apuszczalowski Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 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. I also grew up watching TLC every Saturday morning when they actually showed real How-To shows (Hometime, This Old House, and others), not home decorating contests that make every bored housewife think they can now become "Interior Designers" As for Holmes, he has gone on to his 3rd show now called "Holmes Makes it Right" (or something like that). I watch it, along with a few others (I prefer Brian Baumler of "Leave it to brian or Disaster DIY) and know people who have worked with and met Mike. He is a good guy and his ideas/premise is great, but as many have told me after working with him, "He is a TV host, they make sure he looks real good on TV". I have also watched Mikes shows and have found a few items that don't meet code that he has left and theres no mention of it. Its easy to "Do it right" when you have a TV budget to match what the owners pay (They both chip in 50-50 on the jobs). Mike has also said before too that he has it easier when he did the inspection show because he can break open walls and dig deeper then a typical home inspector because he is going to be fixing it after. On those shows they never get into details like if the owner ever had a permit to do the work, what kind of budget the gave the contractor to do the job. I have seen many jobs get out of hand because the owners don't have the money to do it right or want a bunch of changes during construction. One of the biggest issues I see in Construction today is that the average home owner doesn't care about the hidden components of building (studs/framing methods, insulation) and if those items cost more they will cut back there to make sure the stuff that everyone else will see (fixtures, countertops, flooring/finishes, etc.) are all top of the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I have also watched Mikes shows and have found a few items that don't meet code that he has left and theres no mention of it. Not saying you're wrong, I just want to point out to others that codes can differ depending on location. His show is based in Canada, so codes are probably different than the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 I didn't mean to offend you with the comment... It's virtually impossible to offend me. Which probably explains my 4 warning points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 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 . 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. The problem is you are having it delivered. Huh? 84 bucks for two sheets of plywood... What was the shelf price? 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). LoL... That is a good one... I was thinking about that... It is the opposite for me. Too much blue in Lowes.. LoL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Not saying you're wrong, I just want to point out to others that codes can differ depending on location. His show is based in Canada, so codes are probably different than the US. Living here in Niagara, I'm basing my views off of the Ontario Building Code Most of his shows are filmed around the Toronto area It's virtually impossible to offend me. Which probably explains my 4 warning points. That sounds like a challenge.................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 It's virtually impossible to offend me. Which probably explains my 4 warning points. haha I got 5 myself. Is there a leaderboard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bufcomments Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 The problem is you are having it delivered. Huh? 84 bucks for two sheets of plywood... What was the shelf price? LoL... That is a good one... I was thinking about that... It is the opposite for me. Too much blue in Lowes.. LoL 30 bucks for each sheet. 25 for delievery I also grew up watching TLC every Saturday morning when they actually showed real How-To shows (Hometime, This Old House, and others), not home decorating contests that make every bored housewife think they can now become "Interior Designers" As for Holmes, he has gone on to his 3rd show now called "Holmes Makes it Right" (or something like that). I watch it, along with a few others (I prefer Brian Baumler of "Leave it to brian or Disaster DIY) and know people who have worked with and met Mike. He is a good guy and his ideas/premise is great, but as many have told me after working with him, "He is a TV host, they make sure he looks real good on TV". I have also watched Mikes shows and have found a few items that don't meet code that he has left and theres no mention of it. Its easy to "Do it right" when you have a TV budget to match what the owners pay (They both chip in 50-50 on the jobs). Mike has also said before too that he has it easier when he did the inspection show because he can break open walls and dig deeper then a typical home inspector because he is going to be fixing it after. On those shows they never get into details like if the owner ever had a permit to do the work, what kind of budget the gave the contractor to do the job. I have seen many jobs get out of hand because the owners don't have the money to do it right or want a bunch of changes during construction. One of the biggest issues I see in Construction today is that the average home owner doesn't care about the hidden components of building (studs/framing methods, insulation) and if those items cost more they will cut back there to make sure the stuff that everyone else will see (fixtures, countertops, flooring/finishes, etc.) are all top of the line. Holmes on homes was a damn good show. I used to watch it every week. Kinda put me into the DIY mode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Wow... I guess it adds up... Rent their truck ($19.99 in town) and save 5 bucks... LoL... I'd stap it to my roof rack... Heck, the roof would do... I suppose it depends how far away you are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garion Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Home Depot staff in Rochester on Jefferson are the nicest big box store staff I have ever shopped with. Before I moved back to Rochester my local HD and Lowes were about the same and really not that great. Here I am impressed with HD. Got a bonus lecture on composting soil pH and careful use of free mulch from the HD check out guy this weekend. Ace in Baltimore was very helpful not a lot of selection but helpful staff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apuszczalowski Posted July 26, 2013 Share Posted July 26, 2013 30 bucks for each sheet. 