Conference 7.286::home_work

I am interested in both building and re-building some furniture.

From what little investigation I've done, good furniture (even upholstered
stuff) is make from hardwoods.

Since the typical supply store doesn't stock oak,walnut?,etc. can anyone
recommend a low-volume supplier?

- dave

I don't know of one, but I bet I know who would know.  Call Woodworks in 
Acton.  They build furniture and must have all kinds of contacts.

- Paul

Craftsman Lumber in Groton, MA is one source.

-- Ward

New England Hardwoods on Taylor St., Littleton supplies hardwood in any volume.
They also provide milling services. There prices are about the best around.
                                    
peter

As I recall the TOOLS note file had wood suppliers listed. Take a look around
over there.

Merle

There's Palmer and Parker in Wilmington.  They are pretty much wholesale but
do sell retail on Fridays.  They're prices are ok and they have a good 
selection - oak, walnut, teak, cherry, ash, rosewood, etc., etc.

I haven't been there but I did see a catalog and Cambridge Lumber has a very 
good selection and are suppossed to have very good prices also.  A friend of
mine was in there and the person he spoke to said that they'll beat Palmer
and Parker's prices.  They sell retail and have a lot of the more exotic woods
like cocobolo, zebrawood and such.  

As soon as I can get my shop back in shape, after a recent move to a new 
house, I'll try them).

Generally, stay away from places that deal in woodworking supplies ala Woodcraft
in Woburn.  They generally charge outrageous amounts for their wood.

Good Luck

George

Factory Lumber Outlet in Boylston, on Route 140 (North from route 290) 
has quite a selection.  

Just as a side comment, there is an art supplies store and framing shop
in the same set of buildings (La Boeggeta or something) that is quite
good.  The framing shop is first-rate.  I've had several pictures framed
there and been totally satisfied with all of them.

Steve

  If you are looking for less exotic woods, I recommend Bingham
  Lumber in Brookline NH (highway 13 about 2 miles north of Mass
  border).  They usually have a good supply of oak and maple -
  sometimes also cherry and ash.  The stuff is all S4S and graded.
  They seem very reasonable on all the grades.
  
  

    Last weekend my brother and I went to a place down in dorchester
    called "Olde Boston Architectural Antiques" looking for building
    supplies.
    
    Boy is it neat.  They've got everything you might want when restoring
    an old house.  Doors, trim, windows, archways, etc, etc.
    
    
    One thing it isn't though is cheap.  Most of the prices I saw were
    a little out of line with what I expected to see.  (we didn't buy
    anything cause we were thinking about replacing our front door with
    an oval glass door, but they didn't have any)
    
    All in all, if you have the bucks, they've got some  nice stuff.
    
    
    -bill

    You can also try:
    
    	SPLENDORS
    	84 Arsenal Street
    	Watertown, Ma 02172
    	617-924-9090
    
    	Weekdays by appt only.

    Also UNITED HOUSE WRECKING in Stamford,CT, is another source.  UNITED
    HOUSE is the biggest in the Northeast Area.  If you'd like a copy
    of their brocure, send me mail, and I'll return mail you one..
    

    	I am in the process of redoing my living room over and am looking
    for a source for oak moldings. Corner, chair rails, window casings
    etc.... I have put solid oak 5 ft. up on the wall and need the
    finishing touches....
    
    					Thanks
    					Steve
    

In what area?
    

    
    	I have seen a display of various styles of oak molding at
    Somerville Lumber in Westboro. I think I saw some 8 foot lengths
    but, alas, it *is* expensive.
    	It might be worth it, if you're doing alot of it, to buy or
    borrow a shaper and some bits. That way you can start your own hard-
    wood molding company when you're finished with your house!

    At this point I'll go anywhere in New England (within reason) but
    Would like to find something between 495 and 91 areas along Rt 2....
    
    	Thanks for the tip on Somerville Lumber. I'll check it out...
    
    			Steve
    

C V Moore in Littleton has oak and other hardwood moldings (I did my
bathroom with oak moldings this winter) -- they are also in Ayer.

Wickes in Acton on Route 27 is now handling hardwood moulding and I
think I saw it in Plywood Ranch, also in Acton.

Bring piles of $$$

    Thanks for the tip on C.V. Moore... I went today and they had a
    good selection... But right on not too cheap...
    
    				Thanks again
    
    				Steve
    

    Also C. V. Moore in CHELMSFORD (the old STATELINE Lumber) off Rt
    4 south of Chelmsford Ctr.

    
    New England Hardwoods in Littleton might be a good place to check.  

  Does anyone know where I can buy wood wainscoting ? The type I'm
interested in is made up of vertical slats about 1 to 2 inches wide.
Needless to say I've seen it in older homes (40+ years) and would like the
same look in my dinning room.

Thanks, Pat.

You might try Jackson Lumber/Jackson Millwork in Lawrence MA.

    Wainscoating is a widely used term to mean several rather different
    things. From your description it sounds like you want simple beaded
    edge siding, usually tounge and grove. Im not sure of a good source,
    I just made up a batch to replace some bulkheads in an antique boat
    a friend is restoring.
    
    I like the type that is a raised pannel effect. I think this is
    an old colonial form where originally it was actual raised pannel
    construction applied to walls. I did my dining room and entry hall
    with a simple form of this which many people have seen and copied.
    Essentially I cut 1/4" masonite into about 3" wide strips. I used
    pannel adhesive to attach this to the drywall surface. One strip
    horizontal above the baseboard, then about 30" long strips vertical
    on about 6-8" centers, caped by a horizontal strip then a piece
    of crown moulding. The whole surface wass then painted. On a stairway
    I made curved horizontal pieces to follow the stringers. When finished
    it gives a very realistic raised pannel effect, lots of interesting
    shadow detail and a very pleasing detail to the room. If anyone
    is interested in this and wants to see it (I live in Framingham)
    let me know.                                            
    
    Ron Ginger

    I did my 1st floor in wainscotting.  I used 6 inch v-groove tongue
    & groove with the v-groove side out (vertically).  It goes up about
    40 inches and above that is sheetrock.  You can get v-groove wood
    at just about any mill or lumberyard.  
    You should stain it before you put it up because as the wood dries
    the T&G will separate and the unstained tungues will show.    
    

Thanks for the ideas.

Pat    

Perhaps this entry should be in 'why did they ever do that':

I owned a house on Lake Boon in Stow with wainscoating in the
livingroom consisting of three 2"x12" KD Pine capped with 2"x3" KD
all stained very deep brown.  Above that was the cheapest K-Mart
special panelling nailed on studding that was installed sixteen inches
apart rather than sixteen inches on center (where one 48" wide panel
stopped the next was butted with no support).  Also the guy pieced
two (or more) scraps to make up a section from the wainscoating to
the ceiling.  At least the 2"x12"ers were salvagable!

    
    The only warning message I've ever issued about Somerville Lumber
    is that if you shop around, you can generally get a better price
    (however, no one beats them for overall selection).
    
    The only significant complaint I've ever had about them is their
    totally foolish automated register 'system'. Last week I had to
    deal with three separate people to pay less that $1 for a single
    copper fitting.

On 3 occasions I've had the clerk at the Westboro store input a sale to
the terminal, only to lose the printed sales slip.  Granted Sommerville
has just about everything one needs, at times it is not worth the extreme
hassles.

I haven't seen anywhere that can beat their prices on things that they sell a
lot of, such as #2 Pine 1xN, which I buy a lot of...  I do believe that a
lot of equipment could be gotten cheaper at Spags, but Spags, is a long way
from Lowell...

I haven't had a problem with ther terminals, but I don't think highly of
their system...  Of course I go to the tax free Sommerville in Pelham...

Jim.

    With regards to their terminals: what do you expect from a Wang VS
    system? 
    
