Gandy’s Home Hardware Store

i make the trip here from downtown because it’s the best

We ordered something off
and they sent the wrong item to this store, where we were picking it up (not the store’s fault!). The store dealt with the problem super professionally, made it right immediately and we were super pleased with the A+ level of service they gave us. Totally recommend.

A classic neighbourhood hardware store. I came for a putty knife and quickly found it thanks to the numerous helpful staff — so much better than a big box!

Good service. Really, impressive, 3 hi’s and 2 ‘how can I help you’?.
They’ve got a decent light and kitchen equipment, a few aisles. Lots of single coffee machines for the supposing bachelor’s in the area.
Amex good.
They’ve been in business since 1946.

This store is small compared to my regular one near Edmonds area, however, came here, once again, since I was on the way to a UYE and wanted to browse mainly for nostalgic more than anything as I had memories of my dad and I walking through Home Hardwares on Sunday’s for renos and house work. I was my daddy’s little construction helper. I miss those days and it is old school branches like that take me back. It is tight but organized.

Excellent, I might say, patient service by very educated personnel. Wide variety of items at decent prices.

this store has been in my hood forever and I am a home owner and construction dude. this store has lots of useful things at reasonable prices. They price matched big box store prices when I brought the ad and it doesn’t hurt that the cashier is really nice, helpful and easy on the eyes. We have to support these kinds of stores because I remember once they were closed down for a month of so and everyone was complaining about how they have to go farther to get this and that. they got lots of glues, housewares, lights, hooks, heaters, etc, if its caulk you want, they even have caulk, PL, silicon, latex, wood colour silicon. its crazy yall

Every time I have needed help, the guys in this store have been patient, helpful and attentive. It’s so nice to have small town, friendly service in the big city.
I can’t comment on the prices as I usually just pay whatever an item costs — as my only other option is to drive to Home Depot and it’s not close by so the I’m okay paying for the convenience of being able to stay in my neighborhood.
The isles are jammed with lots of stuff and it can be a bit of maze to look for your item but I think this is part of the store’s charm! It’s kind of fun checking out all the stuff because the store often brings in seasonal items that are good spontaneous buys like folding lawn chairs and fry pans.

This place is great. Bless them. An oasis of sanity right in the middle of Kitsilano, which is not renowned for its good sense, humility, fair prices, or non-​douchebags.
All of the DIY stuff I’ve ever needed has been in stock in this little store, even when my queries at Home Depot were answered with dead eyes and «Yeeeah, I don’t think we sell that here.»
The staff at Gandy’s are very helpful and polite, and have always been able to help me find what I’m looking for or suggest workable alternatives.
Please stay open forever, Gandy’s. You are good. Also, if you leave, some store dedicated to yogawear for babies will likely open in your place.

Sadly, that old hardware charm has disappeared. I went in today at 5:50 and was directed to someone who could help me. She initiated the conversation by letting me know that the store would close in 5 minutes.
I needed advice about which part would need replacing on an item, and she indicated that she would be unable to help me. Under previous management, I would have received a great deal more support.
Sadly, we have lost a store that was very supportive of customers.

I love the fact that Gandy’s still has a bit of that old-​school hardware store charm. The staff are friendly, and they have a little bit of everything. It’s a very convenient location if you live in the area and I often stop off here to pick up some reasonably priced light bulbs or other domestic necessity.

They have re-​opened with friendlier staff

Great little hardware store. Very friendly staff, but sadly, just went by and found that they have been padlocked and are in receivership. What happened? Terrible loss to the neighbourhood.

The closest hardware store to home — the staff always know their product line and where stuff is.

Okay, I’ll probably get ribbed for telling tales out of school but here goes…
I have had Gandy’s on my «chores list» for a couple of weeks and tonight was the night. It’s such a handy spot and has a lot of stuff that you just can’t find anywhere else close by. I’m generally grateful that this store exists and I drop in a few times a year.
So tonight, my usual good mood was stopped dead in its tracks and left me with a big question mark — WTF?. Here’s what happened:
While the young clerks in the back were more than helpful, the girl at the checkout was ridiculously rude. As I paid my money, I merely smiled — and in return I received a glare that was so full of hatred that I almost fell over. Immediately following this, as I was gathering up my things on the counter (and, no, I wasn’t being slow or retarded), the clerk leaned in her chair and reached past me to the fellow waiting as if I was holding up a long queue. There was no queue and the fellow had only just arrived as I was about to leave!
Sheesh!

