What about Bob?

Issue Date: December 14, 2007, Posted On: 12/14/2007

By Marc Henderson

What About Bob?

For 27 years, Bob Vila has been helping people with their home improvement projects via his television program. Over 1 million people tune into his show on a weekly basis, which potentially translates into a whole lot of added home equity. Bob Vila is not just on television though - in an expansion of his brand, Bob Vila is now offering his own exclusive line of tools. This new venture was launched in October, which marked the end of Bob's endorsement of the Craftsman brand.

Bob Vila is even available online at bobvila.com. Best of all though, bobvila.com is a one-stop shop for home improvement. This web site has it all! Bobvila.com has videos, blogs, how-tos, products, forums and so much more. To fully appreciate its usefulness, take a few moments to poke around all the various pages. The site recently launched a “My Projects” section that allows folks at home to share with others what projects they are working on and to even post photos. Also included are step-by-step videos that can be downloaded and will certainly assist the novice or the pro with that tricky task at the house. Lastly, there is a new blog concerning the latest trends in home improvement, which is particularly helpful for people working in the industry.

So, who is this Bob fella you might wonder? Besides being on television, he has written an impressive eleven books. Most recently he released a book titled Bob Vila's Complete Guide to Remodeling Your Home. If there ever were an expert in the field – here he is. It is not surprising that Bob has written so many books, for his college years were spent studying journalism. Being from Miami, Bob attended The University of Florida and found his niche in home improvement journalism. This was not by accident though, but rather, he studied at the Boston Architectural Center after some years in the Peace Corp and some years of traveling. The stint at the Boston Architectural Center spurned the creation of his own remodeling company, which after working on a Victorian house in Massachusetts, led to recognition by a Boston Globe reporter. This then led to his being noted by a producer at WGBH. One just never knows where opportunity lies.

So what can Bob Vila do for you? Let's say you are looking around your home and get the itch to spruce things up a bit, but don't know where to start. This is a simple conundrum that can be solved by visiting bobvila.com and checking out the blue tabs across the top of the page. Perhaps you should start with the videos and grab an idea from there. Not only will you get ideas, you will have a better understanding after watching the video of whether or not you are qualified or committed to doing the project. It is nice to know up front what you are getting yourself into, so that way your wife, husband, or roommate is not coming back at you months later asking you when you are going to finish XYZ. Or perhaps, you are more of a reader than a video watcher. If so, check out the How Tos tab and read through some step by step instructions or reference the Fix it Guides. Here, in one location, you will find some of the best information on the web. Let's say you are getting ready for winter and are eager to use that fireplace, but know that it has not been cleaned in years simply because you truly had no idea how to go about it. This is easily solvable by going to bobvila.com and referencing the Fix it Guide on Cleaning a Chimney. Or, how frustrating is it when the garage door acts up and you are left wondering if one morning you will be unable to get the car out of the garage. Here is a chance to be proactive and check out Bob's fix it guide for garage doors. The expanse of information on this site cannot be represented in words – go check it out for yourself.

Perhaps the greatest feature on bobvila.com is the products and services tab, which includes a remarkably useful listing of showrooms. After watching some old episodes of Bob's show, let's say you are motivated to install new flooring, but really have no idea where to purchase the materials. Bobvila.com has just the resource for this problem. The showrooms are easily listed by product type and with just one click you can avoid the dreaded task of searching out a reputable retailer. Here, bobvila.com has done the legwork for you and provided instant access to quality sellers and quality products. There is nothing like getting a referral from an expert in the field, so shop the showrooms with ease and confidence.