    Seriously though, the degree of automatation their is ridiculous
    -- an hour and three keyentry transactions for *their* inventory
    system, so I can exchange a forty-nine cent gutter strap.  They
    are convenient for me -- their Pelham store being all of 10 minutes
    from my house, but many of their sales people are very inexperienced;
    they don't  know which way is up.  So I just use them for convenience,
    (picking up a little odds and  ends on a Sunday).  Also, because of
    their floor space and size of displays, you can get lots of ideas
    on kithen stuff and bathroom stuff.  But, I virtually am sure that
    you do better price-wise elsewhere.  We live in Dracut, and I get
    most of my major material from Webber (they too are very close but
    have more conventional hours); their prices are much better, and
    they are both knowledgable and intelligent in their dealings.

    Over lunch I called around for prices on �x4x8 sheetrock.
    The quoted prices ranged from 5.19 to 8.64 per sheet.  Somerville
    came in second lowest with 6.88.  The lowest was Brewster
    with the quote of 5.19.  But Brewster charges $45 (minimum) for
    delivery.  Somerville delivers free.  Since I am only getting
    20 sheets of 'rock it will cost me $137.60 from Sommerville and
    $148.80 from Brewster (delivered).  I confess to being tempted
    by the low undelivered Brewster price.  But I rather not spend
    a significant portion of my Saturday chauffering a half ton
    of sheetrock around town for $33 savings.
    
    So, Somerville prices are definitely not the lowest.  But sometimes
    they are the best value.
    
   

    Eactly my thoughts.... I hung 65 sheets of �-inch and 20 sheets
    of 5/8-inch sheetrock (firecode). Got it all from Somerville
    at very close to the (sheet-)rock-bottom prices AND IT WAS
    WAITING FOR ME IN A CLEAN PILE WHEN I RETURNED HOME. NO LUGGING!!!
    
    
    Mark
    

    My experience with Slumberville lumber in Westboro has been mixed
    at best.  I have run into a good number of unfriendly clerks.  Also
    at times it is hard to find a clerk from the "right" dept. to help
    you.  Their sale prices are OK (but make sure they ARE sale prices).
    Their regular prices are outrageous!  A sump pump I saw for $70
    was selling for $36 at Spag's.  Their solection is good, though.
    You can get a lot of good ideas there.
    
    A word of caution about Slumerville's delivery.  It took over 1 month
    and several deliveries to get my post and rail fence delivered.
    They delivered absolute junk the first trip.  There were actually
    saw cuts through most of the posts and rails!!!  They also delivered
    the wrong number of corner posts.  I was also subjected to minor
    verbal abuse when I told them I wanted first quality fence like
    I paid for.  If at all possible, pick it up yourself!  The "delivery"
    option is a value, a negative value in my eyes.
    
    Phil
    

    I paid 4.99 for 1/2 x 4x8 sheetrock at East Coast Lumber in Hampstead.
    Unfortunately the sale ended 3/31/87.

    
    FYI, there was an article in the local paper about the possiblity
    of a new Somerville Lumber in Acton (Intersection of Rt. 27 and
    Rt 225).
    

    Sommerville is great for delivery they have put everything exactly
    where I won'ted it.  Not easy to do in a small house.  And yes they
    are a bit more expensive and you do have to check out what they
    send you.  any mistakes so far they have come back and gotton at
    their expense.  
    
    only one thing so far I will never buy again is 2 by 4, they store
    them in the rain and when hit with a hammer the water squarts you
    in the eye.

    A new Somerville Lumber store opened on Route 27 in Acton last Friday.
    It's about one half mile south of Route 225, about 5 minutes from
    WJO and 30 seconds from Wickes Lumber.  
    
    Bob - who is not endorsing, only informing
         

    I'm redoing a stairway with new oak treads and risers.  The stairway
    is open on both sides 1/2 way up where the normal sheetrock walls
    start.  I want to put wainscoating on those walls and need spme
    ideas on the best way to do it.
    
    	It seems I can do one of two things- buy oak boards, rip them
    down to 2" width, tongue and groove and bead them and install the
    individual boards or buy oak paneling that is beaded and install
    that.  In either case, which should be installed first, the wainscoting
    or the stairs?  If I install the paneling does anyone have any
    suggestions on cutting the paneling so it fits accurately around
    the stairs or the stringers?  This really wouldn't be a problem
    with the individual boards (it's a lot easier to work with a slat,
    cutting one stair at a time rather than a sheet of paneling where
    I'd be cutting openings for 6 stairs at the same time).  
    
    	Is there anything else I should be aware of when doing this
    type of job?

    Thanks,
    
    George

    I'd install the paneling first and then the treads and risers. You want
    to make the treads and risers as accurate as possible and it will be
    easier this way. Individual boards sounds like a good way to go since
    you can be more accurate, although, since the treads/risers are about
    3/4" thick, you will get a fair amount of slack around each tread and
    won't need to be *that* accurate in fitting. If you have the freedom to
    remove the stringers first you could save a lot of time on the
    paneling, but, you might spend more on re-installing the stringers. You
    might want to think about the fact that you'll lose the thickness of
    the paneling off of each side stringer. Might be another argument for
    de/re-installing the stringers away from the wall or using thinner
    wood. One final thought: either way, you'll have a minor gap in the
    joint space between the tread and the panel where the "bead" passes the
    edge of the tread. 
        
    There are some good notes on measuring and installing treads in this
    file or in delni::woodworking_and_tools (I can't remember which one).
    You might want to read them for some helpful hints. 

  re: .6

  I would first install the treads and risers. However, some modification
to the treads is in order before they are nailed in place. I would pare a
portion of the nosing equal to the thickness of your wainscoting stock and
as deep as necessary so that the tread is flush with the riser below. This
way, awkward coping around the nosing is avoided since all the cuts to the
wainscoting are at right angles.

Patrick

    Try NE Hardwood supply in Littleton.  I'm told that they will mill oak
    boards for you, T&G, the exact width that you wwant, etc. 
    
    	Andrew

How flat should plywood be??

I recently went to Sommerville Lumber in Westboro and bought a bunch of
plywood to build shelves in the basement (i read all the notes on this).  I
picked all my own 2x4's so they would be fairly straight.  I let them
deliver the plywood since my little pickup already had a bunch of wood in
it. 

The plywood is warped real bad.  Do those folks pass off the crappy stuff
on unsuspecting (and not home) buyers of "free delivery" lumber?  This 1/2"
CDX is warped more than 6".  I can make do but if 1/2" CDX is generally not
this bad I'd just as soon throw it back in the truck and exchange it for
some flatter stuff.  I didn't plan on supports every 2 feet. 

Any experience here?
Craig 

    I'd take it back plywood should be flat when new warps would seem
    to indicate the ply got wet or bad storage. I always pick my own
    it seems when it gets delivered they will send what ever is on top
    good or bad.
    
    -j
    

There's a note in here somewhere on grades of plywood.  The grade you got -
CDX - *IS* crappy stuff.  I think it's typically used for roof sheathing on
houses and what not.  In applications like that warpage is more-or-less
irrelevant - a bunch of 12-penny nails 16" on center takes care of warpage.

Whether or not you can get $ back, I dunno.

Any lumber yard will give you whatever's in their piles if they deliver.

Particle board is less prone to warp.  If you want plywood, first thing is pick
it out yourself.  Then get a grade with an A or a B in it.  These refer to the
prettiness of the plywood - how smooth it is, how knot-free it is, etc.

    Somerville Lumber will deliver good stuff, just insist on it when
    you pay for it.  I needed some very straight pressure treated 4x6
    posts 16 feet long which I couldn't carry home myself.  I had them
    put a note on the delivery slip to instruct the yard people to select
    good ones.  They did, and I was quite satisfied (and somewhat
    surprised).
    
    As a previous note said, CDX is basically meant to be nailed down.
    I used BC for some shelving, which is only a little more expensive,
    but much higher quality.
    
    Bob

You sort of have to expect that with CDX plywood.  It's not like it takes much 
effort to straighten out the warp, like it would with a 2x4.  Put a couple of 
nails in it to tack it down and you'll never know the difference.

Paul

    I couldn't find the original note, however, a few weeks back there
    was mention of Somerville giving DEC employees 10% discount.  
    
