84 lumber garage kits

[ericguy320]

Has anyone here had any experience with them, I need a garage and only have around 12k to spend and had planned on doing a lot of it myself. But also wanted it tall enough for a 2 post lift.

 

[Willy Victor]

The one in my area just closed. The few times I was in there I was not impressed with the operation.

Willy

 

[bmwpower]

Make that another that closed. Home Depot killed it. I don't think I ever stepped in the place. I'm pretty sure some people have used their garage kits on here before.

 

[red vette mike]

Has anyone here had any experience with them, I need a garage and only have around 12k to spend and had planned on doing a lot of it myself. But also wanted it tall enough for a 2 post lift.

I bought most all of my building materials from 84. They really aim their marketing toward builders (or at least that is how this store operates.) 84 is a big outfit that started up NE somewhere (Penn?). They are nationwide now and sales are way above $1B I believe. I did not buy a garage kit from them but bought many $thousands of building materials from them. I went by first and told them my plans and that I wanted builder's pricing-if they could give it to me. They complied and that saved me from 10 to 20% on most of the stuff I bought.

 

[toxicz28]

I know someone that used one of their kits. Not sure of the size, but it is a 2 car that can fit a full sized pickup with the tailgate down, roll up closed and still have plenty of room to walk around it. If I remember correctly, he said it cost somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000 for the kit. That was without sitework, foundation, wiring, insulation, or interior. It included; trusses framing lumber, sheathing, siding, roofing, 2 roll-ups, a walk through, and all nails, scews, etc. to put it up. He also made it high enough to put a lift in.

 

[OldCarGuy]

I purchased about $50,000.00 worth of dimensional lumber, trusses, plywood, nails, shingles, insulation, deck lumber, man doors and Pella windows from 84 Lumber. Their prices amounted to almost 20% less than the big box stores contractor’s quoted prices. They are a far better source for dimensional lumber and gave me the same board foot price for 20’ long 2x12”s as an 8’er.

 

[thefairlaneman]

I looked at the 84 kits and found they used the cheapest hardware and construction methods possible. To have the options I wanted I had to buy some surplus doors and windows and do most of the carpentry work myself. You can save alot using used materials and theres nothing wrong with a used door thats been repainted.

 

[SKINNER]

Okay, I;ll bite. I built my 30x36 garage with an 84 kit; my experience was unique to say the least. It didn't help that over the course of the 2 months I dealt with them the sales rep changed 3 times (other 2 quit), and the store manager left.

I'm an engineer at a Toyota plant so my free time is limited. Therefore, I planned to build the garage over our 1 week summer shutdown. Like I said, I gave 84 2 months of notice...but they still managed to screw it up. Somewhere in the staffing mess, the trusses didn't get ordered. So we had the garage framed in a day...but no trusses. It took until Friday to get the trusses (hourly houndings, finally expedited). On top of that, they forgot to order the windows, service door, and garage door (went to Lowes), and mixed up a bunch of my lumber (sent a 16' header for the garage door, needed 18').

All in all, I think my experience was unique. Will I use them again? Probably not. They were definitely cheaper and the lumber was decent quality.

 

[mjribeiro]

I used their basic plans, and ordered trusses through them, but I didn't buy the 'kit'

 

[jimsjinx]

Our local 84 is run by a bunch of dufuses. I built my 26x32 shop outa thier kit. I got 3 extra trusses, about 7 square of shingles more than I needed, the siding was T111 type, and stacked. When I removed the top panel, which was flawless, the ones underneath were a mess. Missing veneers and wanes everywhere. I made them exchange the bad T111. Lately, I ordered 4 boards of poplar for a high end custom bed I am building for a client. The boards were SPEC'ed at 1" thick x 8" wide x 6' long. The emphisis was made that this was TRUE measurements, and NOT dimentional. That was 5 weeks ago!!!!!! The first boards came in and were, of course, dimentional! 3/4" x 7 3/4" ! Simple mistake, I understand. But, I have now been in a fight for 3 weeks trying to get the proper boards delivered. Never once did they call me. I called them every time. That is, untill I went to the corporate level. Seems they miraculously will have my material next week. I will never, ever trust my shop needs to these morons again. They don't apply themselves to the task at hand, nor do they give a **** about the client we tradesmen are trying to accomodate. I'm done with 84 Lumber. jimsjinx

 

[Kev442]

84 lumber opened and closed in a 3 year period here.

 

[toxicz28]

How far did you go to dig up a 4 1/2 year old thread?

 

[jimsjinx]

Actually, I came to see other kits that had been built, and this thread was still there. Not looking for a fight. I was kinda suprised to see that it isn't just MY local 84 that sux, there are others. It is an oldie, and I am sorry for the negativity. Albeit all TRUE. Ahh, politically correctness. Aint it grand? Just speaking my mind. jimsjinx

 

[dwaynerz]

since this thread has been bumped back to top, have you considered or looked at coachman garage? not a dealer or employee or share holder, just giving another option for garage builders. maybe morton building too.

