THE Easter break might mean a few days away from the office for most people -- but that doesn't mean no work!

A lot of people, like me, will be spending the bank holidays up a ladder, painting walls, or working through their never-ending list of do-it-yourself projects.

Before you brave the crowds at the DIY store, however, it might be worth checking out the internet for some advice and inspiration.

B&Q was the company with the foresight to buy up the domain name diy.com, and they have put a nice little site behind it.

There is no shortage of information about the store's products, but it also includes features from a range of interior design and decorating publications to inspire, and practical advice to prevent DIY disasters.

Best of all, if you can't find the information you need, you can e-mail one of B&Q's own DIY advisers for help, who promise to respond to your query personally.

HouseNet is a nice American site, with lots of information on DIY projects. You can also post queries on message boards for other site users to respond to, or talk out your frustrations in the HouseNet chatroom.

http://www.diy.com

http://www.housenet.com/