    Well I went there Friday night (Acton store), only to be told at
    the register that the DEC discount was only good through August
    31 as a "get acquainted" special for the Acton store.
    
    No more DEC discounts!

    RE: .17
    
    That's funny, I went to the Acton SL last Wednesday (9/6), and I
    received a 5% DEC discount.
    
    Bo

I don't think Sommerville keeps their employees too informed..

  I had received the discount in Acton in early August - they put on my
      sales slip 'DECK employee'.

  I then went to the Pelham store and at the checkout said I was a DEC employee.
     The kid looked at me and said "So".
     After a 15 minute wait, they finally found the manager who didn't know 
     anything about it and had to call the Acton store to verify what I said.
     Then they had to try to figure out how to enter a discount.  I wasn't
     too impressed (nor were the people in line behind me) but I had alot 
     of stuff and I got the discount on sale items so saved a little bit of
     money.  

  I was in the Acton store on 8/30 and they told me the discount was just a 
     special trial thing and it would end 8/31 but it would probably be 
     offered again.  He told me to watch for postings at DEC.  I don't
     remember seeing any postings the first time - did anyone else?

	The first I heard was in this notes file.  I ran into Ken Olson
	there one late afternoon.  He hadn't heard of a discount either.

    Do you guys get pestered to death by the employees at Acton S/L?
    
    At first I was thrilled that they opened this huge store - the
    one in Somerville has become a disaster - so crowded you can't move
    - half the stuff they carry isn't even on display.

    But the last time I was in Acton, I got asked if I needed help AT
    LEAST a dozen times in 15 minutes.  Previous visits have been similar.
    What's worse is that in the rush to stock that enormous place with
    employees, the likelyhood that anyone can actually give you help
    is slim.  In Somerville they're so busy it's tough to get assistance
    but when you do, the guy is usually knowledgable.

    It would be nice if this store could do it all right in one location.

    
       I just got a bunch of stuff there a few weeks ago, wish I
    had known about the discount then, next time I go I'll give
    it a shot.
    
       Re. -1
    
       Yes, they have real overkill on employees from what I can see,
    I now enter the store and take an immediate right thru the ladder 
    section to avoid the 6 or 7 employees perched in the main aisle
    waiting to swoop down on unsuspecting customers.  I still get
    about 5 or 6 requests though even at that.
    
      In fact, now that I think about it, I think they have aisle
    monitors on every other hallway just to make sure you don't
    need any help..
    
                         Mark
    

    Re previous two:
    
    Try Somerville Lumber in Acton right after work, around 5:30.  That
    seems to be when the changing of the guard between the day shift and
    the night one.  The place is like a morgue.  Those salesfolk on duty
    are either too tired from working all day, busy having a snack, or just
    settling in and not yet geared up for customers.
    
    Such are my perceptions from wandering around the place at 5:30 a few
    weeks ago.
    
    	Marlene

    I went over to Acton S/L at lunch today, and was informed that the
    DEC discount has expired.
    
    I wonder why they had it in the first place if they didn't advertise
    it?  Maybe one of the store managers thought it up on the spur of
    the moment to attract a DEC employee who could be a major customer?
    
    Bo

    FYI - A Somerville Lumber is being built on the Merrimack/Bedford,
    NH line on Route 3.  Construction has been started, but I haven't
    seen anything on a finish date.
    

I'm not sure where the right place is to put this, but I'll try here.
 
As soon as HECKINGER'S opens up around here, (there's one being built on Route 
ONE in Peabody/Danvers), there will only be two home improvement chains in 
Mass, SOMERVILLE and HECKINGERS.    

So all of you who patronize (God forbid) GROSSMAN'S, get used to either SL or 
Heckinger's.

    A good supplier of hardwoods is Palmer and Parker in Tewksbury (
    it  may Parker and Palmer)  call me if you have a hard time locating
    them.    
    
      dtn 240-6429
    
    Good luck
    
    Rick Romano

    
    They have Heckingers in Syracuse. When I go to Syracuse to visit
    family, I usually visit the place. Much like Builders Square in
    Nashua. Very big, and very good prices. I've been looking for
    replacement storm doors for my house, and while in Syracuse I visited
    Heckingers, and found the BEST storm door I've ever seen at about
    1/3 the price of Sears Best storm door. Nice place and good prices.
    
    Mike

    
    They're putting one up in Shrewsbury, too.
    
    Chris
    who works in SHR1 8^)
    

    RE: .21
    
>        Do you guys get pestered to death by the employees at Acton S/L?

    Maybe they think you're gonna shoplift some plywood or something. ;-)
                                                                     
    As for the "DECK" discount, maybe they thought it was Deck House,
    the modular home builder down the street from them in Acton.  Years
    ago, that's where I thought this friend of mine had gotten a job,
    until I found out he was referring to some outfit in Maynard that
    made computer thingies.

 >   As for the "DECK" discount, maybe they thought it was Deck House,
 >   the modular home builder down the street from them in Acton.  Years
 >   ago, that's where I thought this friend of mine had gotten a job,
 >   until I found out he was referring to some outfit in Maynard that
 >   made computer thingies.


  Good thought - except that he was looking at my Digital badge!

re .27:

    Hmmm.  When I went to Hechinger's in Syracuse, I thought the prices
    were extremely high.  I looked at a plumbing thingie that I'd just
    bought at Builder's Square and Hechinger's price was maybe 50% higher.
    The prices seemed to be even higher than Grossman's!

    FWIW, the store that Hechinger's is opening in Shrewsbury isn't
    called Hechinger's, but Builder's something or something Warehouse.
    I wonder if the folks who decided to locate in Shrewsbury knew about
    Spag's.  The Grossman's in Shrewsbury is quieter than a library.

    
    re .31
    
    I guess it all depends upon what you buy. 2 weekends ago I was in
    Syracuse and bought some plywood for my brother-in-law. Their prices
    were about $5 a sheet cheaper for 1/2" then Builders Square in Nashua.

    Mike

    
    Re: .31
    
    Funny, there's a HUGE sign on front of the land they're building on
    
    Coming soon
    
    HECKINGERS
    
    an unusual lumber yard
    
    or something to that effect
    
    CdH
    

    There was an article in the Boston Globe a few weeks ago about warehouse-
    style building supply places.  It mentioned the one owned by Heckinger's,
    Builder's Square (owned by K-Mart), and one other, whose name I forget.
    It listed several new Mass. locations, including one in Shrewsbury,
    but I don't remember which chain was going to open there.  The way I
    read the article, Heckinger's was going to use their name that sounds
    a lot like Builder's Square, but I believe your evidence.

    In any case, they'll get very tough competition from Spag's.  I believe
    lumber, etc. (the stuff that Spag's doesn't carry) has lower margins
    than the stuff they do carry.

    
    Heckinger's would have to be deaf not to know about Spags. Same goes
    for Mr. Borghatti (sp?). Hopefully they will both coexist peacefully
    and in the shopper's favor. Spags doesn't always have the best prices,
    you have to know what you're buying and keep an eye out for what others
    are selling at. Having this level of competition right up the hill
    should keep things in check. Grossman's is definitely in trouble.
    
    CdH
    

    Not everyone insists upon rock bottom prices.  Some people are willing
    to pay a little extra for wide aisles, shopping carts, bags at the
    checkout, the convenience of paying with plastic, and Sunday hours.  
    
    I only go to Spag's when I have enough of a shopping list to make the
    trip worth the effort.  As a result, Builder's Square gets a lot of my
    business, and I don't feel like I'm paying too much.
    
       Gary

    Of course  the  flip  side  of  that  is getting stuck in line behind 3
    people who each  have small items but are taking 20 minutes filling out
    checks and AMEX slips.    {duh  !  people are waiting?  that's Ok, I'll
    take as long writing my  name  as like!} Or what about stores that have
    30 checkout registers, but 28 of  them  are closed.  At least at Spag's
    you can be in and out in  5  minutes  with  what you need.  FWIW, empty
    boxes are stored in the electrical department for  you  to  carry  your
    stuff around, but they don't have wheels.  :^)

   Who has evidence that Grossmans is in trouble?

