NSR: buying local...

[Stig / Major Tom]

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.

[rjs987]

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.

[randyo]

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

[Neil955i]

To all you guys I’ll just say at our age, “discretion is the better part of valour”!  Know your limits.

[dan v.]

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.

[Kansas kymco]

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.

[randyo]

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

[Stig / Major Tom]

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

[randyo]

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

[Kansas kymco]

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. 

[Iahawk]

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.

[randyo]

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

[airshot]

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 !!!!

[Kansas kymco]

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.

[randyo]

or I coulda let my house go to hell and buy a scooter instead