Price disparity story. Take from it what you will.
We are having a room decorated. A section of skirting board was deemed unusable by the decorator. I was dispatched to source a replacement.
Having no idea, I ended up in B&Q. They only had lengths slightly too long to fit in the car, although I needed just about all of it, but in two sections. No cutting service. So they suggested I buy a saw from them too and chop it up in the carpark.
Cost of skirting board - £9.99, plus a saw.
Abandoning that, I happened to pass a branch of Ridgeons on the way home. Nice man cut the board to length for me. I got £20 note out ready - final bill £3.23.
On another note I was surprised to discover the profile of the skirting board from the house, which must be no later than the mid eighties and possibly lots older, was still exactly matched in both shops. The only difference was the original was wood whilst the new in both cases was MDF.
Is the skirting board design market decades old and entirely static?
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I'm looking for a length to match the existing profile in my '60s house. There's no end of choice. Here's a small example: skirtingonline.co.uk/
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Proper builders' merchants are alwasy cheaper and usually way more helpful than DIY sheds.
I often find there is an audience of builders when I go in these places who are more than happy to tell you what you need!
There are actually dozens of skirtings. These people have over a hundred. The most popular and traditional I think are Ogee and Torus.
www.skirtingboards.com/product-category/profile-browsers/popular-profiles
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I have found plumbers merchants helpful over the years, on one occasion I had an odd (to me) sized tap tail. I asked is there any way I can fit this to a 15mm pipe? No problem was the reply, you need these two adapters joined together. If possible I always use trade outlets.
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Luckily we've an old fashioned hardware shop within walking distance, they sell pretty much everything; toasters, door locks, timber through to car oil. Very helpful and knowledgeable, if they've not got it they'll know where you can.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Tue 29 Nov 16 at 19:51
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Our local timber merchant made special skirting boards for our hall -the old originals had partially rotted. They were about 150 years old..
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Sums up why most the B&Qs around here have closed in the last couple of years. A pointless expensive shop but I did used to like to browse.
I tend to use either my local timber merchants or Selco now for wood. I use Screwfix for just about everything else.
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Screwfix and B&Q are effectively the same company, both are owned by Kingfisher.
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I was wondering who would be the first to bring that up :D While they are both owned by the same parent they are different businesses, different stock and very different prices. Not everything at Screwfix is cheap but it is mostly a lot cheaper than the DIY sheds.
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.I got a loft hatch from them not a bad price at B&Q.
The loft ladders I ordered on line cheaper and better quality.
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Of the chains I would use Toolstation in preference to either B and Q or
Screwfix. I try to use independents wherever possible though. Generally much more helpful. My understanding is that staff in Screwfix are actually forbidden to offer advice.
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Not surprising. I would think advice would be somewhat limited. Most of the female faces I see in my local Screwfix have migrated from Costa just round the corner.
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>>My understanding is that staff in Screwfix are actually forbidden to offer advice.
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A friend who used to work at B&Q told me that they have females on the tills as it stops customers asking advice and slowing down customer throughput.
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Last time I went in B and Q they didn't have anyone on the till. All were being directed to the self service checkouts.
B and Q do actually employ people to assist customers. Often retired from other jobs. Our local one has an ex plumber in the plumbing section but he only works a few days a week.
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That sounds like a sleepy backwater B&Q at off peak time. :-)
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The Norwich store on the ring roadis the largest in the country.
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Big obviously does not mean busy if the checkouts were not in use.
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Is PEDANTIC a Navy term? :-)
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>> Is PEDANTIC a Navy term? :-)
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I was surprised that there is a big diy shed in a sleepy backwater like Norfolk.
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>> Is PEDANTIC a Navy term? :-)
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It's the new "Pedantic" class of naval vessel - a sea-going pedalo.
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I do love your sense of humour Cliff:)
Pat
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>> It's the new "Pedantic" class of naval vessel - a sea-going pedalo.
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Many a true word...
Our navy is fast becoming a joke. I believe we now have 19 frigates, about a third will be operational, and forty odd admirals.
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>> Our navy is fast becoming a joke. I believe we now have 19 frigates, about
>> a third will be operational.
Don't exaggerate ON. We have 13 frigates.
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>> Our navy is fast becoming a joke. I believe we now have 19 frigates, about
>> a third will be operational, and forty odd admirals.
>>
There was once a famous exam question:
If the entire British navy steamed round the equator from west to east at 20 knots, by how much would it slow the earth's rotation?
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Toolstation are part of Wickes group-incidentally both Toolstation and Screwfix were started by the same man.
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More strictly both Wickes and Toolstation are owned by Travis Perkins.
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Skirting boards - bathtub tom
