Most knowledgeable Home improvement store?

[airtime143]

Which of the big 3 home improvement stores have the most knowledgeable employees?

Talking about Lowes, Home Depot and Menards.... Ace usually has some pretty good people, but their selection and prices are terrible.

I have about 75000 projects to do, and all of them need supplies. I hate walking in for parts and someone helping, only to find out they are as clueless as I am.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

I would say overall, I've had better luck with Menards when needing assistance or questions.

Had one bad interaction with Lowes and don't frequent there much anymore. They were offering free storm door installation so we put down a deposit and picked our door. Sent out a guy a week later to measure and said it would have to be a 'custom' door and wanted to charge us $300 more. I went and measured it. Took the measurements to Menards. Employee showed me to the doors that would work, bought it and had it installed an hour later.

That's just one experience though in one specific department, but it was enough for me to just use Menards. Don't go to Home Depot very often as I have a Menards/lowes close to my house.

 

[Granada]

Tough call and depends on the particular store(s) in your area. I find that Home Depot hires the most people completely off the street, sort of like Jiffy Lube hires pretty much anyone even if they don't have an automotive background.

But I'd say they're all pretty much the same, at least in my experience. You just have to try all the stores in your area and see -- anytime I go to Home Depot and need help, I try to find the oldest guy there walking the aisles; so I avoid the stores in my area that hire an abundance of late teens, etc.

 

[Scoot26]

Of the big 3, Home Depot is the only one I've had experience with when it comes to actually knowing things, though it still varies. Generally with HD, its the older looking associates who seem to know things. The young kids don't know much of anything.

I've never known anyone at Menards who actually knew anything. Lowe's I just don't have much experience with to say much. My only experience was buying a fridge for my grandpa, who simply just wanted a basic simple fridge, so the sale was actually easy as we bought the cheapest model I think.

 

[Ares]

I would say overall, I've had better luck with Menards when needing assistance or questions.

Had one bad interaction with Lowes and don't frequent there much anymore. They were offering free storm door installation so we put down a deposit and picked our door. Sent out a guy a week later to measure and said it would have to be a 'custom' door and wanted to charge us $300 more. I went and measured it. Took the measurements to Menards. Employee showed me to the doors that would work, bought it and had it installed an hour later.

That's just one experience though in one specific department, but it was enough for me to just use Menards. Don't go to Home Depot very often as I have a Menards/lowes close to my house.

The distance is my thing.... I shopped Home Depot most of my life until I moved into my current house in 2013.

There's a Lowes literally like 30-60 seconds from my house.

The closest Home Depot or Menards are 10-15 minutes away.... had to hit the Menards recently because charcoal was sold out everywhere.

I use Lowes largely because they have what I need (mostly) and it is so damned close.

I used my Lowes to replace my sliding glass door, it went pretty damned smooth other than waiting on parts.

For the OP:

If you truly need home improvement help, I'd pick the most important department to the project in question (Electric? Millwork? Flooring? Lumber?"), then go to that department and walk around a bit, find one of the employees, and ask them a question. If they are too dumb, ask if they have someone in the department that would be a better resource. If they have someone competent they probably farm out most customer questions to that guy anyways.

Once you learn of/find the guy who knows what he's talking about, get your answers, and then go back and bother him when you need help.

The employees in those stores tend to figure out how to hide from customers lol, you may need to do some hunting.

 

[Urblock]

Which of the big 3 home improvement stores have the most knowledgeable employees?

Talking about Lowes, Home Depot and Menards.... Ace usually has some pretty good people, but their selection and prices are terrible.

I have about 75000 projects to do, and all of them need supplies. I hate walking in for parts and someone helping, only to find out they are as clueless as I am.

Menards and it's best to ask the old guy with a cane.

The old local owned hardware stores and lumberyards were great.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

I think Menards is the most knowledgeable, but Home Depot and Lowe's has better products.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

It’s hit or miss depending on selection of employees and store manager. Here in Michigan the Southfield Home Depot is a shithole with shit employees while the one in commerce is 10/10 with in stock goods to knowledgeable employees.

