Ace Hardware Blog

Something New

Ace hardware conventions are very, very big.  It frequently takes me a whole day to simply walk (not much time for stopping to talk) through the entire display.  By the time the end of the day comes, my feet are pretty sore and I'm really tired!  Fortunately, during the recent Ace Hardware convention in Dallas, I ran across a vendor that manufactured (among many other things) electric chair massaging pads and foot massagers.

It was the end of the day so I decided to "take a load off" and try our one of the pads and foot massagers.  I wasn't expecting much, but I have to admit, they worked really well!  The chair pad feels like someone is rubbing their fists up and down your spine.  It also provides heat and a bit of vibration and sells for $129.99.  The foot massager works even with your shoes on, vibrates and also provides heat.  It sells for $34.99.

As you can see from the picture, these items have already proved quite popular with our staff so if you'd like to try it out yourself, you may have to stand in line!  It really is the best seat in our house.   

The Key to Success is Cheaper Than it Looks!

Have you noticed that many newer vehicles use plastic headed keys that seem much larger than they need to be.  I used to think it was to make losing them much harder (kind of like the reason old gas stations used to attach a piece of 1 x 6 lumber to their restroom keys).  Although a good guess, it is wrong!

Many vehicle manufacturers have begun implanting transponder chips into the key heads.  Each chip has a unique code that will only work in the vehicle it was intended for.  This is an attempt to thwart would be car thieves.  Unfortunately, its also effective in thwarting owners who want to purchase a cheap duplicate.

Until recently, the replacement keys were only available from the specific vehicle manufacturer.  This often came at a fairly steep price (well over $100 each!), but as usually happens with new technologies, the prices are coming down.  At least they are coming down at Dave's Ace Hardware in Milton.  Last fall, we took the plunge and purchased the equipment to read and write the codes on a large percentage of chip keys currently in use.  In fact, we can now duplicate keys for about 75% of the cars and trucks that use them (still can't do Ferrari's, Porsche's, Lamborghini's, Mercedes, Bentleys, etc.  Sorry!).  The bigger news is we can do it while you wait for between $49.99 and $69.99!  While that is more expensive than a typical house key, it's far less expensive (and more convenient) than going back to the dealer.

If you're curious whether you even have a chip key, stop at our customer service counter and insert yours into our special key analyzer.  It will instantly tell you if you're the lucky owner of a chip key and perhaps more importantly, whether you should be even more careful not to misplace your only other spare key!

Ice Dams Cause Serious Damage!

They may be beautiful, but they can also be a sign of a serious problem to follow!  Icicles are formed when snow melts and re-freezes as it gets to the colder overhang of your roof.  Damaging ice dams are formed the same way.

The eves of your home are the same temperature above and below your roof (the same as the air which is cold in the winter!).  The temperature of the rest of your roof (especially on older, less insulated homes) is higher because of heat loss.  Some times it can be high enough to melt the snow, causing water to run down the roof.  Unfortunately, the real problem begins when the water gets to the eves that are still freezing cold.  Eventually a thick "ice dam" forms causing any additional water to pool on the warmer roof areas behind and in time, backs up underneath the shingles and leaks into your home!

Fortunately, this problem does not occur every winter, but this year has been quite exceptional.  Lots of snow and ice and temperatures near freezing (sometimes above) have been precisely the meteorological recipe for a potential sloppy wet disaster!

What now?  In many cases, it's too late to use a roof rake.  The snow on the eves has already frozen.  Sure, it would help to get some of the snow on the main part removed but really, the most important thing now is to melt the ice dams so water can flow through.  Fortunately, we have a new product called the Ice Viper.  The Viper is a thin (snakelike) black nylon tube filled with a non-corrosive ice-melting chemical.  The Viper is simply laid on the roof immediately behind the dams.  It begins safely melting them away within 2 - 3 hours.  Once the dam is gone and water is flowing, you can move the viper to a new spot.  An average home could easily use 2 or 3 and at only $16.99 each, you may very well want more.  Each one lasts 30 - 60 days (depending on the weather). 

Don't wait until the leaks begin!  Stop in to either of our stores so you can begin solving your ice dam problems today. 

Style AND Safety

The record rainfalls we've had the past month have resulted in a crop of mosquitoes like I have never seen!  Unfortunately, they will be around until we get about three nights of below freezing temperatures (which could be several more weeks).  Fortunately for me, I don't have a garden, do not have to walk a dog, am not a deer hunter or anything else that requires more time outside than walking to and from my car.  I can remain safely inside my home or the store. 

For those of you who still want to spend some time outside, but don't want to cover your body (especially your face) with sticky, smelly insecticide, I have the answer.  Concealment Industries of Lindstrom, Minnesota has created a complete line of head wear that cleverly hides a full size mosquito net within its lining! These hats are available in a number of different sizes and styles.  Chris is modeling the very popular Khaki Bucket, priced at only $24.99.  The bucket is also available in a full camouflage version (including the net) for $29.99.  Children's sized buckets are only $15.99 and available in a variety of pastel colors.

We also have a camouflage baseball style hat available for only $19.99.  These products are well made and with a little care will provide many seasons of stylish mosquito protection.  At this time, we only have them in our Milton store, but as with everything we stock, would be happy to send one or more directly to our Evansville store or to your home.  Don't wait.  This is a style trend you'll want to be one of the first to pick up on!

Here's a Solution to Combat Deerflies!

Mosquitoes are really annoying, but at least you can douse yourself in repellent (or buy a Mosquito Magnet) to keep them away.  Don't you wish there was something to deal with those stupid deerflies?  You know the ones I'm talking about.... they buzz loudly around your head like a drunken chihuahua with wings.  How's a person supposed to mow the lawn, go fishing or just enjoy a cool drink on the deck?

