Looking For A Family Friendly Alternative To The Summer Road Trip?

Tag : Metal Locator
Lund International (ARA) - With the price of a gallon of gas nowhovering around $4, a lot of Americans are expected to forego thefamily road trip this summer. While that's bad news for gasstations, hotels and attractions, it'll likely mean a windfall forthe home improvement industry.

Instead of spending their discretionary money on travel, the HomeImprovement Research Institute (HIRI), a not-for-profitorganization of manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers and alliedorganizations in the home improvement industry, is predictingAmericans will invest it in upgrades to their homes. Upgrades thatwill make the home a more enjoyable place to live for everyone inthe family.

Among the projects expected to be popular this summer - building abackyard deck where families can rest, relax and entertain;improving the landscaping; adding a fun backyard feature like aplayground, tree house or doll house for the kids; and a home awayfrom home for the family dog. Whether your kids are toddlers,teenagers, or somewhere in between, any of these are projectseveryone in the family will have fun doing, and just think of themoney you'll save by doing it yourself.

No matter which family project you choose, here's a simpleguideline of steps to follow:

Step 1) Decide on a project, then visit your local bookstore andbrowse their selection of home improvement magazines to get someideas. It would also be a good idea to visit your local library andcheck out some home improvement books that offer advice on how tocomplete the project you are considering.

Step 2) Visit your local home improvement store and stop bycustomer service. The people who work there should be able toprovide you with some detailed plans to follow, which will includea list of supplies and tools you'll need.

Step 3) Once you figure out which tools you'll need, decide if youwant to purchase or rent them. If the items you need are expensiveand only serve a single purpose, you'd likely be better off rentingthem. Many home improvement stores offer tool rental on site, andthe people behind the counter can offer invaluable advice that willmake the job easier.

Step 4) Figure out how you're going to get your tools and supplieshome.

"If you have a pickup truck carrying tools and materials will beeasier, but you still need to keep expensive tools and smalleritems out of the weather and secure from theft" says Frank Turnerof Lund International, one of the nation's leading automotiveaccessory manufacturers. "Most pick-up owners use a bed-mountedtoolbox from our Challenger line. Unlike heavy metal designs thatcan rust, ours are made of lightweight aluminum, and are fullywaterproof and lockable with a patented lid construction that makesthem super strong."

If you don't have a pick-up, Lund offers an entire line of cargomanagement accessories perfect for turning the family vehicle intoa 'work truck' for the day."

Among the options available:

* Hitch Rack
This is an accessory that plugs into the receiver hitch in back ofyour car or truck, adjusting from deck to roof level to supportextra long items like boards, ladders, glass and piping.

* Cargo -Logic
Lund International offers Cargo-Logic, a floor protection mat andcargo management system in-one. Featuring a molded constructionthat provides both stain and moisture protection, Cargo-Logic alsocomes with Cargo-Loks, which fasten to the Cargo-Logic liner toprotect your loose cargo in transit. You can use them to securepaint cans, tools and supplies to the floor or trunk so they won'tslide around. There's also a folding tote available you can use tokeep groceries, sporting gear and other items you need to keepupright, neat and secure.

You can find Lund products at leading automotive retailersnationwide. Log on to www.lundinternational.com for a storelocator.

Step 5) Assign tasks to family members and get to work. The bestway to get small children involved is to put them in charge oforganizing the items you'll need, such as putting hardware andscrews into piles, then bringing them to you or an older siblingwhen you ask for them. If you can afford to take the time, they'resure to appreciate getting to help you hammer in the nails or drillscrews into holes. While the adults in the family may want tohandle operating such tools as chainsaws, older children are oftencapable of handling smaller hand tools.

Once you get your project done, just think of how much fun you'regoing to have enjoying the fruits of your labor. Not to mention thememories. Most kids forget what they did on vacation from one yearto another, but years later, they'll still remember that theyhelped build the deck everyone enjoys using so much.

Courtesy of ARAcontent