I use hd cause you can get 15% off coupons on eBay.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

I'll be doing my first 'major' renovation on my house in the next couple of months. Re-doing the master bath. Ripping out a shitty fiberglass shower and putting in one of those 'luxurious bath surrounds'. I'd do tile, but not planning on being here to long so just want to make it look a little nicer. New flooring, vanity, lights, painting, etc. It should be pretty basic. My only concern atm is ripping out the fiberglass shower and cutting through plumbing and/or electrical lol.

I've found that Youtube is a great resource for shit like this. Watch a few people do it and then monkey see-monkey do. I've gotten all my questions answered this way, made a list of tools and materials I'll need so I don't have to interact with any of the hooligans at the store if I don't want to.

 

[Burque]

They are all trash. If you are lucky you can find someone that has some knowledge within any of those stores, but generally speaking It is like asking some retail associate at a Kohls about the nature of the textiles they purchase. They just aren't educated that way.

What I like to do is figure out what I need to buy and look at the store stock so I know the aisle and sometimes the bin number where you will find said parts and you can just go in there and get what you need without talking to too many people. I do not think I have ever gotten better advice from a store employee than I have from friends that are actual contractors about how to do a particular job. Those are the people you should be tapping for information.

 

[JPPT1974]

Not a handy person myself. But my parents love Lowe's and always have loved Lowe's. Never was one of Home Depot.

 

[TL1961]

I would echo the comment on Ace - on average you have many more employees who actually know their stuff, but the prices are definitely higher.

I used to go to Lowe's more often than not, but they scaled back their help to ridiculously low levels. Home Depot seems to have more help, but still is cut back, and both stores' employees have less experience than they used to.

When they first started to pop up, they would sometimes employ the hardware store owner they ran out if business. But now it's younger, cheaper labor with far less knowledge.

It has indeed become hit and miss - at times you can get the right guy who knows his stuff but not as consistently.

 

[airtime143]

I'll be doing my first 'major' renovation on my house in the next couple of months. Re-doing the master bath. Ripping out a shitty fiberglass shower and putting in one of those 'luxurious bath surrounds'. I'd do tile, but not planning on being here to long so just want to make it look a little nicer. New flooring, vanity, lights, painting, etc. It should be pretty basic. My only concern atm is ripping out the fiberglass shower and cutting through plumbing and/or electrical lol.

I've found that Youtube is a great resource for shit like this. Watch a few people do it and then monkey see-monkey do. I've gotten all my questions answered this way, made a list of tools and materials I'll need so I don't have to interact with any of the hooligans at the store if I don't want to.

Master bath renovation is my next big project as well.
I found out tile is surprisingly affordable- going with ceramic, and it will be my first time doing vertical tile.

Funny enough the you tube vid I was mining for tips was from lowes.

I needed assistance on thermostatic temp controls and the body jets... as well as conversion kits for hardware.
The bones are there for 4 body jets and 3 shower heads... one on each side and a rain shower overhead.

The hardware is trash though, so I don't know of i can find new bolt on replacements or if I need to get new valves and whatnot.

Really looking forward to getting it done.

Price wise, tile and hardware for that bathroom is going to cost me less than the stand up fiberglass shower I am putting downstairs.

Another issue I have is the 2 sinks in the master bath. They are both 42" which appears to be an odd size... the 42 inch vanities are few and far between.
I dont have a ton of room to go bigger, because there is a tub and windows between them.
Maybe I can get a couple 43" and trim back the wall sides.

 

[Hawkeye OG]

Master bath renovation is my next big project as well.
I found out tile is surprisingly affordable- going with ceramic, and it will be my first time doing vertical tile.

Funny enough the you tube vid I was mining for tips was from lowes.

I needed assistance on thermostatic temp controls and the body jets... as well as conversion kits for hardware.
The bones are there for 4 body jets and 3 shower heads... one on each side and a rain shower overhead.

The hardware is trash though, so I don't know of i can find new bolt on replacements or if I need to get new valves and whatnot.

Really looking forward to getting it done.