25 for delievery Holmes on homes was a damn good show. I used to watch it every week. Kinda put me into the DIY mode. All of his shows are great to watch, just don't believe everything you hear or see and think he is some perfect builder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I'm going to revive this thread, because it doesn't make sense for me to start a new one. We went to Lowe's to replace 5 doors (2 Storm, 2 heavy steel and a new slider for my the deck), and it started out great, guy came out, did the estimate, supposed to be a 1 day job, and when finally scheduled it went downhill. The guys show up late, complaining about everything, blaming the store, blaming the house for the way it's designed, and grumbling and whining all day long. Then he says, oh we aren't doing the slider today. Ummm excuse me? soooo long story short, first contractor from Lowe's, shoddy work, unfinished doors, doors not level, door handles not properly installed. Store manager came out and has another guy completing the work and he has guaranteed at least half of our money back once we're satisfied with the service and the quality, so I'll hold judgement on which store is better once I know he will follow up on his word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 We had our kitchen re-done by Lowes. It took a year, and we had to call in a plumber to fix the Rube Goldberg plumbing job they did under the sink. The best day was when one of the Lowes crew showed up with his Home Depot name tag on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 We had our kitchen re-done by Lowes. It took a year, and we had to call in a plumber to fix the Rube Goldberg plumbing job they did under the sink. The best day was when one of the Lowes crew showed up with his Home Depot name tag on. Did they do anything in terms of refunds or apologies or anything? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 This wasn't a small investment either, I know it's not a ton of money for some, but for me it was a lot, and I expected quality work, and it was junk. The other contractor who came out to do the sliding door did great work and in about 15 minutes corrected 4 of the issues from the original guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 A little OT, but i swear by Angies list when i cannot get a referral from someone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 A little OT, but i swear by Angies list when i cannot get a referral from someone. I'm not going to dig up the thread, but our own Hammered A Lot has mentioned in the past he was contacted by the people at Angies List that if he paid them, his company would be moved up their list towards the top. So don't believe all the hype about it being based on customer reviews. My recent Lowes story - was in Billings, MT for work and stopped by Lowes for some parts. Our company credit card requires a PO number when checking out that the person on the register can simply type in. PO prompt comes up, cashier asks me what the PO number is, I say "Tools". They didn't know how to spell it. They were putting in "tauls". I had to stop them and spell it out letter by letter. I could hear the guy behind me in line snickering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 (edited) If they guaranteed 1/2 the money back, imagine what the mark up is and who is getting the bulk of the money. HINT: It isn't the tradesman. No wonder the work is done crappy. Just saying. Edited May 28, 2014 by ExiledInIllinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 I'm not going to dig up the thread, but our own Hammered A Lot has mentioned in the past he was contacted by the people at Angies List that if he paid them, his company would be moved up their list towards the top. So don't believe all the hype about it being based on customer reviews. good to know! Like i said, only use if i cannot get a referral from someone i know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 If they guaranteed 1/2 the money back, imagine what the mark up is and who is getting the bulk of the money. HINT: It isn't the tradesman. No wonder the work is done crappy. Just saying. Yup. A good contractor has a reputation in the community and is able to sustain his own business. My assumption (though certainly not true in all cases), is that contractors you are referred to via a HD or Lowes can't build their own business and hence are less likely to do top quality work. Always get local references when hiring someone; where I live the wives are essentially the local Angie's List. Funny this thread was going last summer, right about the time we started gutting our kitchen for a redo. I can't bring myself to type the final price tag on that one. And yes GBID, we hired a contractor in New Canaan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkAF43 Posted May 28, 2014 Share Posted May 28, 2014 If they guaranteed 1/2 the money back, imagine what the mark up is and who is getting the bulk of the money. HINT: It isn't the tradesman. No wonder the work is done crappy. Just saying. The store manager from Lowes said he'd be taking a loss on the job, so I'm not really sure how that plays out for them and the contractor, but I wasn't going to complain when he's offering that. Yup. A good contractor has a reputation in the community and is able to sustain his own business. My assumption (though certainly not true in all cases), is that contractors you are referred to via a HD or Lowes can't build their own business and hence are less likely to do top quality work. In some cases I would agree, I think with our first guy he was A. having a bad day, or B. just lazy. I don't like to badmouth people, but that guy won't be near my house again. It's not a nightmare situation but it's something that we shelled out a lot of money (for us anyway), and I won't accept a medicore job to be done. My house is old enough as is (built in 1928), and we're doing everything we can to make it good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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