I’ve always had a fascination with hardware stores because of the random and oft surprising things they carry. Not remotely handy in any sense of the word, one would think hardware stores would alarm me. Wrong! At least, not this one. The staff is young, helpful, sympathetic to my utter non knowledge of appropriate wattage and washers etc plus they have kicky fun home things that you don’t know you were missing until you happen upon them. For example: went to get a key cut, left with retro style multi-​coloured tiki lights for my patio. Once I needed some light bulbs and I left with a cheeky floor mat.
Whether you need advice, simply need to purchase hardware or suddenly decide you can rewire your living room, I strongly recommend this is your first stop. It is small but packed with wondrously helpful (and fun) things.

I’m not what you might called «handy» but recently I had dire need of Home Hardware on 4^th. I relate the following to demonstrate the useful though not perfect, stock range and staff expertise:
Some time ago, the hinge bust on our lovely oak toilet. I immediately leapt into action and a bare four weeks later found wandered over to HH and bought some duct tape and stuck it down so it wouldn’t slide off the porcelain at the slightest movement of a quivering buttock (sorry for the image). I do most of my reading in there so comfort is a must.
More time passed, as it often does, and I took a look at the unnecessarily sturdy bolts holding the remains of the broken hinge in place. Wouldn’t you know it? They were neither Phillips nor slot heads but a uniquely square headed screw only found in Canada the name of which currently escapes me. Spot the immigrant. So off I limped, (having recently been ejected from my bike by a octogenarian in a pickup but that’s another story), to the hardware store to buy a uniquely Canadian screwdriver to deal with it. I bought two sizes out of nicely displayed wall of tools just to play it safe and limped (more painfully this time) home again.
Both turned out to be the wrong size. Not surprising that it was both as, despite being apparently radically different sizes, closer inspection revealed they had the same head size. (HH loose points here for not mentioning that).
I hobbled back to the shop to find out I was dealing with a screw head size hitherto unknown anywhere, inside or outside Canada (according to smiling, friendly but ultimately unhelpful staff this time around). An HH type dude gladly refunded the money with a mere flicker of «we’re dealing with an idiot here» in his eye. They suggested a vice grip and assorted pliers and so once more I headed for home dragging my now nearly useless leg behind me.
After a protracted, violent and ultimately fruitless struggle with the bolts, I lay on my back, shuffled under the toilet and discovered that years of misdirected urine had rusted the nuts to the bolts and fixed them in place as surely as if they’d been welded.
Clearly WD40 was in order.
Now crawling on my hands and knees I fought my way back to the hardware store and bought some of the cure-​all wonder-​lubricant. If there’s one thing life has taught me, its that all problems can be cured with either duct tape, WD40 or prozac. In fact you can categorise any problem by figuring out which of these three will fix it. This was clearly going to take all of them before the end.
I don’t remember the trip back from the hardware store. I think I blacked out once or twice.
I sprayed the bolts, the nuts, the seat and most of the room for good measure and left it to soak in for, oh I’d say two or three weeks. Then once more set upon the oxidised bolts with pincers, pliers, vice grips and ill-​advised optimism.
Of course they were now not only fixed as firmly as ever but very slippery as well and nothing will take the skin off your knuckles like sliding off the top of a toilet and slamming into a cistern. Repeatedly.
Anyway, long story short, (too late?) I forked out for a Makita power drill, and, convinced I was about to shatter the entire fitting at any moment, successfully drilled out the whizz-​rusted bolts.
Here’s where HH failed. No decent toilet seats. Off to IKEA. They did however have a treat for my dog that’s always a plus.
I’m telling you, if I was a Viking they’d be singing about this for generations.
Not only that but it proves you can fight the cistern. (sorry).

Say you’ve got some errands to do: find a new party dress, buy a hostess gift, book an airline ticket, and find some wood glue. Kitsilano Fourth Avenue is a magical place where such things are possible.
I recently needed said wood glue to repair some poor-​decision Craigslist kitchen chairs. It had been on my list for weeks and when I saw this location I nipped in quickly and found what I needed. No hassle and at a reasonable price.
Like Nadine I’ve found good presents here too. Hardware stores generally sell useful things, so it’s a great stop for anyone hard-​to-​shop-​for.
Service is nothing special. I’ve been greeted and offered help here to varying levels on different visits. But hey, if the staff is busy helping other customers I’m fine with wandering the aisles (in this not especially large store) on a little DIY reconnaissance.

Home Hardware does carry your basic home repair type items, like paint brushes and tools. But what’s more fun is some of the other things they carry like, Le Cuistot cast iron cookware like the one I bought my wife for her birthday last year. Yes, I shop for gifts at Home Hardware. Service can be a little gruff at this Home Hardware location, but it’s a good reminder that you are actually in a hardware store.