Well, it appears that trying to repel them was not the right way to handle those pests at all.  Attracting them to a spot on the top of your head and causing them to stay there is the answer!  I know it sounds crazy, but the folks at the Detex company in LeRoy, Michigan have figured it out!

Apparently, deerflies like to land on your head so they can "scope out the surroundings".  By placing one of their TRED-NOT Deerfly patches on your cap, the insects are actually attracted to the flesh colored sticky landing pads and are unable to leave!  So instead of hearing that incessant bzzzzz, bzzzzz, bzzzzz, bzzzzz, bzzzzz, you simply hear bzz.... And then silence, bzz.... And then silence.  Ok.  It's probably not a perfect solution, but for $2.69 for a pack of four, they're probably worth a try!

Take the Five Minute Challenge

A few months ago, Bob Kimball, a good friend (and customer) of mine showed me a puzzle he had purchased in Florida.  It was called Scramble Squares.   Honestly, it didn't seem like much of a puzzle as it only had nine square pieces.  According to him, all I had to do was correctly arrange the nine pieces so all the pictures lined up correctly.  I figured, "how hard can that be?  After all, I can easily assemble my 9-year old daughter's 100 piece jig saw puzzles!"  Not only had he challenged me to properly assemble it, but he told me if I could do it in 5 minutes or less, I could keep it!

After about 20 minutes of struggling, I decided to call Lori, my wife, for help.  She is a puzzle genius.  She makes crosswords, jumbles and Sudokus look like child's play.  Maybe Bob would give it to her when she completes it in 5 minutes or less, I thought to myself.  Remarkably, she couldn't do it either!  Not one to give up easily, Lori borrowed the puzzle and spent another hour at home....STILL WITHOUT SUCCESS!  Dejectedly, I gave Bob his stupid puzzle back.  Later, I started thinking that maybe some of my friends would like to try these puzzles, so I called the b.dazzle company and bought a bunch.  Now everyone in Milton and Evansville can feel as foolish as my wife and I do!

Probably the only bad thing about stocking these addictive puzzles is now the entire staff wants to see if they are more clever than me (most of them are).  These days, dusting, sweeping the floor and straightening the shelves are out.  Assembling (or more accurately, attempting to assemble) puzzles is in.  This is becoming a real problem at Dave's Ace.  I would really appreciate having all my readers purchase at least one of these, so we could all get back to work!

The Scramble Squares come in several colorful patterns including birds, tractors, wine, football, lighthouses, cats and most anything else you can think of.  We stock 23 varieties.  They cost $8.99 each unless of course you care to accept our special 5 minute challenge.  If you can successfully assemble the puzzle we have on display in 5 minutes or less, we will give you one free of charge!  In addition (and even more valuable) to the free puzzle, I will publish your picture in and upcoming blog post so everyone with a computer will be able to share in your glory!  Hurry in today. 

Benjamin Moore is Here

It seems like it's been a long wait, but our new paint line has finally arrived.  As I've mentioned in previous posts and newsletter articles, we've chosen to begin carrying the Benjamin Moore line of paint in addition to our Ace brand paints.  Benjamin Moore is a premium product and has some very nice color choices!  Our new color center is over 12 feet wide and has hundreds of choices.  We also have the small sample jars of many of the most popular colors.  That way, you can try it out without having to invest in a whole quart.

Sometime in June, we are expecting to take delivery of our new Matchrite paint computers.  These are the latest and greatest thing in the paint matching business.  Not only will we be able to accurately match most any color you want, we will also be able to match color names and numbers from hundreds of competing manufacturers.  We will also be able to take digital pictures of your own projects and quickly show you what they would look like with a new color!  How cool is that?

Stop in soon and take a look at our newly merchandised paint departments.  Now there really is no reason to leave town to purchase paint!

Eliminate Mold and Other Organic Growth

Every once in a while, a new product comes out that seems like a winner.  This last month, Chris Hart, the resident paint expert in our Milton store,found one called “MoldAvenger”.  It is a 100% biodegradable, industrial strength cleaner for mold, mildew, fungus, dirt, grease and algae. 

According to the sales literature, it utilizes the latest in enzyme technology to provide a safe solution to mold and mildew stain removal.  When used as directed, MoldAvenger effectively cleans, removes stains and delays re-growth of mold and mildew for up to 12 months.  It inhibits organic growth by the elimination of the bacterial host environment, or food source for mold and mildew.  It can be safely used on virtually any surface, both inside and outside.   

To me, this all sounded too good to be true.  The front door of my home is shaded by the attached garage and roof.  It’s an area that frequently stays moist.  That is the perfect combination for mold and algae growth.  At least twice a year, I use a pressure washer to remove the growth, only to have it return shortly thereafter. If MoldAvenger could actually inhibit the re-growth of the mold and algae, I could save countless cleaning hours a year!  I decided it was worth a try.

The actual cleaning process was not exactly awe inspiring.  After applying the product, I agitated it with a brush and let it sit for 15 minutes then followed up with a 1500 PSI spray from a pressure washer.  I did notice the process was faster than normal and seemed to achieve a much more evenly cleaned surface than without the MoldAvenger (the pictures speak for themselves).  Unfortunately, it was far from an effortless project.  The real test will be whether the mold and algae reappears as rapidly as before.  Stay tuned (or ask Dave) to find out!  MoldAvenger is available at Dave’s Ace in various sizes from $7.99 to $29.99.