On Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:47:38 +0000, The Medway Handyman wrote:

As an ex pat living in Merica, who are the main DIY sheds?

AIUI B&Q is largely based on Home Depot. Whats the Mercan equivalent of
Homebase & Wickes?

Adrian's probs right about Mal-Wart for Homebase/Wickes, if I'm
remembering rightly the type of stuff they used to sell

Menards are probably better than Home Depot in terms of range (and
probably price), but I think they only serve part of the US (and our
nearest one's a couple of hours' drive away)

I'm not sure if where I am is typical or not, but there are a lot of
big local stores around here which usually seem to out-do the national DIY
sheds both on price and product range - we've got a good farm supply place
(tools, fixtures/fittings, hardware, mower/tractor parts, animals +
animal feed, outdoor clothing etc.), a couple of good lumber yards, a
place specialising in stonework etc.

Home Depot is reasonably good (I've just come back from there to get a new
element for our 'leccy water heater) but it's wise to know your
products; they're actually often quite expensive.

Is there a TLC Direct or Screwfix equivalent?

I'm not sure if there is - I really like seeing what I'm buying before I
part with money, so I like good ol' traditional shops :-)

I usually go to the farm supply place for screws, nails etc.

(They sell most stuff like that by weight there - there are big bins of
stuff in the aisles and weighing scales, and I just load up what I need
into heavy-duty bags, write down the weight/price, and take it to the
front to pay. It's like sweet shops used to be in the UK

cheers

Jules