Ayd Hardware is a classic neighborhood hardware store. It is closer than Home Depot or Lowe’s for many people and you get much better service.
We had occasionally used it, but tended to go to Stebbins Anderson in the Shops at Kenilworth. They usually had the odd little things that we needed that you either couldn’t find at Home Depot or had to buy way more of than you needed.
Appropriate Sizes
For example, we recently needed some window glazing compound. The small, pint or half pint size we had had lasted and been used for years. There was so little left that it dried out and we needed some more. Home Depot no longer carries that small size and so we had to pay for a tub that was at least the size of a quart or perhaps a half gallon. That will last us for decades if not centuries. We will be willing it to our children. Why don’t they carry smaller sizes?
In any case, once Stebbins Anderson closed down it hardware section, we started going to Ayd Hardware. Great little place and more convenient than Stebbins was, at least for us.
Wide selection and Specialized Items Available
What was nice about Stebbins and is nice about Ayd is that for screws and bolts and nuts you can get exactly what you need and they don’t come in prepackaged plastic packages. Plus they have sizes that the large stores don’t carry.
Great Service
And service! The people there are knowledgeable and can help you with whatever you need, give you tips on how to do things to make the job easier, or make suggestions that you wouldn’t have thought of.
For example, if you need glass, they will cut you the size you need. If they have a scrap piece left over from cutting a larger sheet, they will see if they can cut your piece from that so you don’t have to pay as much. Its exactly the same glass, so they aren’t substituting something cheaper.
If you have a window pane that is a circle or has a curved edge, they can cut that as well.
So if you live anywhere near Stoneleigh, check them out. They are at 6801 York Rd. and their phone is 410-377-0220.