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Why the Do-It-Yourselfers' First
Home Improvement Tool of Choice
is the Internet
An Increasing Number Of
Homeowners Turn To Online
Shopping Before Tackling
Improvement Projects Or Making
Purchases For The Home
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(ARA) - How many hours did you
spend at the local home
improvement store last weekend?
If you're like many
do-it-yourselfers, you've likely
spent countless hours searching
the aisles looking for ideas and
the items needed to complete
that long overdue home
improvement project. But for
every homeowner that went
through the hassle of searching
the shelves, there's another who
accomplished the exact same task
in less time, thanks to a bit of
high-tech research.
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According to Jay Shatz, producer
for the Do It Yourself (DIY)
Television Network, more
consumers than ever before are
logging onto home improvement
web sites. In fact, in response
to increasing consumer demand
for online product and contact
information, as well as
instructions on various home
improvement projects, the DIY
Network now offers "web-extras"
on its site at www.diynet.com.
"These web-extras consist of
additional instructional video
footage that appears only
online," says Shatz. "The
majority of the site's
additional information focuses
on the two most popular areas of
home improvement--gardening and
indoor projects."
INDOOR PROJECTS
So, whether remodeling inside or
out, the Internet offers
numerous resources. Let's start
inside the home and work our way
to outdoor projects.
The Kitchen
The kitchen is likely the most
popular room in the house, and
also the most frequently
remodeled. Kitchens serve as
gathering places for dinner, as
well as the room where family
members often times chat,
complete homework and pay bills.
That said, proper lighting is an
essential part of a
well-designed kitchen.
Homeowners looking to change the
lighting in their kitchen or to
improve the décor can visit GE
Lighting's Virtual House at
www.GELighting.com/virtualhouse.
The site allows consumers to
identify ways to incorporate
better light into their own
homes by taking an e-tour.
This exclusive concept house -
designed by a top lighting
specialist at GE - offers a
number of interactive features,
including advanced 360 degree
IPIX? technology, which gives
viewers a real-time room-by-room
experience. The Designer Notes
section offers a detailed
account of the design process,
tips and an overview of the
final lighting effect. Or for
those who would like to try out
different techniques for
themselves, visitors can click
on the Virtual Lighting Designer
option to compare lighting
options through on-line,
interactive product
demonstrations.
If you are less interested in
aesthetics and more concerned
about saving money on your
electric bills can obtain
energy-efficient information
using several online tools, such
as the new online GE Lighting
Auditor or GELA (gee-lah). With
a few simple keystrokes,
consumers using the GELA program
can calculate lighting usage,
compile a personalized report of
more energy-efficient options,
and discover how much money they
could save by implementing the
suggested energy tips.
The Bathroom
As the second most often
remodeled room in a home, a
bathroom makeover is all about
luxury. In fact, consumers spend
about $4.8 billion each year on
bathroom remodeling projects and
accessories. So, if you're
thinking about tackling a
bathroom project, a great place
to turn for help and advice is
the National Kitchen & Bath
Association. Their site,
www.nkba.org, concentrates on
remodeling tips and ideas for
the bathroom and serves as an
excellent source for first-time
homeowners.
And, if you're dreaming of
remodeling your bathroom but
don't want to spend hours at the
store searching for those
perfect fixtures, Moen's web
site module called, 'Design Your
Own Bathroom, allows users to
create several different design
and color schemes for the
bathroom from the convenience of
their own homes. Located at
www.moen.com, this module
complements existing sections
for consumers to 'Design Your
Own Kitchen,' 'Design Your Own
Vertical Spa,' 'Design Your Own
Faucet,' as well as view other
tips and trends in kitchen and
bath remodeling.
OUTDOOR PROJECTS
Once you have completed your
indoor projects, it's time to
move on to the outdoor
improvements. These tasks can
range from, painting an entire
home, to building a deck, to
installing a driveway or even
installing a security system.
Consumers can obtain helpful
information and tips from the
following online sources:
Painting
Imagine your home painted in
over 100,000 different color
combinations. Sounds impossible,
right? Well it isn't thanks to
www.doityourself.com. With help
from this site and a photograph
of your home, you can see
first-hand, without ever picking
up a paintbrush, exactly what
your home would look like by
utilizing the Power Painting(TM)
feature. Also, home improvement
repair experts host community
forums where they share valuable
home improvement tips and
information.
Security
When it comes to protecting
property, many consumers feel
the hassle and expense of
installing a complicated
security system outweigh the
benefits. However, easy-to-use,
easy-to-install GE Security and
Surveillance devices offer
consumers the ability to create
their own level of security by
using several units together or
separately, in one room of the
house, or throughout the entire
home. Cameras transmit up to 300
feet, allowing consumers to
monitor the driveway, see who is
at the door or even watch
children playing, all from one
location. The small lightweight
device can also easily be
mounted on a desk, wall or
ceiling. For more information,
visit www.GELighting.com.
Decks
In recent years, the popularity
of home decks and gazebos has
grown enormously. However,
rather than hiring a
professional to build a dream
deck, many homeowners are taking
on the project themselves. For
step-by-step guidance throughout
a gazebo or deck building
project, including specific help
in areas like sizing footings,
selecting lumber, multi-level
decks and roof framing,
www.bestdecksite.com offers
plenty of information.
So remember, before tackling
that home improvement project it
pays to log onto the Internet.
The web is constantly evolving
and proving to be an instant
library of endless information
that can serve all age groups,
genders and interests.
Courtesy of ARA Content
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