   I frequent the Somerville lumber store in Westboro, and the Grossmans stores
   in Shrewsbury and Worcester (West Boylston St), and without a doubt, SL has
   better in store service, a better selection of merchandise, and I would say
   only *slightly* higher prices than Grossmans on average.  In addition, 
   SL is a pleasant, bright environment to shop in.  Grossmans has more of
   a dingy warehouse type of atmoshere, and they rarely have enough registers
   one for the amount of people in the store.  SL is slightly better on this 
   issue, but not as good as Spags, as noted earlier.

    Grossmans did have a good sale on 5/4 x 6 x 12 decking, and I bought about
   $500.00 worth at that time.  However, I had to pick through about three
   boards to find one good one.

   So with 2 building materials suppliers in the Route 9 area of Shrewsbury
   (Plus spags!)it will be interesting to see how a 4th will play in.  If one 
   falls by the wayside, my bet would be Grossmans.  

    I'll go to spags when I have a good sized list of items to buy, or need to
   buy a power tool.

    I have to agree with some of the comments about Spags.  To me, it is
    something of a dingy, dirty, CROWDED place with little or no
    organization about it.  I was not terribly impressed with the place.  I
    tend to do like many others - if I have a large number of items that I
    know Spags will have then I consider taking a trip there.  If I know
    they have a tool I need on sale, then I would also go.  But otherwise,
    I give my business to Builder's Square.  As for Grossmans, I have found
    at least 3 examples where their prices were higher than Builder's
    Square (BS).  I needed some stripper.  At BS I paid $4.00 for the can,
    at Grossmans I paid $7.00.  I needed some wood for shelves.  Grossmans
    wanted at least 25-40% more than BS and the quality was absolute SH*T
    at Grossmans.  BS had a shop light (the flourescent light for over the
    workbench) for something like $9.00.  Grossmans had the same light for
    $15.00 and just happened to have it on sale that week for $9.00.
    
    So, unless I need something that BS doesn't carry (not much), I tend to
    give them my business.  One item I did get at Grossmans was a 5 gallon
    pail of spackle.  BS only had 3.5 gallon pails, and I couldn't figure
    out if I was paying more for that size.  So, I got what I was used to
    getting.
    
    I believe that no place is so strong in it's market that a competitor
    can't succeed.  This includes Spags.  If Heckingers believes it can
    make a go of it in Worcester, then they should try.  I would not be
    surprised to see them succeed.  You cannot use Grossmans' experience
    against Spags as the bellweather.
    
    Ed..
    

    I gave up on Grossmans. I got real tired of sorting through the garbage
    lumber, I go to Coldwells in Berlin or Sterling lumber. At least
    I get waited on, I can ask questions and get a reasonable answers,
    they buy lumber that can be used without having to pick through
    a skid and will take back anything that bows. Its a convienence
    that I gladly pay for. 

    I wasn't talking about the competition between Builder's Square and Spags.
    They're an hour's drive apart!  I agree that if BS is convenient for
    you, it's not worth going to Spags except for large purchases.  But I
    think Spags is a lot more fun than BS.

    Re the reply that complained about lack of checkouts at Grossman's
    in Shrewsbury:  The couple of times that I've been there (on my
    way home from Spags), I was the only customer.  The staff seemed
    very bored.

    
    	I do most of my shopping at Builder's Square not only for their
    generally-better prices, but it is also 2 miles from my house. 
    However, I don't rule out going to Grossmans on the basis of price.
    I picked up some lumber there yesterday (2x10x12, many 2x6x8s) that I
    know were cheaper than Builder's Square.  (I called BS first to get
    their prices.)  In addition, Builder's Square has had nearly *no*
    2x10xNs (except where N=16) for several weeks now while Grossmans
    had a *nice* selection of sizes in good quality.
    
    							-craig

    I usually go to Grossmans and charge it. The Walpole store is
    the busiest lumber store in the area. The main comp is PF O'Connor
    and General Builders Supply. Always plenty of customers and registers.
    I stay out of there on Sat around 12 noon as it gets too crowded.
    I have a place on the cape and Grossmans has a place in Hyannis
    where I can use my charge card.
    
    Don't really like Spags, but have gone there to fill large orders
    of electrical supplies, and plumbing supplies. 
    
    Never been to Builders Square, and I have used SL in Westboro.

    .39:
    
�    I have to agree with some of the comments about Spags.  To me, it is
�    something of a dingy, dirty, CROWDED place with little or no
�    organization about it.  I was not terribly impressed with the place.
    
    I feel obliged to disagree with some portions of your statement.
    
    1.  "dingy" -- That's possible, particularly if a painted cement floor
    	qualifies.  I'll agree that one doesn't go to Spag's for the
        atmosphere.
    
    2.  "dirty" -- I'm not convinced.  I think I've seen worse at some
    	DEC buildings.
    
    3.  "crowded" -- Please continue to go to Spag's on Friday nights and
    	Saturdays, and leave the less crowded periods (such as 4:30 PM) to
    	us who are partisans.
    
    4.  "little or no organization" -- There are fairly well-defined areas
    	for various things (garden, electrical, plumbing, automotive,
    	clothing, housewares, toys), and a given object will usually remain
    	in its area (most objects don't move within their area).  In 20
    	years of Spag-shopping, I've seen some shifting of areas, and most
    	of that was part of the expansion into "The Olde School House". 
    	Then again, I think I'm over .500 in fielding questions about
    	finding things, even though I don't work there.
    
    You know, your remarks do sound very familiar -- are you sure you
    aren't thinking of a certain chain of about 8 stores in the Greater
    Boston area, whose name includes a certain number?
    
    Dick

>
>    I'll go to spags when I have a good sized list of items to buy, or need to
>   buy a power tool.
>

FYI ~ We got to Spag's for everything under the sink, and under the roof.  They
have very good prices, in my opinion, and carry almost everything.  All of my
husband's new power tools, and accessories have come from Spag's.  They carry
all lines, including Makita.  Spag's also gives you excellent service.  If you
ever need repair, etc., the salespeople are very good about giving advice and/
or direction.  Spag's also backs what he sells.

The only time I stay away from Spag's?  Christmastime... unless I'm in a par-
ticularly aggressive mood [ :-} ] !

Grossman's in Saugus and Danvers will MOST DEFINITELY be gone when Heckinger's 
in Danvers opens up. I agree with the comment on "Twisted lumber", "bowed 
boards", and sales people who generally have the brains of Jethro Bodine. I 
hate the place. I take the extra 15 minutes to drive to McGrath Hway to SL. I 
heard at one time that SL was planning a store in the Danvers/Peabody area. I 
hope to God this happens!

As far as the new Heckingers is concerned, I am expecting a larger version of 
SL.

Hey, CHANNEL saw the writing on the wall. They sold all of their Mass stores to 
MARSHALLS, only weeks after the announcement that Heckingers was to infiltrate 
the Massachusetts Market. 

CHANNEL was probably one step removed from GROSSMANS.(That's not saying much!)


GOOD RIDDANCE GROSSMANS...........

...chuck

    .46:
    
    Who is Jethro Bodine?
    
    Dick

>    Who is Jethro Bodine?

Don't you remember the Beverly Hillbillies?

         <<< Note 777.47 by LYCEUM::CURTIS "Dick "Aristotle" Curtis" >>>
                                     -< ? >-

    .46:
    
:    Who is Jethro Bodine?
    
  Jed Clampett's nephew...........

    
    
    		I have been shopping spags for 20 years and most of their
    	stuff is cheaper than elsewhere but then again one does find that
    	it's not true across the board.  for example I wouldn't buy a VCR
    	at Spags as the volume they carry is too small to give a good
    	price.  I would almost extend this to include most 'electronic'
    	things as well as cameras.  I'm not sure about typewriters but I
    	guess they carry this stuff just to have a wide selection of about
    	everything.  We did get 'burned' a few weeks ago.  We bought a set
    	of sheets and discovered that one pillow case had the outside
    	pattern sewed into the inside of the case!  Oh well, I have made
    	out so well there on other things that it hardly matters...

