Citi Hardware

[OnMyWay]

I have never been to a Citi Hardware and they are opening one in Olongapo.  Good place??  From the pictures I see of others, it is warehouse style?

It is just starting.

[Mike J]

I have bought quite a bit of stuff from Citi Hardware in Carcar City, Cebu.  Yes, it a warehouse style store.  Reminds me a bit of Home Depot or Lowes hardware in the USA.  Photo below from the Carcar store from their website.  I assume all of them are similar in structure and inventory.  Good selections of tools, hardware, and building products, plumbing, electrical, etc.  My BIG COMPLAINT is how long it takes to check out.  Multiple people required, then a supervisor has to check the receipt checking off every item.   That being said, the floor staff is courteous, knowledgeable, and eager to help.

[Possum]

4 hours ago, Mike J said:

My BIG COMPLAINT is how long it takes to check out.  Multiple people required, then a supervisor has to check the receipt checking off every item

I notice the same at Wilcon and a few other places. 50 people standing around but only 2 cash registers in operation? I have asked why this is when an important part of any business is to collect money from customers. The answer? That's what the boss wants.

But all in all Citi is a good place to shop

Edited February 17 by Possum

[hk blues]

We have a few Citi stores but as they are not in malls we tend to buy in Ace Hardware or local hardware stores - that said on the few occasions we have been they have a lot more stock than Ace.  Without wishing to rant about Ace, IMO it is anything but a hardware store with very limited range of products and a multitude of the same products making it look well-stocked.  On the upside, the staff are relatively knowledgeable about their products. 

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Possum said:

I notice the same at Wilcon and a few other places. 50 people standing around but only 2 cash registers in operation? I have asked why this is when an important part of any business is to collect money from customers. The answer? That's what the boss wants.

But all in all Citi is a good place to shop

How do Citi prices compare to Wilcon?  Wilcon has some good stuff but you have to pay a lot, most of the time. 

We are doing renovations so we will buy a lot of stuff in the coming months.  The Citi in Olongapo will take at least 6 months, I think, but when looking at Google maps, I saw there is one in Hermosa.  It must be new as well.  I almost stopped there earlier today, on the way back from Limay, but we ran out of time.

I probably won't buy much at Wilcon Baretto, but it is a good place to shop for ideas.  Citi Hermosa is probably about the same distance.

Any tile experts here?  We have shopped for tile and found the best deals for porcelain wood look tiles at a place called Hermosa Tiles.  These are the ones we like because they have a bit of gloss, but would prefer a lighter shade.  These a a great deal so we might go with these.  I have to do some research on the quality.   Any advice on quality?

[Possum]

In my experience Wilcon has a little higher quality than Citi. When we were building we used Wilcon and Citi. Wilcon for Pozzi plumbing items, especially shutoff valves to toilets and sinks. Wilcon had a better selection of PPR fittings. For most things Citi sufficed. At any rate it is always an Easter Egg hunt for some items. I preferred to buy from local supplier when possible. They usually had some wiggle room in prices if you agreed to buy most items from them.

[Gator]

2 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

Any tile experts here?  We have shopped for tile and found the best deals for porcelain wood look tiles at a place called Hermosa Tiles.  These are the ones we like because they have a bit of gloss, but would prefer a lighter shade.  These a a great deal so we might go with these.  I have to do some research on the quality.   Any advice on quality?

I’m no expert, but over the years I’ve installed quite a bit of it. I don’t know if they PEI rate the porcelain tile here like they do in USA. The PEI rating scale (from the Porcelain Enamel Institute) is a hardness and durability scale. You’d want tile rated at least as a 3 for home flooring. 1 and 2 are thinner and better suited for walls, backsplashes, etc. Another consideration is the coefficient of friction. At least 0.06 is what you want for flooring, especially near entrance ways or other areas where they might get wet. Again, I don’t know if they label their tiles here with that or not.

In addition, when purchasing the tiles try to get the same batch numbers to help ensure color consistency between the cartons. Once again, you can only hope the cartons are stamped with the batch numbers. 

Since the houses in your development are over a decade old, I don’t think you have to worry about the foundation settling anymore. But porcelain tile is more prone to cracking than ceramic. Check the subfloor carefully for any signs of cracks or expansion and repair if needed. Even though porcelain is basically waterproof, it might still be a good idea to seal the concrete subfloor first. And of course seal the grout too . 

[OnMyWay]

14 minutes ago, Possum said:

Pozzi plumbing items

The Pozzi items like sinks, toilets, etc., seem like good quality for a good price.  Did you buy any of those?  Is Pozzi a Wilcon brand?

 

Edited February 17 by OnMyWay

[Possum]

12 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

The Pozzi items like sinks, toilets, etc., seem like good quality for a good price.  Did you buy any of those?  Is Pozzi a Wilcon brand?

 

Pozzi is an Italian brand. Where they are made I don't know but I can vouch for the quality after 3 years of use.

[RBM]

19 hours ago, OnMyWay said:

How do Citi prices compare to Wilcon?  Wilcon has some good stuff but you have to pay a lot, most of the time. 

We are doing renovations so we will buy a lot of stuff in the coming months.  The Citi in Olongapo will take at least 6 months, I think, but when looking at Google maps, I saw there is one in Hermosa.  It must be new as well.  I almost stopped there earlier today, on the way back from Limay, but we ran out of time.

I probably won't buy much at Wilcon Baretto, but it is a good place to shop for ideas.  Citi Hermosa is probably about the same distance.

Any tile experts here?  We have shopped for tile and found the best deals for porcelain wood look tiles at a place called Hermosa Tiles.  These are the ones we like because they have a bit of gloss, but would prefer a lighter shade.  These a a great deal so we might go with these.  I have to do some research on the quality.   Any advice on quality?

Around here (Bacolod) Triumph Hardware wins hands down on every level.