Grout. Now there’s an exciting subject. Nothing like staying at home on a Friday night and sealing your grout. Hoo Boy! Here in lies the problem. Grout is a really boring part of life and one of those things that nobody ever thinks about. That is until your grout cracks and leaks. Then you’ve got something to think about.

   Our bathroom project was to be one main bathroom in the house. The day before we were to start, however, the shower in our master bath decided to leak through the cracked grout, through the subfloor, throught the downstairs ceiling and on to the basement floor. As Sam from Qunatum Leap would say, “Oh boy!” So needless to say we started on that bathroom first.

   The culprit was cracked grout. Nope not very big cracks, had to look fairly closely with a flashlight just to see them, but water sure found its way through the cracks. It was kinda like an NTSB inspector at the scene of a plane  crash as we looked for a reason behind the leaks. It was obvious after the fact, but hard to tell before. I’m certain this grout, which was 43 years old, was sealed maybe once or twice, and easily not within the last ten years. Hard to say for certain, but proper maintenance and sealing more often would likely have saved us from replacing all the tile in the shower.

   Yep we ripped out all the tile, the old and partially rotted drywall and took it down to bare studs. Let it dry out really well, put up new cement board and new tile as well as a new fixture and all is great again. It’s a good ending, but still not a job I was planning on doing.

   The moral of this story is to look at your grout, however boring it may seem. Seal it regularly, keep it clean and look for cracks. It’s entirely easier than replacing a whole shower.

-Clark

I am constantly checking our distributors for deals and this week they had some good ones on Remington rifles. We got in some 700 BDL’s left hand models in both 7mm Ultra and 300 Ultra. We running them at $649.99. They also had some 700 XCR’s in 375 Ultra we are selling at $799.99 and we will even give you a box of ammo for it! I dont have to tell anyone what ammo has been doing lately, its amazing how fast its going up and Im not sure if its done yet. I also picked up a couple of 700 CDL’s in 35 Whelen we have for $699.99. We have always sold Whelens well, I hope this doesnt mean Remington is dropping the caliber. I still have a few of the now discontinued 700 Light Varmints in 221 Fireball left. I have one personally and its one of my favorite guns for doggin. Im heading for the hills of Wyoming Thursday to pop some and my Fireball will hopefully get lots of action. Im also taking up my new, and unfortunatley discontinued, Winchester High Wall in 223. Im going to try pushing some the Barnes Varmint Grenades faster then my Fireball can and see how well that bullet performs. I got pretty good results last year with the Grenades out of my Fireball, but I wanted to see more so thats how I justified the new gun. We will just call it research…..haha We got in some more of the Ruger Chargers also this week. They have been great sellers. Go check out all of our new and used stuff at www.orchardshardware.com I’ll let you know how the shooting goes Thursday with the dawgs and the new guns. Im hoping for great results.

_Mike

   Our designated blogger, Meghan, has moved on to graduate college and get married. Great news for her, but not so great news for us. That means I’m back to writing my own blogs. Oh well.

   So what have I been up to latley? Remodeling two of the bathrooms in my house. Ah yes, this is one of those inspired projects that looks so easy. Just get a new vanity, new tile on the bathtub, re-surface the tub, hang new towel bars, a little paint and voila, new bathroom! Why it only takes a half-hour to do these type of projects on TV. I see it done all the time.

   Yeah, right.

   I started this project in February and only hope to have it all done by the end of May. This was a winter, inside project. Something to do to keep me from being bored while it was cold out.

   Well, things are getting there, but at a very slow pace. It’s been a real pain at times and interesting at others. I’ve learned a lot about building, contractors, cabinet shops, big box stores as well as many products we sell. I’ll keep you posted here in the coming weeks and let you know the good, the bad and the ugly about the entire project.

Until then, it’s back to work for me.

-Clark

 

We’ve just added a new local product!  GETGreen Lawn Greenalizer comes from GETMicrosolutions located in Fort Collins. 

GETGreen Lawn Greenalizer is not a fertilizer, yet a formula that uses naturally occurring nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum bacteria.  This bacteria helps build green grass and stimulate root growth.  After application grass will naturally green your grass within two weeks.  Growing larger, deeper roots will help cut back on watering costs. 

