Home Depot launches online DIY community

Atlanta-based Home Depot announced it has launched a new online community designed as a place where do-it-yourselfers can discuss home improvement projects and share their expertise with each other.

The new How-To Community serves as more than a forum for customers, it also puts them in touch with a number of tenured Home Depot store associates from around the country who are ready to help consumers tackle their home repair projects. The new site features a “Meet Our Experts” section that spotlights the community's store associates and “What's New in Our Aisles” section highlights new product innovations. Community members ask questions, take polls, provide tips, post comments, share images and videos.  

The How-to Community features discussions organized in categories including Paint, Tools and Hardware, Garden and Yard and Do-it-Yourself and Repair.

"Our How-To Community is a gathering place for homeowners, professional contractors, product manufacturers and weekend DIYers to swap tips and share project knowledge," said Brad Shaw, VP communications, The Home Depot. "In addition to the peer-to-peer support you'd expect in this type of community, we've selected and trained some of our most tenured store associates to serve as product experts on the site a couple of days each week. The other days, they are back in the store answering questions there. Our customers will find the same level of knowledge and support on this site that they receive in our stores."

Members of the new community can earn rank and status by regularly participating on the site and offering their advice.

Visitors can access the site either through homedepot.com or directly at http://community.homedepot.com/.