 

[firebird1999us]

I used to work for 84 Lumber...fun job but there's a reason they're closing. Those places just can't compete

 

[Chris Adams]

Very weird business model.
I bought from one about 50 miles away, got decent deals. They built one 10 miles away, did not stock anything. Must have been less than a thousand SKU's.
Then they built a big one, only a few miles from my house.
It closed about the same time as it's grand opening...
I know of no one who was in it.

They didn't advertise, didn't want 'walk in trade' didn't offer deals to contractors that were even competitive with Lowe's.

Too bad, I would have liked some competition to the two big boxes.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Lately, I ordered 4 boards of poplar for a high end custom bed I am building for a client. The boards were SPEC'ed at 1" thick x 8" wide x 6' long. The emphisis was made that this was TRUE measurements, and NOT dimentional.

I never heard of ANY lumber yard willing to special order custom boards out of any material. That kind of stuff usually only comes out of a custom millworks.

Recently, I was in need of some 3/8" MDF. None of the big box stores had anything less than 1/2" and some only had 3/4". Manns is about 20 miles away (past 5 or 6 HDs or Lowes), but they stock it. Last year, they were the only place that had 1x6 12' cedar. Cut in half no charge.

 

[MScott]

How far did you go to dig up a 4 1/2 year old thread?

Isn't it interesting that, if someone starts a thread on a subject that has been covered before, they get chastised for not using the search function. Yet, if they do use the search and find a thread that may not be current, someone will complain that the thread is too old.

 

[six-T-seven]

Isn't it interesting that, if someone starts a thread on a subject that has been covered before, they get chastised for not using the search function. Yet, if they do use the search and find a thread that may not be current, someone will complain that the thread is too old.

this.

 

[WVBrady]

I bought most all of my building materials from 84. They really aim their marketing toward builders (or at least that is how this store operates.) 84 is a big outfit that started up NE somewhere (Penn?)...

Trivia Fact: They started in Eighty Four, PA:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eighty_Four,_Pennsylvania

 

[billspit]

They opened and closed twice here. I can see why. They only went after the contractor business and when it went belly up, so did the store. A store that doesn't open on Saturday isn't much help to me.

 

[ymerej]

There was a local one about five miles from my house, but it closed before I moved in, so I had to go further away. Both my parents garage (that my family built ourselves) and my garage are based on 84 Lumber kits. Mine started as their 24x24 kit as a basis, but the guy simply went through the list and added up the items, modifying as necessary to suite my wants. It was no sweat to add 108" long studs, a 16'x8' door, a larger window, vinyl siding, and plywood (as opposed to particle board). The kit really amounts to a suggested list of parts to buy for the project, and they'll sell the parts at the current market price. I know the guy ugraded my man door for free simply because he had a nicer one in stock at the time, and I think they delivered for free. For a large order like this, it was much nicer than dealing with any Home Depot associate for something outside of their normal tasks despite having to drive 15 miles one way versus the 1 mile to Home Depot.

 

[jfleisher]

We had an 84 Lumber in Marysville OH, but it closed about 6 months after Home Depot opened. No huge loss...

My one experience with them was not good. I ordered a bunch of lumber & drywall for a basement remodel. Delivery was scheduled for 2pm on a weekday. I left work early and arrived home at 1:50 to find my pregnant wife dragging drywall from the driveway to the garage in the rain. They had shown up an hour early, dropped it all in the driveway, blocking her car in the garage.

 

[Colonial Cobra]

I looked the the kits and like stated above, The doors windows and trim were the cheapest available. By the time I upgraded everything the cost skyrocketed. I had Lowes and HD bid mine and had them took both bids to the other. HD took 10% from the Lowe's price and it came in a good bit under 84's price.

 

[thdewey]

I was set to buy an 84 garage kit when ours closed. I took the plan ($10-awesome) and went to Home Depot where they re-did it in their computer and gave me the same price. Then I upgraded the trusses to attic trusses, steel doors and 10' walls.

Yes the basic 84 packages are BASIC and cheap. But it can be a starting point that you can get whatever you really want.

 

[BigMike782]

Those kits HAVE to be cheap.
The average Joe that wants a garage gets a kit price but has no idea what actual products he needs.If all the guy wants is a roof and four walls to put his car and lawn mower in the kit is probably fine,for must of us garage guys it needs to be a step above.
I always worked out "packages" on paper,as though I was building it myself that way when the guy was ready to put up soffit(for example) he wasn't calling me and saying were is my ???.
I made mistakes....it happens,I always tried to fix the issue the best way possible.I remember building a truss on the job site because I missed the count.......the house is still standing and no one knows but me and the guy that built the house.

My perspective may be out of the ordinary though.......I worked in a lumberyard/hardware store where you could buy a pound of nails,a quart of paint,24' 2x12,faucet washers,have shingles delivered TO the roof or have a piece of poplar cut and planed to specific sizes and have sales people that have actually used the products they sell.
What a cool place!
13 years I will never forget.

 

[55chevr]

84 Lumber kit is sorta what I built the garage from. The store manager helped me modify their design and up grade where it made sense. He did all the material assembly and it was delivered in one drop ... you can upgrade and order Andersen windows, stanley passage door, etc. They were great ...