    I shop quite a bit a the SL in Westboro and was told by a friend who
    works there that the building going up next to them will be an office
    building for a building supply company..The name slips my mind right
    now..I thought he said something like a "mr build" or "home supply..
    something other".......
    
    	oh well, we'll have to wait and see
    
    
    								john
    				

    The SL Acton store has 250 ft. rolls of 14-2 and 12-2 romex on sale. 
    The 14-2 is $26.99 and the 12-2 is about $39.00.  At 11 cents a foot,
    the 14-2 seems very competitive.
    
    Bob

Since this seems to have become the generic warehouse building supply note,
I thought I'd mention that Home Quarters Warehouse is opening the first two
of several planned stores in the Boston area.  HQ is owned by Hechinger's.
According to an article in the Globe's business section the other day,
the first two stores are in Norwood and Danvers, both on Route 1, and
they're opening this Sunday.  There's a full-page ad in today's Globe that
just says, "Coming soon to Boston, with locations in Norwood and Danvers."

    
    And Shrewsbury, MA, 1/2 mile from Digital
    
    YES!!!
    
    CdH
    

    How do these stores compare to a Sommerville Lumber or a Grossmans?
    
    Chris D.

Since I happened to be in the vicinity, I went to the grand opening of the
Norwood store yesterday.  It's very much like Builder's Square -- very big,
lots of variety in some things, little variety in others (for example, I was
looking for galvanized nuts and bolts, and they had none at all).  They had
a few worthwhile grand opening specials -- like Sylvania-made light bulbs
for 12 cents.

How do these places differ from Somerville or Grossman's?  They're bigger
and they tend to have somewhat better prices.  I think Somerville has better
kitchen and bathroom stuff.

    I also went to the opening of HQ in Norwood. I thought the store was
    very large, and stocked to the ceilings. I have never been to Builders
    Square so I can't compare it to BS. ;^) The store was too crowded for
    me to wait in the checkout line so I left without buying anything.
    However, I did compare price on  1x4 pine #2 common. 
    
    		Grossmans = .47 ft
    		PF Oconnor= .34 ft
    		HQ	    .30 ft 
    
    Steve 

    Is there any difference between a Home Quarters store and a Hechinger's
    store?   A previous not said that HQ was owned by Hechinger's.
    
    Just curious.
    
    Jim

I'm not an expert (I've been to a Hechinger's once, and a Home Quarters once),
but I believe Hechinger's stores are smaller and more expensive than Home
Quarters stores.  The circular in Sunday's Globe said that both new
Boston area HQ stores are over 100,000 sq.ft., but I don't know how this
compares with the typical Hechinger's.

When is the Shrewbury HQ store scheduled to open?  I don't think ground has
been broken yet, other than a 200 year old building was knocked down, and they
cleared some trees out in back, which took away some privacy of those condos
back there.

    I don't know when it's supposed to open, but there is some heavy
    equipment sitting at the site ready to work.  I won't be able to use it
    for my bathroom remodel this fall.
    
