Rant: My local hardware store quit stocking the lime mortar I rely on for older brick projects.

Honestly, tracking down the correct materials for historical work just became a huge chore.

3 comments

3 Comments

Ugh, my buddy had to drive three towns over just to find someone who knew which primer to use on his old plaster walls. That local knowledge gap is real.

emma_mitchell1mo ago

It's part of this bigger thing where local shops stop carrying anything slightly niche. They just keep the basics that turn over fast. Now you have to order everything speciality online, which is a pain for stuff you really need to see or get advice on first.

drew_stone461mo ago

What gets lost is the chance to pick up skills just by hanging around. Old shops had staff who knew their stuff and would give real time tips you can't get from a product page. Now you're stuck parsing reviews from people who might have bought the wrong thing to begin with. That whole layer of practical know how is fading because there's no place for it to live anymore. Kind of funny we have more info than ever but less useful help close by.