Home Depot’s rough store atmosphere may trace back to a founding-era incident

Home Depot’s sawdust-like smell and unfinished, active-worksite atmosphere are associated with the brand, although it is unclear whether the smell is deliberately engineered today.

A founding-era story, presented as lore rather than independently verified reporting, says managers polished the floors before the first two store openings. The founders reportedly objected that the stores needed to feel like places of action, so forklifts were skidded across the floors and sawdust was spread around.