    Elaine
    

This is a brazen plug for Somerville Lumber on McGrath Hwy in Somerville, MA
		~~~~~ Honest  .. no pun intended ...

Last saturday, while at my mothers' house in Medford (Medfud for the purists),
I noticed a small drip from the kitchen sink drain pipe., just as we were 
starting to get ready to go home.

	One needs to understand at this point, this sink was in the 
	house when she and my dad bought it in 1944, when we moved there 
	from "the projects" in Boston (just up from Roxbury Crossing).

Curiousity gripped me, and I noticed a small black spot where the drip was 
coming from, so I poked it with my finger to see how bad it was dripping. 

My finger penetrated the drain pipe, and waste water began pouring out.

Instinctively I grabbed the pipe to stem the flow of water, and the whole
pipe section collapsed under my hands like a fragile piece of very thin
ice. Well, wouldn't you know .. challenges and opportunities come at the
darndest times ...

One call to Somervilee Lumber to the plumbing department, one quick trip
over to McGrath Hwy (5 minutes in the store... tops ..) ..

I got back home, and managed to fix the darn thing that day ..

Sure, I know a few things about plumbing .. but trying to fix a sink
more than 50 years old and actually finding the right parts ... I guess the 
"Luck Force" was with me that day ...

Bob Early

    Good thing you were Early, Bob, and the store wasn't closed ;')

I've got a sort of love/hate relationship with Somerville Lumber. Not too
long ago, I was up to here in redoing my kitchen, fairly late at night and
discovered I needed some stuff delivered the next day. I called the West-
boro store to see if I could order over the phone using thier credit card.
Not only did I get to talk to a real person after the second ring or so, the
person thought my request was perfectly normal and proceeded to take care
of it. I rattled off a list of stuff and her only reply was "You want that
ply finished one side?"

The order showed up next day - no problems.

Last Saturday, I went down to the store first thing to pick up a lot of
little things. I got a cart and wandered around dropping bits and pieces
in my more or less stationary cart. It was a half hour or so before I
realized that the guy who restocks stuff was taking the things out of
my cart and putting them back on the shelves. We got to discuss this for
a while before I was finally able to get back to the project....

Home Quarters opened on rt 9 not too long ago. I went to see what they have
and bought a few things but I'm mostly back to doing business with Sommerville
now.

Mickey.

i have a couple of comments on both sl and hq.

sommerville is a good store.  i live in westboro and go there a lot.  my 
main complaint is that it is SO HARD to buy something.  if you can't grab it 
and take it to the counter you need to get the service of a salesperson.  
this is not too bad on a tuesday at 8 pm, but you could get old in that store 
on a weekend.  if you can take something to a checkout counter you are 
gauranteed to die there.

i don't go to homequarters due to a couple of scenes i witnessed there.  if 
you want the gory details they go something like this.  a man presents 
several cans of paint to the service desk.  he wants to return them because 
they are brown, not red.  the custumer service person says that the color is 
subjective and therefore it should not be returned (this paint was BROWN).  
the guy says LOOK, on the side of the can here, it is brown!  hq person 
replies - well you've opened it!  we can't take it back now.  honest.  i 
believe they did take it back, after the guy pulled a gun.

here's another.  lady comes in with 2" chicken wire.  she wants to exchange 
it straight across for 1" chicken wire, same price.  the hq person says ok, 
we just have to take it as a return, then refund your money, then you go buy 
the other wire.  a little red tape but ok, right?  uh oh, no receipt.  can't 
make the return to start the process, sorry ma'am.

i don't know how she made out because after 20 minutes (those two were the 
only people ahead of me) i got waited on.  i had to go through the return, 
and re-buy scene to exchange a $1.23 item.

i still chuckle when i think about the guy with paint...while i'm daydreaming 
in line at sommerville,
-craig

    
    I like Somerville over HQ.  I go to the one in Westborough, also.  The
    only time I went to HQ, I was looking for interior shutters.  The store
    index (which I thought was a great idea when I saw it) told me to go to
    aisle 44B (or somesuch).  They weren't there.  They weren't in any
    adjacent aisles.  I decided the place was too big for me.  I don't buy
    large quantities of anything, anyway.
    
    At Somerville, I have had no problems returning things.  The last
    couple of times I was there, I returned an "add a shower" kit that I'd
    opened and I had no receipt.  It turned out that the one I bought
    wasn't right for my setup.  They gave me a store credit, which is fine 
    with me.  Sometimes the salespeople aren't as knowledgeable as I'd
    like, but the store itself is more manageble.
    
    Cq  

    I am very fond of Somerville Lumber.  They allowed me to return (for
    a refund, not even a merchandise credit!) a discontinued sink which I
    had purchased more than a year before and which they no longer offered.
    Their prices have dropped in response to competition, and I find they
    beat Home Depot on some items (mainly those which HD sells but doesn't
    stock.)
    
    However, SL's selection has dwindled over the years, and they don't
    seem to offer quite the variety that they used to.  Still, I visit
    them regularly, and their free delivery will keep me as a customer.
    
    				Steve

    I haven't tried out Home Depot, so I won't venture an opinion there.
    HomeQuarters is certainly HUGE enough, but hasn't impressed me enough
    to make it worth the extra trip (compared to the Somerville Lumber a
    few miles from my office).
    
    I *like* Somerville Lumber (even knowing that it's related to Payless
    Cashways, which never impressed me when I was in Denver -- I preferred
    Hugh M. Woods) for most things.  It's not perfect, but it meets most of
    my needs.  My fallback is Mass Hardware in Waltham.

   This is also an attaboy for Somerville Lumber.

   I bought Corian (sp?) top for a bathroom vanity. Remodeling
   the bathroom was going to be a long project, so tossed the
   box and the top sat for a year. Finally the bathroom was ready
   for it to be put it and in the light the top had about a
   dozen very minor white spots along the front edge deep into
   the material.

   Decided to try and return it since I still had the receipt,
   absolutely no problem! Just yup "would you all like your
   money back or would you like to order another one". Great
   just the kind of service you hope for.

   Since HQ opened, I just stop in there on my way to Somerville
   (Westboro) to see if they have an item. The high volume
   common stuff is mainly what they carry (also they try to have
   a good amount of in stock depth) I bought garage doors there
   $40-50 cheaper then Grossmans or Somerville. If you want real
   help, special orders, or other then the bottom line fixtures,
   Somerville's worth the premium you may pay.

   Also Somerville free fast delivery is great. and they will do
   it on a Saturday. I tried to have those garage doors delivered,
   they said they had a 3 month delivery backlog! This was just
   shortly after the store opened.

   I like both, they actually compliment each other. Grossmans
   is probably going to be the loser.

   And like almost all hardware/lumber stores, if you got lots
   of questions, want to special order something, take the time
   and do it on a week night, forget weekends.

    I too am a Somerville Lumber fan.  Service is definitely top on their
    list.  Prices are not the lowest but their selection is very good.  I'm
    like a kid in a candy store in that place.
    
    Two stories:
    
    Wanted to bring some 4x4x8 railroad ties home rather than have them
    delivered and after 10 minutes of trying to fit six of them in a Honda
    Prelude (yea, right!), the sales person (he was helping me) talked me
    into having them delivered.  He had to re-do the slip because it was
    now a delivery, but did so very pleasantly with not a wimper...again,
    it was his suggestion to do the change.  They were delivered the next
    day.
    
    They once delivered 12 bags of pine bark nuggets instead of mulch.  One
    call and pleasantly handled.  Replacements came the following day.
    
    They know how to get you to keep shopping there....treat you like they
    want you to.  I'd swear their sales people have stock in the company.
    
    Jim

    ref .6
    
    Payless Cashways bought out Hugh M. Woods a couple of years ago.
    They still use the Hugh M. Woods name in Colorado because the Woods
    name had a better customer response than the Payless Cashways name.
    FWIW
    
    

    re.9
    I've never avoided Payless due to their name but simply because of
    their location and inconvenience of doing business with them.
    I once had to back a 40' semi trailer up to their dock for a 10'
    stick of 3/4"EMT because of store policy around insurance a real
    pain for a once a year semi driver.
    
    Lately I've been giving an equal share of business to H.M.Woods.
    Home Club and Crissey Fowler. I would say the best service is
    from Crissey in the spirit of true lumberyard tradition.
    
    -j
    

    
    
         Somerville vs. Grossmans
    
              Somerville has helpful sales force, Grossmans doesnt
         have a sales force, just part time help who work fulltime
         at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Their attitude has to
         be the worse of any sales team that I have met.  I consider
         my self to be a knowledgeable hardware shopper, but when
         my wife goes to Somerville to pickup something for me, I
         know that she has a better than 95% chance that they have
         it, and that their salesmen/women will direct her correctly.
         If she has to go to Grossman's, either they will be out of
         whatever they have on their flyer for that week, or they will
         give you a Raincheck and call you in a year, if they call you
         at all.
    
           Somerville has my business, and I truly like the FREE delivery!
    
          Scott 

	    I don't often go to Somerville because HQ is closer.  One
	time I did go there for some plumbing supplies and advice.  I 
	left with exactly what I needed for the job and it went with-
	out a hitch.
	    Absolutely the only section I got anything close to good
	service (at HQ) was in the paint department.  It's like they
	go out of their way to hire useless help.  But their prices
	are usually low and their stock big.  If you know exactly what
	you want, they're okay... as long as you don't get lost inside
	the store.