Price wise, tile and hardware for that bathroom is going to cost me less than the stand up fiberglass shower I am putting downstairs.

Another issue I have is the 2 sinks in the master bath. They are both 42" which appears to be an odd size... the 42 inch vanities are few and far between.
I dont have a ton of room to go bigger, because there is a tub and windows between them.
Maybe I can get a couple 43" and trim back the wall sides.

I haven't really dug into doing vertical tile. It certainly looks nice, but not sure I trust myself doing that in a shower with waterproofing and stuff. The thing that kills me is how expense the fucking doors are. The ones I found at Menards were $750.

Home Depot has 42" Double sink vanities but you're going to pay a premium for them.

 

[airtime143]

I haven't really dug into doing vertical tile. It certainly looks nice, but not sure I trust myself doing that in a shower with waterproofing and stuff. The thing that kills me is how expense the fucking doors are. The ones I found at Menards were $750.

Home Depot has 42" Double sink vanities but you're going to pay a premium for them.

AH- the door... I think I am going curtain. 750 well over doubles the cost!
I was skeptical about tile and waterproofing, but with the brush on water barrier it looks easy as hell. A lot easier than I thought is would be.
Here is the vid that pushed me over in to going that route.

It blows my mind that all the 42" options are so much more expensive than the 36 or 48.
I am kind of stuck with that size, because any extra would stick out over the tub platform between them.
I will post pics of the space I am going in to- any changes of size would lead to some pretty shitty looking gaps if I went smaller, and protrude in to the tub space if I went larger.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

I’m working on a flip house right now. Tiles are cheap it’s the instal if you pay someone that is expensive. And demo sucks dick pay someone lol. I’m returning a 42 inch vanity from Costco paid 636 for it. I found room to make bathroom bigger so now need a 60 inch vanity with double sink. Just finished the plumbing to put in a double sink and got rid of all the galvanized steel. I found room cause outside the bathroom were two closets that I eliminated and reframed.

post some pics inside and out of bathroom maybe can come up with something for you

 

[airtime143]

I’m working on a flip house right now. Tiles are cheap it’s the instal if you pay someone that is expensive. And demo sucks dick pay someone lol. I’m returning a 42 inch vanity from Costco paid 636 for it. I found room to make bathroom bigger so now need a 60 inch vanity with double sink. Just finished the plumbing to put in a double sink and got rid of all the galvanized steel. I found room cause outside the bathroom were two closets that I eliminated and reframed.

post some pics inside and out of bathroom maybe can come up with something for you

My demo is gonna be easy as shit- 2 of the 3 sides of it are free standing walls that are open on the back sides to run the pipes.... 12 inch marble tiles on cement backer, should just be able to kick the son of a ***** down.
The bathroom also has an exterior door to the back deck, so my dumpster will be roughly 15 feet from the shower.

... on that note, if anyone is looking for some ugly ass rose colored marble, I have a shit ton coming off the walls and tub.

 

[airtime143]

Not a handy person myself. But my parents love Lowe's and always have loved Lowe's. Never was one of Home Depot.

Not judging, just asking... are your parents well off?
I dont do Lowes too often, but their store is always cleaner and more organized, and most everything outside of the building material seem to be higher end stuff and pricier.

... and they are always located in the richer towns by me. Dont know if that is my location only, or if they are like starbucks and only open branches in well off markets.

 

[knoxville7]

I go with Lowe’s. The one near me seems to have some competent employees(mostly the older guys as others have noted). Plus, I have stock in Lowe’s and they treat their employees well.

 

[Scoot26]

Not judging, just asking... are your parents well off?
I dont do Lowes too often, but their store is always cleaner and more organized, and most everything outside of the building material seem to be higher end stuff and pricier.

... and they are always located in the richer towns by me. Dont know if that is my location only, or if they are like starbucks and only open branches in well off markets.

Yeah, I don't go to Lowe's often because there isn't one by my house. I only know of ones in Carol Stream and St. Charles. Only when I lived in Glendale Heights did I have HD, Menards, and Lowes all relatively close to me.