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4) Online Resources for Home Owners


The Internet offers endless information for the homeowner, from step-by-step instructions to checklists for maintaining your home, to finding a contractor. Here are some resources for starters.


General Information Sites

Start with How Stuff Works if you want to know how items in and around your home work. Click on "Home & Garden" for home repair and improvement items. In this section you will find topics on home improvement, home cleaning, lawn & garden, appliances and more.


Home Improvement Store Sites

The Home Depot Know-How Center has videos for numerous projects. There are also articles, calculators, buying guides, project guides, and design tools. You can also get the schedule for weekly clinics, workshops, and kids workshops.

Lowe’s has a Project & Video Center filled with a how to library, buying guides, projects, interactive guides, quick tips and more. Articles, descriptions, step-by-step instructions and videos are available on many topics.

Ace Hardware has a Projects and Solutions section containing Project How-To's, Project videos, The Helpful Hardware Man's Corner, Frequently Asked Questions, and learning guides.

TrueValue Hardware has a Project Library with many helpful articles.


Home Improvement Sites

DoItYourself.com is a site that provides how-to guides and tips. It also has a hardware store. Use the site map at the bottom of the page to quickly find information on a variety of home improvement and repair topics.

Handyman USA is a site full of tips and how-to's in an easy to navigate format. The list of categories is accessible on the left side of most pages.

Hometips.com is a site that provides buying guides, DIY instructions, and other information related to home improvement, remodeling houses, home repair, decorating, buying appliances and more.

The Popular Mechanics Home How-To and DIY Central sections have step-by-step articles and videos.

The UK Flooring Direct site has great information and resources for home improvements, as well. This site shows you anyone can perform simple home improvement tasks that can not only save money, but also prevent you from spending a lot of cash on professional contractors.

The Old House Web offers a number of information and how-to articles targeted to owners of older homes. They also provide links to repair and restoration products.


Home Improvement Radio and TV Show Sites

Home improvement has become a popular source of home entertainment in recent years. Here are links to a few favorites that include informative articles and tips. Some may have annoying ads but you're used to that, right?


Specialty Sites

Theplumber.com has a plumbing FAQ, articles on the history of plumbing, a Plumbing Care & Repair handbook, and links to other plumbing sites.

The Original Homeowners Painting Guide is a site provided by Calvert Painting in North Carolina. It covers paint failures and ways to make your paint last longer.

The Paint Quality Institute provides information for homeowners including paint advice and paint tools, blog and more.

The American Hardwood Information Center is provided by the Hardwood Manufacturers Association. It provides facts, tips, and other useful advice about hardwoods and the use of hardwoods in cabinets, flooring, furniture, and woodworking projects.

When it comes to roofing, you can find information on the sites of the different roofing trade associations:

Information Edge links to sites provided by a variety of sources. We review sites for credibility and reliability, but Information Edge, of course, can't control advertising and other links on these sites. We advise ignoring pop-up ads, links to sales of products or services, and the like.