Menards

This Menards is a good choice for a local home improvement store. As a regional chain, Menards expanded significantly into the Milwaukee area long before Home Depot and Lowe's, but the older stores are frequently small, somewhat cramped, and confusingly laid out.

This Menards suffers none of that, being a recent addition to the chain. Menards apparently purchased the old Hales Corners Speedway property, a large lot, and has a sign offering outlots, which they appear to have plenty of land for. That spaciousness carries through to the inside, where they've got a huge store that is well-stocked, and definitely a strong competitor for Home Depot or Lowe's.

While I prefer a true hardware store like Ace where possible, it strikes me that Menards (while definitely a home improvement store) is a little closer to being a hardware store than HD or Lowe's, offering specialty hardware that neither HD or Lowe's seems to, etc. Ace has never been that good for "big lumber," so most major home improvement projects see me stopping at Menards.

That said, it probably pays to compare. We were recently remodeling a room, tore out the floor trim, and sanded down and refinished the floor. Hands down, Menards had the best deal on a Varathane floor sander rental, but their actual stock of wood trim was pretty slim, with several pieces that were in the wrong slot, and the remaining few had a lot of damage (splits, etc). We ended up wiping out their viable stock, which was just enough to finish the job. Menards sells in precut sections (8 ft, 12 ft, etc) which means they stock less of any given length. By comparison, Home Depot sells by the linear foot, and allows you to cut it in the store, minimizing scrap. Because HD only stocks a single length and lets you cut it, that may be what we do next time. Some of the HD stuff looked really poor too, but there was definitely a lot stocked.

In the end, Menards is similar to HD and Lowe's, except that it has more of a local, friendly feel to it. Unfortunately, there are things that each of these stores carry that the others do not, so it pays to shop around a bit.

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This store is well organized and it is easier to find people to ask questions (and they are more willing to help). The contactor section could be better. The guys/gals who work there will fill your order, but do not ask them any questions (there was only one guy in his 50s who knew his stuff ok).

The wood section is great and the guys in the yard are VERY helpful. I was very impressed.

PROS: Good Product, Wood, Service
CONS: Service (contractor desk)

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This menards is wonderful!! Not only is it brand new and very LARGE, it is also extremely close to my home so I don't have to travel very far to find great deals on what I am looking for for my garden!

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