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Spend a Dime to Save a Nickle

rez | Posted in General Discussion on June 21, 2009 08:36am

Recently got involved with a porch reno that ended up getting fairly involved, long term leak leading to discoveries of rot yadayada. Old wooden screendoor gone beyond repair.

Well, ya know, sometimes clients just want a deal. So when I’m at beLowes I see a returned Larson storm door for way cheap compared to retail and Hey, It’s a Larson! Versatile and changeable to whatever ya need! snorK*

So I contact the client and she says ‘Do it!’

I later investigate the package and see that whoever it was that returned it had put the thing together and drilled the handle location twice, inches apart, so there’s revealed holes.

I’m all wrapped up in the porch frame since the floor needed partially rebuilt
and the handle location slips my mind as I’m thinking swapping hinge sides will solve whatever.

D-day arrives when I realize the desired inswing ain’t jiving with the handle lock style and placement and I already did the ext.trim work, to a sixteenth tolerances so didn’t want to have to alter anything, already decided sill mechanism, etc.

Stare at it awhile and hope against hope beLowes might have an aftermarket something and cross my fingers.

Say what you want about beLowes but that fella at the door dept. saved myfoolazz by climbing that ladder way up there where the dust lives and coming up with a spare handle/lock set at no cost of a better grade

which besides curing the latch situation even had a plate big enough to cover the open holes in the door

and the owner ended up a happy camper as was I.

The End

 

no charge for that story bought to you as a courtesy of Breaktime Forum and Taunton Press

 


Edited 6/21/2009 1:37 pm ET by rez

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Replies

  1. doodabug | Jun 21, 2009 08:42pm | #1

    Lowes should get some respect out of that. I like my local Lowes.

    1. User avater
      Luka | Jun 21, 2009 09:26pm | #3

      I like my local Lowes, too...you never know how deep a puddle is from the top......You are always welcome at Quittintime

      1. doodabug | Jun 21, 2009 09:50pm | #6

        All about the management I think.

        1. frontiercc2 | Jun 22, 2009 02:15am | #7

          Man are you right on with that comment! I have two Lowe's and Two HD within 20 mins of me. HATE both of the HDs and both of the Lowes are pretty good. I worked at Lowes for 4 years while wife stayed home with 3 kids and I was in school working on moving up in my "real" job. For all of their faults, they worked with me on my schedule- let me leave when it got slow and hired me right back each spring when things picked up. And the part time Lowes gig allowed my wife to be a SAHM and helped me keep food on the table. I saw 4 different store managers and 2 different district managers in those 4 years. The local store manager and to a lesser extent the district clown have A LOT to do with how a store is run and the satisfaction you will receive there. Those managers come and go fairly regularly too, so a good store can go downhill quickly and vice versa.

          1. rez | Jun 22, 2009 04:26am | #8

            SAHM?

             

            Need translation here, please.

            Thanks. 

          2. LIVEONSAWDUST | Jun 22, 2009 04:37am | #9

            SAHM=stay at home mom

          3. rez | Jun 22, 2009 04:37am | #10

            View Image  

          4. DonK | Jun 22, 2009 04:38am | #11

            SAHM = Stay at home mom

          5. User avater
            Luka | Jun 22, 2009 04:46am | #12

            Silly Aunt Hester's Mother...you never know how deep a puddle is from the top......You are always welcome at Quittintime

          6. JoshRountree | Jun 22, 2009 05:41am | #13

            I have nothing but good things to say about the 2 Lowes that are close to me. They may not always have exactly what I want, but for the majority of things they do very well. And, you can't beat their return policy, nor their customer service. It must be something about the economic downturn, but every time I step foot in Lowes I'm always asked if I need any help, and they always point me in the right direction.

          7. rez | Jun 22, 2009 05:49am | #14

            Save a Horse Move a Cowboy? 

          8. AitchKay | Jun 24, 2009 05:24am | #20

            Say, Ain't He Monstrous?Sort All The Moths?Some Are Heavy Mothuhs!Save All His Monkeys!AitchKayPS

            Sorry, Am Having Meltdown.

          9. AitchKay | Jun 24, 2009 05:36am | #21

            Sloppy-#### Hay Mowers.They're the worst.AitchKay

          10. AitchKay | Jun 24, 2009 05:40am | #22

            How did our Lords and Masters at Taunton get 4 letters out of that synonym for donkey? Did they go to college or something?AitchKay

      2. deskguy | Jun 22, 2009 07:10am | #15

        you have a large mileage allotment for "local" :)

        1. User avater
          Luka | Jun 22, 2009 07:34am | #16

          They opened one up, in Monroe.Still, a bit of a drive, but it's much better than the local lumber yard. And the local lumber yard is 2/3 of the way to Monroe, anyway...you never know how deep a puddle is from the top......You are always welcome at Quittintime

          1. brownbagg | Jun 22, 2009 10:57pm | #17

            I dont like the Lowes by me, but there one about 70 miles away that real fun just to walk around in. No not going seventy milles for 2x, just seems the smaller towns lowes are friendly more items compared to those in big cities that cater to the locals.

  2. Danno | Jun 21, 2009 09:04pm | #2

    Okay, stop me if I've told you this story before--martial arts teacher has a prize student but the student decides he is going to study with another guy who is really good. So his old master pays the studnet's way and student keeps needing more money, etc. Finally, after five years the student meets his old master and master asks him to show him what he learned and he says he'll tell him later. So they are walking along and come to a river and the master gets out two nickels to pay the ferryman--one for him and one for the student.

    The student protest and tells him he doesn't need the master's nickel. Master shrugs and boards the ferry and he gets rowed across. Then the student approaches, walking on the water and they get to the other side. The student is upset because the master won't say anything and demands to know what the master thinks. The master pats the student's arm, "Poor boy, study five years, save one nickel!"

    1. rez | Jun 21, 2009 09:30pm | #4

      View Image 

    2. brucet9 | Jun 23, 2009 01:38am | #18

      I was expecting the punch line to be "5 years and you still can't swim?"
      BruceT

      1. Danno | Jun 23, 2009 04:11am | #19

        That's sort of the punch line for the bird dog that walks on water to retrieve ducks.

  3. brucet9 | Jun 21, 2009 09:44pm | #5

    Did you stop off and buy a lotto ticket on the way home? :)

    BruceT

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