Buying that fixer-upper home seemed like a good idea at the time. Now the toilet leaks, the paint is flaking and electrical wiring is sticking out of the wall. Calling the handyman seems like a good idea but there’s a small matter of pride and money.
It’s a good thing the computer is still working because there are a myriad home-improvement sites on the World Wide Web. Visitors to fix-it home pages can ask questions of professional plumbers and contractors, chat with other puzzled homeowners and order necessities on-line.
The chat on these sites ranges from simple to complex, with most folks discussing fairly common jobs, such as fixing rotting wooden doors or repairing cracked sidewalks. One always can find sympathetic ears and a little emotional support when installing a new garbage disposal looks like an overwhelming job.
Home-improvement sites are growing in popularity because more people are homeowners. Home ownership has risen to more than 66 percent of all United States families and urban home ownership is higher than ever, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Many U.S. households are planning some kind of improvement or redecoration project.
The boom in rehabbing is sending numbers through the roof at www.ourhouse.com, an Evanston-based site selling a wide array of products for the home.
“We’re getting a million visitors a month and the site continues to grow quite strongly,” said Gary Briggs, OurHouse chief marketing officer.
One of the biggest attractions at OurHouse is the Ask Mr. Fixit board, located in the site’s Advice area and featuring Chicagoan Lou Manfredini. Frustrated amateur electricians and painters post questions to Manfredini, who also appears on NBC’s “Weekend Today.”
“Lou answers everyone’s (messages),” Briggs said. “Lou’s knowledge is encyclopedic. On our customer feedback form, customers say they find the information to be really helpful to them.”
OurHouse.com is a relatively new site, having launched the day before Thanksgiving. Part of the reason the site has grown so well is its partnership with Ace Hardware, Briggs said. Visitors who submit questions for kitchen cabinets not only will get suggestions on how to install them, but can view products they can order on-line. By eliminating the need to drive out to the hardware store, OurHouse.com offers the closest thing to immediate gratification.
Some sites use a big name to draw in the visitors. Bob Vila’s home site (www.bobvila.com) features the TV repairman executing a variety of intriguing projects, including a job for Habitat for Humanity. The site has calculators and charts to help figure out how much paint to buy for a job or what size lumber to buy.
Vila sometimes answers questions himself on the bulletin board, and a whole staff of fixer-uppers spend time coaching homeowners on faucet installation and installing drywall. Vila’s “Home Again” TV show airs on WFLD-Ch. 32.
Two other sites based on television programs are at www.hometime.com and www.thisoldhouse.com. Both have extensive articles on suggested do-it-yourself projects, hints, reference material and bulletin boards. This Old House also has a behind-the-scenes tour of the popular PBS television show. Hometime offers a list of products used on the TV program, which is shown on PBS and The Learning Channel.
HouseNet’s (www.housenet.com) popular feature “Do It Yourself.Or Not?” shows the dollar and time expenditures associated with professional projects versus amateur ones. Then users can decide whether it’s worth doing the job themselves. Laying oak flooring is costly and time-consuming, the site says, so let a pro do it. Lining a closet with cedar is considered a good amateur project. HouseNet also has a popular bulletin board.
One of the slicker sites, full of interesting articles and bulletin boards, is the Better Homes and Gardens site (www.bhg.com/ househome/). There are weekend projects, a huge Home Improvement Encyclopedia, on-line home plans for featured Better Homes and Gardens houses, and downloadable wood plans for a variety of projects.
Home Ideas (www.homeideas.com) sticks to the basics: discussion boards, calculators for figuring paint, tile, insulation and other needs, and links to order brochures. If chat is what you want, visit Delphi’s Handyman Forum (www0.delphi.com/handyman/chat.html). Delphi sites require registration and a bit of navigation know-how, but once into the swing of things, visitors can take part in real-time chats with home improvement experts.
To find places to order home products, Build.com (www.build.com) offers links to a large list of manufacturers. Companies represent everything from lighting supply to home automation.
Need to specialize? Kitchen.Net (www.kitchen.net) is about kitchens and baths. The Plumber (www.theplumber.com/hillsplb.html) has an Ask the Plumber feature plus a large archive of articles on plumbing projects. Most specific of all is Toiletology 101 (www.toiletology. com/index.shtml), a place to “flush out the facts.”
Of course, there’s a danger to indulging in all these sites. View enough remodeling projects and you won’t want to stop with replacing the bathroom vanity cabinet. Pretty soon you’ll be pricing a whirlpool spa.
HELP UNDER THE HOOD
Once the house is fixed, why stop there? It’s time to tune up the car!
Car Talk (www.cartalk. cars.com) is one of the most informative and funniest sites on the Web. NPR radio hosts Tom and Ray Magliozzi present tips, contests and jokes.
The C.A.R. Show (www.thecarshow. com). A “Car Talk” clone? Maybe. You can listen to the streaming audio Webcasts and decide for yourself. Warning: This site is Java-intensive and prone to crashes.
The Family Car (www.familycar. com). Well-designed and devoid of hype, this classy site offers advice on buying cars, dealing with a mechanic and caring for the family buggy.
Handy Randy’s Repair Help (http://handyrandy. hypermart.net/). Not another one! Handy Randy has a TV show in Cleveland but he also provides a nifty message board.
Warning: annoying sound effects.
