In the age of online shopping, I’m guessing that we would rather just stay in the comfort of our own homes, browse through our favorite online shopping platforms and wait for the building supplies we ordered to be shipped to our address. While this is extremely convenient, and unfortunately our most sensible choice, for safety’s sake since the spread of the pandemic. People tend to miss out on exploring your local hardware stores and taking in some of the wisdom that the hardware store staff and customers have to offer.

But for those in the Cavite area, you will be delighted to know that as restrictions finally loosen up, you will be able to explore and find the many hidden gems that hardware stores in Cavite and other areas that will enter alert level 1.

This article contains a short list of the hardware supplies other than the traditional tools and building materials you may consider hidden gems to look for the next time you decide to explore your local hardware store:

House Plants.

Yeah, I know, I was also pretty surprised when I first found this out. While a hardware store will not have the same diversity and variety of stock as a plant nursery, you can expect two things, the plants on offer will be very affordable, and the species that are sold at hardware stores will most likely be suitable for those of us who have not been blessed with the gift of a green thumb

Clamp lamp

This particular fixture is something I find to be quite versatile in its applications if equipped with the proper type of light bulb, you can use it to light your desk or study space, as an affordable alternative to a ring light, or my personal favorite as lighting for an indoor garden, preferably with the same house plants you got from the same hardware store

Various Exotic Paints and Primers

If you search thoroughly enough, you might find that your hardware store stocks more than just your generic can of paint or primer, there exists a plethora of different types of paint with unique properties, from paints that dry into a rubbery surface to paint that can be used as a chalk board surface upon drying, to magnetic paint, in this day and age the sky’s the limit.

Anti-Slip Spray

As the name suggests, this miracle of chemical science allows for slippery surfaces to have traction, for those of you with hyperactive children, this could possibly come in handy to lessen the risk of them taking fall damage.

Glow in the Dark Duct Tape

On its own, duct tape is already a marvelous invention, that you can do pretty much anything with, from quick repairs, to some creative arts and crafts, but what could possibly make it better? That/’s right, making it glow in the dark for some extra visibility especially at night.

While this is by no means an extensive list, I wish you a lot of fun exploring the many Isles of your local hardware store in search of many more hidden gems. Happy hunting