Making the most of the great indoors (From Gazette & Herald)

Making the most of the great indoors

A few weeks ago, this column looked at sites to help you get the most out of your garden. This week, our attention turns to the great indoors, with sites geared towards home improvement.

DIYnot.com http://www.diynot.com/ - Rating 4/5

This site has a very good 'how to' section, which covers everything from stopping creaking floorboards to fitting a new front door. The advice is split into sections such as plumbing, electrical and security and each task is rated according to its difficulty and cost. At the end of each article, you can also read relevant comments submitted by other users. The additional feature of a site forum provides further opportunity to discuss DIY projects and even DIY disasters.

DIY Fix It - http://www.diyfixit.co.uk/ - Rating 4/5

Usefully, this site allows you to look for information by area of the house, eg kitchen, as well as job type, eg plumbing. The information is presented in a step-by-step format and accompanied by clear diagrams where necessary. As with most of these sites, you will also find a forum for users to share tips and ideas. The site has a light-hearted feel, with amusing animations for each section and a fun section with games to aid your accuracy and observation skills.

Dulux - http://www.dulux.co.uk/dFinity/ukretail2/ - Rating 3.5/5

This site allows you to select your desired paint combination and view the finished effect in a variety of sample rooms, including kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms. You can then print the details and order free samples of your chosen colours to be sent to your door. This is a good idea, but it is important to remember that colours do not always look the same on a computer screen as they do in real life. However, the site does have a colour accuracy adjuster which you can use to improve your monitor's settings. An obvious drawback is that, of course, you are limited to Dulux colours

BBC Homes - http://www.bbc.co.uk/homes/ - Rating 4.5/5

This site has a mixture of advice on DIY and interior design. There are also lots of examples of projects from the many home improvement programmes shown on the BBC. The DIY advice is well-presented with information on estimated duration, recommended skill level, and a list of tools required. There is also a useful set of calculators for everything from carpets to paint. The design section allows you to search for your ideal design by room type, colour, style, designer or programme. You will also find a glossary, information on buying and selling homes, a message board and TV programme information.

Just for fun: The Card Tricks Site - http://www.cardtricks.org.uk

Amaze your family and friends by learning a new card trick. This site has sections on tricks for the beginner, intermediate and advanced, as well as a section on basic card skills, such as shuffling. There is also an online card trick for you to try - see if you can spot how its done!

Do you have your own favourite site, or is there a particular subject area you think should be covered? Let us know, and we will try and include it in a future column.

Updated: 16:38 Thursday, May 22, 2003