					Tim

    Re: red tape and braindead service at Home Quarters:
    
    I stopped shopping there when I noticed a prominent sign next to the
    front door proudly proclaiming that they drug-test all their employees.
    Fat lot of good it does them, apparently........
    
    (Then again, it could be that the employee was grappling with policy
    dreamed up by Corporate... makes me wonder what THEY'RE smoking!!)
    
    I don't miss them much... I much prefer getting small stuff at Spag's
    and large stuff at Somerville or Howlett...
    
    
    Re: Grossmans  I was at Howlett Lumber (Charlton) sometime back
    buying 2x4s... we were going through them and tossing aside a lot
    of warped ones... I remarked that Howlett's must sell its rejects
    to Grossmans (who, in turn, must sell THEIR rejects to Channel 8-) ).
    A more motley selection of inventory I haven't seen anywhere...
    Grossman's doesn't have a purchasing department... just some mfr
    catalogues and a random-number generator 8-)
    
    --jim
    

A series of clinics is being given by Somerville Lumber at various locations.
I attended the first clinic on installing interior doors and found it very 
informative.  The clinics are given twice on the desginated evenings below: at
6:30 and at 7:30pm.  A factory rep gives advice as well as a Somerville 
employee.

		Interior Doors	Sheetrock	Custom Railing System
Somerville	Mon 1/13	Fri 1/17	Mon 1/27
Westboro	Tues 1/14	Tues 1/21	Tues 1/28
W. Bridgewater	Wed 1/15	Tues 1/14	Wed 1/29
Pelham		Thu 1/16	Wed 1/22	Thu 1/30

Seekonk 	Fri 1/17	Wed 1/15	Mon 2/3
Hanover		Mon 1/20	Mon 1/13	Tues 2/4
Warwick		Tues 1/21	Thu 1/16	Wed 2/5
Acton		Wed 1/22	Mon 1/20	Thu 2/6

Salem		Thu 1/23	Fri 1/24	Fri 2/7
Bedford		Fri 1/24	Thu 1/23	Fri 1/31

	

ditto new england hardwoods in littleton. if you're looking for more exotic 
types of woods try highland hardwoods in brentwood, nh 603-679-1230

i got some cherry from n.e. harwoods several years ago. price was very 
reasonable even with milling charges.

    
    I was at Somerville over the weekend and noticed a sign...
    For orders less than $300, there will be a delivery charge
    (maybe $20?).  Still less than HQ but the totally free
    lunch is over...
    
    Phil

    ...was there yesterday. It's $25...
    
    Edd

HQ only charged me $15 the last time I had something delivered.

I think Somerville is finding it has to compete on price with HD and HQ, 
and can't afford the profit margins which allowed them to provide free
delivery.

			Steve

    They must have changed their policy lately or the stores have different
    policies.  I inquired about shipping about 3 weeks ago at the Acton
    store.  Shipping was completely free, loads over $200 could be scheduled
    our your convenience.  Loads under $200 were scheduled for delivery at
    Somerville's convenience.
    

    
    Yes, the policy went into effect (in the Westboro Store) on Sep. 20.
    For loads over $300, delivery is still free.
    
    Phil

    I believe the same policy is also in effect in Acton

I work at TAY in Littleton on Taylor Street.  Can someone tell me
where and which direction New England Hardwoods in Littleton is located?
I'm sure that Taylor Street is quite long.   Also, isn't there a 
Taylor Road and a Taylor Street?

Reply here or send me mail.  I'd like to check this place out.

Why do you think Taylor Street is quite long? Just because Digital has a plant
there?  :-)

Go down Taylor towards 2/495, then cross over.  It's not too far on the right,
almost all the way to the Veryfine plant.

I also recommend Harvard Hardwoods and Flooring.  It's a few miles past
New England Hardwoods.  We find Jim, the owner, friendly, helpful and 
accomodating, as well as offering excellent quality and pricing.  The phone
is 456-3716.

Elaine

For people in the Southern NH area:

Somerville Lumber (now closed) in Bedford, NH is selling all of its stuff for
10% off.  The rumor is that the percentage will be going down until the place
is pretty cleaned out.  Kind of like what Builders Square did several years ago
in Nashua.

They still have a fair number of power tools left in house - not sure about
anything else though - some vanities etc.

I also overheard that you can call them (I don't have the number) to find out
if they are open and what the 'discount is today'.  They will not quote prices
nor tell you what they have in stock over the phone.

Brian J.

Gee, I just read the first note in this string and it seems nothing's
improved since '87.  I went two Saturdays ago and knowing exactly what
I wanted it took from 1:30 to 4:15 to place my order and get out of
the store.  There were two salesfolks at that department and both were
busy when I got there but I was next in line.  That was about a 30 minute
wait but I figured I was then on the home stretch since all I wanted to
do was place the order. 

Its really sad, but they acted like they were in the stone age. They didn't
have a clue whether my item was in their warehouse, or if not how long it would
take to get it.  I filled out an application for a credit card and they then
phoned it in.  Phoned?  No FAX? Of course the card came back and my name is
GROFFO on the card. Duh, I wonder what else got scrambled.  Its so depressing
when you find something you want and even call the manufacturer hoping against
hope, and they then tell you their only distributor in NE is, oh no, please no,
oh yikes! Somerville lumber! Sigh.

> For people in the Southern NH area:
> 
> Somerville Lumber (now closed) in Bedford, NH is selling all of its stuff for
> 10% off.  The rumor is that the percentage will be going down until the place
> is pretty cleaned out.....

	There was an ad in the Nashua paper over the weekend on this.
	It seems it's worse than Somerville just moving out of Bedford (NH),
	they appear to also be moving out of Pelham, NH also!

	That is *not* good news to those of us in Nashua were we already
	do not have enough competition to keep Home Depot in line ..... :-(

>	That is *not* good news to those of us in Nashua were we already
>	do not have enough competition to keep Home Depot in line ..... :-(

hmm, I would think that the prices at each Home Depot is standardized, 
independent of store location.

I was in the Bedford store over the weekend - the discount was still 10% except
on a handful of items.  I picked up a laundry tub and faucet only to find that
I would have paid MUCH less at HQ a few miles away.  It reminded me again
why I won't be sorry to see Somerville close its doors.  In its original
form, I liked Somerville - they had a good selection of "better" products
I could not find elsewhere.  When they changed to try to compete with HQ and
HD. they lost their distinction but didn't lower their prices.

				Steve

I won't be sorry to see them go either.  I went to the Pelham store
on a Saturday around Christmas.  I expected the south Nashua area to be
too mobbed to even attempt going there.  While I know the HD in Nashua
is crowded on Saturday's with lots of registers and long lines,  the
clerk at the register at Sommerville said she was the *ONLY* cashier
on so far that day!

I paid the higher price that day only to avoid the traffic for an item
I needed to finish a project that day.

Garry

>> That is *not* good news to those of us in Nashua were we already
>> do not have enough competition to keep Home Depot in line ..... :-(
> hmm, I would think that the prices at each Home Depot is standardized, 
> independent of store location.

	That's what you would think, but I've found differences (especially
	on items that HQ just a mile or less down the road [refering to
	the Manchester, NH HD) had on special or something).  The biggest
	difference is also customer service which went down hill after
	Builders Sq. vacated (though the cust. service is improving, I still
	feel the Manchester store has better service).

    For those of you in the Bedford area, check out Reeds Ferry Lumber in
    Merrimack.  I found that they beat HD and HQ prices on doors I was
    looking at.  Very nice folks to deal with and they offer free delivery.
    
    				Steve

re: Reeds Ferry Lumber

Hmm, I've found them way out of the ball park on some material - like 1/2
sheetrock.

I agree that they are very nice to deal with though.

bjm

    I like Reeds Ferry Lumber too.
    
    But their hours stink. They're never open when I want to go there (or
    so it seems.)
    
    - Richard.

Yes, I'll agree that they are not open convenient hours (like not at all on
Sunday, it would seem.)

				Steve

    i wish somerville would keep their stores open if only to have an 
    alternative to the huge-oh HQ and HD...i've been in all of them looking
    for medicine cabinets and bathroom stuff and by far have found the
    biggest selection to be at somerville...HQ and HD have zero selection
    as far as i'm concerned and the selections they do have are
    cheesy...pretty soon we'll all have exactly the same looking bathrooms
    if the smaller stores all give way to these two monsters...yeah, sure,
    it's impossible to get waited on at somerville but i've found the same
    holds true for the monsters...unless of course you follow the sales
    people around for an hour and then tackle them when they're done with
    the customer before you...and don't get me started about going there on
    a saturday.........bbbbrrrr.....HD is only a little better over HQ
    IMO............mostly i hate both of them...;')......../k

    
    I love the summerville lumer in Westboro.  I just re-did my entire
    bathroom, dinning room and office.  I did alot of  price checks in all
    the big stores (HQ, HomeDepo, Spags) etc.. and Summerville had the best
    price on 'everything'
    
    I also love that fact that the folks in Westboro are very helpful.  At
    the HQ type of stores you get schools kids who don't know what a
    splitting maul is -- UGH!
    
    Not to mention it takes me hrs to get out of that store, they are so
    slow!
    
    I hope they don't close the Westboro store, I still have my basement to
    refinnish and I will not go to a HQ type of place for anything.
    
    Louisa

    re -1
    
    >I hope they don't close the Westboro store, I still have my basement to
    >refinnish and I will not go to a HQ type of place for anything.
    
    Drove pat there last night and they had a BIG sign across the front.
    Clearance sale... Everything must go...
    
    Looks like they too will bite the dust.
    
    Ken

    ..gee...i thought they closed it weeks ago...at least i *thought* i was
    in there on the final day they closed...hmmm..maybe the got a reprieve?
    does anyone know the true scoop?........../k

>>    in there on the final day they closed...hmmm..maybe the got a reprieve?
>>    does anyone know the true scoop?........../k

If its like the one in Bedford, they closed on DEC 30th.  A liquidator(sp?)
bought everything and then opened up to sell it all.  Nothing in the store is
owned by SL.

bjm

    	I was there on Friday and all the employees are wearing Somerville