GET Green Lawn Greenalizer will work in all geographies, with all soil types, and all types of grasses.  It can be applied anytime from early spring to fall dormancy.

This product is in stock today.  Check out our prices compared to online.

A bunch of new appliances from Hamiltion Beach just hit the shelves.  Among them include their Eclectrics All Metal Stand Mixers and Wave Blenders.

The Hamiltion Beach Eclectrics Stand Mixers are comparable to the 4 Quart KitchenAid Mixer.  These Eclectrics stand mixers come with include these features: professional 2 way rotating mixing action, stainless steel 4.5 quart bowl, 3accessories (dough hook, beater, and wire whip), 400 watts of power and a limited three year warranty.  These mixers are great for basic food preparation; the only downside is the lack of add-on accessories.  Compare our prices to those online and you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Hamilton Beach Wave Blenders are another new addition to our inventory.  Wave Station Plus 12 Speed Dispensing and Wave Master are the two new products added.  Both these products have the Wave-Action system which continuously forces the mixture down into the blades creating a smoother mixture; leaving you with no more ice chunks!

Another great product added to our inventory is the Proctor-Silex Space Saving Blender.  The jar on this blender flips over for storage.  Check out this product at Proctor-Silex.

Michelangelo Faux Finishing has been taken off the market.  Consequently, Michelangelo is no longer available through our store.

Here at ACE we’re finally pursuing the recent trend, the trend to “live green.”  It seems like in today’s society this challenge faces us everywhere, from our commute to work straight to the television shows we watch.  Yes this year even the Emmy’s went “green.”   Several of our new products have been eco-friendly; such as the recent Fresh Wave Odor Neutralizer.  Many of us here have incorporated the earth-friendly products into our lives and find value in using them.  Not only do they work great, but they also lack harmful chemicals.

In continuing to go with the trend, our new earth-friendly product is Ecos Earth Friendly Products.  The company is exceptional when it comes to their quest to be green.  They maintain their four manufacturing centers across America; where they recycle wastewater and source their ingredients domestically.  All Earth Friendly Products are made with replenishable and sustainable plant-based ingredients, making them safe for people, pets and the earth. 

The products we carry include: Dishmate (Almond and Grapefruit), Creamy CleanserToilet Cleaner, Floor Cleaner, Wave Auto Dishwasher Gel and Powder, Furniture Polish, Ecos Free and Clear Laundry Soap

Take a look Earth Friendly Products website.

Guess what company is a new member to not only the BusinessWeek top 25 Customer Service Champs, but the top 10 on the list… you guessed it, ACE Hardware. None of the other home improvement chains made the list of course. Here is a link to the BusinessWeek video featuring ACE Hardware’s #10 finish.

http://feedroom.businessweek.com/?fr_story=FRdamp250708

We just received the line of Fresh Wave Odor Neutralizing products that Peggy discovered at the Fall ACE show in Denver.  She has tried every air freshener/odor neutralizer in our housewares section to no avail.  She purchased this product at the show and placed it next to her litter box in her laundry room; this area as always been a problem due to her three cats.  Since she’s been using the Fresh Wave Crystal Gel the smells of her cats are nowhere to be smelled! 

Fresh Wave Odor Neutralizing Products come in a variety of products, from candles to Pearl Packs.  All their products contain a mixture of soya, purified water and natural extracts of lime, pine needle, aniseed, clove and cedarwood.  The exceptional thing about Fresh Wave is it’s earth-friendly, natural, effective, yet still safe for using practically anywhere, even on your hair!  

Visit our store for Fresh Wave or for more information visit www.fresh-wave.com.

Are you tired of cleaning with harmful chemicals?  With many of us striving to live our lives more “green,” Green Works cleaners adds in this push.  Green Works cleaners are all natural powerful cleaners.  The Green Works products were developed with three core principles in mind: a product that was sustainable, biodegradable and not tested on animals.

Green Works cleaners are 99% natural and work the same (or even better) than the traditional cleaners that contain harsh chemicals.  Currently Green Works has an all purpose cleaner, toiler bowl cleaner, glass & surface cleaner, and a dilutable cleaner.

Look in our cleaning aisle (aisle 10) for these new upcoming products!http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/