Oh man, I gotta respectfully disagree here. I've laid flooring in three different houses over the last five years and the big box stuff (from both places, tried both) has always clicked together fine for me. Actually, the last batch I got from the big box store was way easier to work with than the specialty shop stuff I tried once - that expensive material felt brittle and chipped on two planks just from normal tapping. I think a lot of it comes down to the specific brand and batch, not just where you bought it. The winter humidity thing is real though, I always let my planks sit in the room for 48 hours before installing. Maybe your supply shop planks were just better acclimated to your house?

Could've stripped paint with it" is too real lol. I did that once but with beer, not kombucha. Left it in the carboy for like a month cause I forgot about it. Came back and it looked like a science experiment gone wrong with this weird film on top. Took a sip out of curiosity and it tasted like if a lemon battery and a headache had a baby. Now I set alarms on my phone for everything I ferment cause my memory is trash. Kombucha's a different beast though, I feel like it goes from fine to vinegar way faster than anything else.

Oh man, that's a rough lesson to learn! A magnet trick is smart but you really gotta poke around the firebox with a screwdriver too, rust can hide under fresh paint. If the seams look sloppy or there's any flaking on the inside, just walk away next time.

Wait, your bike tires barely touch pavement for three blocks? That sounds like you're floating or something. How do you even keep balance on trolley tracks without eating it every time? I'm shook you found a path that smooth in an industrial park.

Cutting a live power line is insanely dangerous" is probably the understatement of the year. I read somewhere that even pros use rubber gloves and testers before touching anything. @kai602 sounds like your neighbor read a YouTube tutorial and thought "how hard can it be." Hope he's okay and didn't take the whole block with him.