(

here, between them and Lowe's they ran all the local and regional lumber yards out of business. While I find their lumber to be more expensive than Lowe's, it is always of better quality. When it comes to hardware however I go to Lowe's. Also, if you're buying more than a couple of boards, go to the contractor sales department and ask for a quote. When I did my garage roof and my deck they gave me the discount I used to get back when I was in the trades.

No Lowes around here but within about 20 min, I've got 6 lumberyards, 2 HD's and 3 Menards.

Menards often has the best price but their quality isn't great. If you plan far enough ahead, you can find some great deals by stopping every weekend and digging thru the stacks.

I think there is one lumber yard around here besides HD and Lowes. At least at the chains I am merely ignored. The local place acted like I was bothering them by showing up.
i see that too. The smaller places kind of give you an attitude if your not an expert on what your looking to buy. the big stores have it all out in the open where you can look at it and touch it.its much less intimidating for the DIYer.

find out where local contractors get their lumber. HD and Lowes use the leftovers that the real lumber yards don't want. It's almost impossible to find a straight board in Home Depot that isn't warped or full of knots.
i built a shed this past summer and ordered the lumber from a 'lumber yard' It was some of the sorriest crap i ever saw.a lot of 2x4's \had corners sheared off,some were rotten,plywood was wavy as hell.i bought 3/4 t&g for the floor. The tongue and groove was so wavy i coulndt slide them together. I had a bout 15 unusable 2x4's at the end.i went to HD and grabbed 15 of their premium 2x4's and they were perfect.Straight no knots and $1.84 each. So in this case HD kicked the local guys ass.

I've gone thru a bundle at HD to find two 2x4's that were straight. I think the night shift pole vaults with them.

I bought my privacy fence and posts from Lowe's. Seemed straight when I put it in, but as the wood dried out, it's so wavy it's embarrassing.

After going thru 3 of Lowe's best compressors, all well within warranty, they ran out of stock and wouldn't refund.........would only give me a store credit. That was my last "tool" from there.

I try and use the local Ace Hardware for stuff, and the local lumbere yard. My time is worth something, and lower price doesn't seem to make up for low quality with me.

At least at Ace, I'm greeted at the door, they have what I need and walk me to it. I'm in and out in nothing flat.

:p The prices are doubled at Home Depot to pay for all the professional help you can find on every aisle. The supremely knowledgeable tool sales staff and the management team that is always ready to assist at a moments notice! ;)

I do my best to keep the local guys in business - even that is a chore sometimes!

No problem with the lumber at Home Depot or at Lowe's around here. :confused:



Respectfully,
John R.

:p The prices are doubled at Home Depot to pay for all the professional help you can find on every aisle. The supremely knowledgeable tool sales staff and the management team that is always ready to assist at a moments notice! ;)


l:)l:)l:)

I try to throw as much money as I can at my local Lumberyard since my best friend owns it and I worked there for three years, a few years back. It's a small independantly owned chain called IRLY Builders. IRLY stands for Independant Retail Lumber Yard. They have quite a few of these yards all over my province and the main supplier has some pretty big buying power so if they want to, they can match just about any box store prices. It just depends on how well you get along with the boss and the staff. ;) I never have a problem getting good prices there.:D My buddy just doesn't stock much in the way of tile supplies because I'm the only guy that buys that kind of stuff and I may not need anything from him for a month, then the next month I'll drop hundreds of dollars on mortar or other stuff if he has it.

A friend of mine owns a building supply store and he is having a very hard time right now. He has laid off to a bare minimum staff. Support your local store.

HD stinks. Dirty stores and poor help. If I have to use a big store Lowes is where I go.

My plumber told me that name brand faucets that HD carry are made to their specs and are not as good as the ones at a plumbing supply house. You could buy a Delta from HD and its a piece of caca.

My plumber told me that name brand faucets that HD carry are made to their specs and are not as good as the ones at a plumbing supply house. You could buy a Delta from HD and its a piece of caca.

That is the same for every box store. Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart..........they all have product numbers that will come up exclusive to that store brand. That definitely does not mean everything in the store is that way. Far from it as a matter of fact. It isn't hard to tell which ones are specific to that store, just look for whatever product looks the same as everywhere lese and is considerably cheaper while lesser looking products cost more. Go to any box store and go to the electrical isle and grab a 10 pack of recepticles, likely it will say contractor pack on it, but amazingly enough, when I go to my electrical supply shop to get a 10 pack of recepticles of the same brand, they don't say contractor pack on the box. It is exclusive to the stores.

Jeff

in canada i like rona over HD . every time we go to HD there, no one will help us. we go and ask and they dont no there ass from a hole in the ground. rona is just cheapier also. HD for the volume they buy defiantly cost more then rona and home hardware. its funny becaus ei have found the same tools in wal-mart and home depot. the tools were cheapier at wal-mart :S

when HD fired there CEO they gave him 210 million bucks to leave. his salary was through the roof. glad hes gone atleast!

that car is priceless :)

Then why did you pay so much for it???l:)

Maybe their prices will go down now that Tony doesn't drive the car they sponsor anymore!:D

most large chains, not just the hardware, have separate model numbers. They are made with cheaper components so they can sell them for less.

I recently went shopping for oak hardwood flooring, 1400 sq.ft. of it. Home Depot wanted $5.99 a foot. Windsor Plywood, a local place with very knowledgable, helpfull people wanted $3.69 sq.ft. for the same flooring. HD sucks people in with their one year no payment, no interest BS. I will go to a local lumber yard every time.

most large chains, not just the hardware, have separate model numbers. They are made with cheaper components so they can sell them for less.

And it means they don't have to honor the low price guarentees - "sorry, looks the same but it's a dff model number"

Home depot must have changed, probably 8 years ago I built a garage, priced it out with several places and hd was way lower on cost and gave me a heavier snow load truss for the same price that another store had on sale.

The lumber they sent me was nice and straight, in fact all of it was really nice. Times change though.

pff, with pine? are you nuts? that car deserves no less than fresh lignum vitae :D

Andy
won't IronWood rustl:)

in canada i like rona over HD . every time we go to HD there, no one will help us. we go and ask and they dont no there ass from a hole in the ground. rona is just cheapier also. HD for the volume they buy defiantly cost more then rona and home hardware. its funny becaus ei have found the same tools in wal-mart and home depot. the tools were cheapier at wal-mart :S

when HD fired there CEO they gave him 210 million bucks to leave. his salary was through the roof. glad hes gone atleast!

same here
They are at least most I have run into in HD / Lowes etc are just people out there wanting a job. They know nothing about there products. The products are just numbers in the computer on a sheet.