    Lumber shirts...  There were not many customers though.  They'll have to
    do a lot better than 10% off with their no returns/refunds policy to
    get me to buy anything (especially since its mostly floor stock).  I
    found it quite amusing that they were selling their kitchen displays
    for 20% off....  Seems like they'll have to try 50% off to tempt anyone
    with those.  Maybe this will be another endless liquidation sale like
    Fretter seems to be having.
    
     

>     does anyone know the true scoop?........../k

    There was an article (or maybe it was a paid for advertisement) in
    the Worcester paper in late December that explained what was
    happening with Sommerville Lumber. It sounds like they are
    consolidating their efforts back into the Sommerville/Boston
    area. 

    They announced that they were closing 5 out of 10 stores. The five
    closed stores seem to be in the far reaches of their previous
    service area, NH, Westboro Mass, Warwick RI and two others. All of
    the 5 remaining stores were clustered in the Sommerville/Boston
    areas.

    Re: Sommerville Lumber vs. HD vs. HQ... Interesting comments, it
    must differ from area to area though.

    In the Shrewsbury/Westboro Rt9. area, we had a Sommerville Lumber
    in Westboro and have an HQ and an HD across the street from each
    other in Shrewsbury. Of the three, I am a firm believer and lover
    of the Home Depot. It completely blows the others away as far as
    Quality, Selection, Cleanliness, Ease of use, Quality/ Friendly/
    Knowledgeable Help, Prices, Hours of Operation. Everything! Even
    the parking spaces at the Home Depot are better than at the HQ
    across the street!! 

    Your mileage may vary, apparently!

    Charly

    Charly,
    
    Don't forget there also used to be a Grossman's on that stretch of Rt 9.
    
    Mark

>  Don't forget there also used to be a Grossman's on that stretch of Rt 9.

    Yes, and they had great lumber too.

    

    That's if you were building a spiral stair case! ;-)

    Charly

    >They announced that they were closing 5 out of 10 stores. The five
    >closed stores seem to be in the far reaches of their previous >service
    area, NH, Westboro Mass, Warwick RI and two others. All of >the 5
    remaining stores were clustered in the Sommerville/Boston >areas.
    
    I guess it depends on how you define "Somerville/Boston areas," as
    there's still a Somerville Lumber in Acton on RT27, which there are
    apparently no plans to close.  This might be because there are no HQs
    or HDs in this area.
    
    I went to Somerville Lumber in Acton back in Oct, and found it be a
    kind of depressing place.  I thought the quality of their merchandise
    was down, there was virtually no one around to answer questions or
    help, and the prices weren't that great.
    
    What I've found with all the big chains is that the quality/prices/help
    all seem to vary. 
    
    I live in Maynard, and have concluded that although it's a bit more
    expensive, I'm going to spend the bulk of my dollars for hardware at
    Bulter Lumber (RT27/Parker St), which is a family owned business in
    Maynard.  The service is high quality, and if they don't have
    something, they refer you to a place that does.
    
    ****andrea****

    Back before HD and HQ were on Rt.9 and Somerville Lumber only had
Grossmans to compete with I found the sales people in  Somerville lumber 
to be down right rude, they came across with the attitude that you were 
lucky if they even talked to you.. 

    After HD and HQ came to town and S.L. lost a bunch of business the 
salespeople would be greeting you at the door and asking if you needed 
assistance..

It was a nice change but a little to late..

just my 2 cents

Dave

>    I live in Maynard, and have concluded that although it's a bit more
>    expensive, I'm going to spend the bulk of my dollars for hardware at
>    Bulter Lumber (RT27/Parker St), which is a family owned business in
>    Maynard.  The service is high quality, and if they don't have
>    something, they refer you to a place that does.

I've been to Butler several times.  It's worth going there just to see it!  It's
like something out of a previous age.  From the outside you wouldn't expect they
have much, but when you go in you see things hanging all over the place.

Ya know those drawers everyone's got with different kinds of screws/nuts/etc?
All of Butlers in kind of in that mode.  The most amazing thing is it seems
they've got at least one of everything!

-mark

    Yeah, I like Butler lumber too.  If they don't have it, you don't 
    need it! (Usually).

    I used to go to somerville lumber in westboro and found like someone
    already noted, the sales people were not too helpful.  I was not
    allowed to pick my lumber, I had to wait until a sales guy was free,
    then he looked in the computer and took my order.  
    
    HD and HQ are much better and the quality of lumber so much better. 
    However, for hardwoods drive out to Highland Hardwoods in Plastow. 
    Thats a great place, worth the drive and excellent quality lumber.
    
    Brian

    ..well i went into somerville last night and was interested in buying 
    a fiberglass tub surround...the sales man checked and told me the one i
    wanted was out of stock... a few minutes later as my husband and i were
    looking around he came over and asked me if we wanted him to go out to
    the warehouse to see what he did have in stock that might be of
    interest to us..so i said 'sure'.....he came back out with the
    info..proceeded to tell us about the variety of qualities in the
    products and made a couple of recommendations..then he took us to pick
    out the right caulking and liquid nails and inquired on whether or not
    we had a 3" drill bit to drill the hole for the fixtures etc....when we
    said we didn't he walked us over to that department and picked out one
    that wasn't expensive cuz he said he didn't want us wasting money....then he
    proceeded to tell us exactly how to install the thing and what to watch
    out for.....the guy went WAY out of his way to help us two total 'tub'
    neophytes...when we went to the register the woman couldn't have been
    more pleasant....when we went around back to pick up the thing up..the 
    'yard men' for want of a better term...were incredibly nice and we
    ended up chatting with them about a couple of movies that my husbands
    accent reminded them of etc etc...so....i guess all this is to say
    'your mileage may vary'...as someone before me has already
    said....anyway,...liquidation must agree with them or we exude some
    mystical aura that makes people want to be nice to us...;'))))
    ..anyway, i will be sorry to see them go......................./k
                                         

	The three times I've been in Somerville Lumber I've run into rude and
uncoopertive sales folks every time.  I won't go back.  On the other hand I
really like Home Depot in Shrewsbury.  I've always get great service there and
have always had knowledgeable sales people when one was needed.  Their selection
of tools, lumber and products for the home seem quite extensive and the prices
seem far.

Joe

    
    I went to HQ a few weeks ago to ge some off the shelf Navao White semi
    gloss paint for my office and bedroom.  The paint person told me that
    there is NO "off the shelf" Navao white - all paints are mixed.
    
    I worked in at town paint and supply for 3yrs I told him and I know I
    can get "off the self" navao white - he stood their and argued w/me for
    20min.
    
    I finally gave in and I took 2 cans of mixed navao white.
    
    well, I ran out of paint (my walls needed more coats that I thought)
    :-0  I went back to HQ (and I brought the can) and I got a different
    person at the paint desk - the person was so suprised when I told him
    my story.  Infact they did carry meny Navao white brands off the self
    and the can I had was some kind of mix that the kid made up!  
    
    ---
    
    another story:  I wanted a new tub and I wanted it grey.  HQ had the
    tub I wanted but in white, but HD had the same tub same brand in grey! 
    but HQ was $20.00 cheeper. I asked HQ to order me the tub in grey and
    they told me they can't - it only comes in white.  I told them that HD
    had the same brand in grey but I rather buy one from you - they didn't
    care!  they said NO!!!!!!
    
    but, then I found the tub at Summerville for $60.00 cheeper!
    
    Lou

When I used to go there I'd always leave the store shaking my head and asking
myself why I *ever* thought I'd find what I wanted there.

the other day I was at BJ's in northboro and realizing I was right near a
summerville lumber, I thought I'd stop in.  I did this partly out of curiousity
and partly because I'm building some adjustable shelves and needed some of the
while aluminum clips.

talk about a depressing place!  everything is marked as being on sale and it
just looked real ragged in there.  being the type who is always looking for a
bargain, I wandered over to the lumber dept.  "holy inflation, batman!"  Even
at 10% off the marked prices the prices were astronomical, though maybe I've
been shopping at lumber yards too long, but $3 bd foot of what they called
select pine that still had small knots in it?  or $5/bd foot for oak?  come
one!  their moldings and anything made out of wood MIGHT be reasonable if they
know 30% or more off...

I also wandered over to the tools section.  I recently bought a ryobi cordless
drill at HD in Nashua for $125.  With the 10% it would have been around $120
so at least that was a good price.  So there *may* be some reasonable buys to
be made there.

Anyhow, time was a wastin', so I tracked down the adjustable shelving and found
it only came in brass and plain, no white - even though they had LOTS of white
shelving!  There wasn't even an empty slot for white clips or brackets so I
assume they never stocked it.

so, I left the store once again shaking my head asking why I ever thought I'd
find what I wanted in there...

-mark

    Somerville Lumber - Anytown, USA  - is alway my last resort. I have to
    be desperate to go there!
    
    I have to grin from ear to ear when I hear about SL stores shutting
    down. Why would anyone expect anything different - they treat customers
    like the enemy and now they're paying the price. 
    
    What I fear is that all the SL employees will tunnel their way into HD
    and HQ and someday pop up in one of those isles.  You'll know which
    ones they are cause when they see you  - they suddenly turn and
    scatter like startled insects!
    
    Maybe one of the H-stores will buy out the Acton SL-wasteland!
    

When we were remodeling our kitchen back in 1988, we got most of our stuff
from Somerville.  We were very pleased with the selection and service.
From what I gather, it's changed a lot.  Anybody know when the local owners
sold it to Payless Cashways?