Image via CrunchBase
Spring is here, so it’s time to get out there and get busy making your home and yard season-ready and looking great. Need to fix your fence? Need some gardening tips for growing your own vegetables? Well you’re in luck, there’s an app for that! Here is a list of 5 great home and garden apps to get you ready for spring!
inchCalc helps you convert measurements (centimeters to inches to meters to yards, etc.) in practically no time! All you have to do is punch the numbers into the app and choose your results. inchCalc+ is an advanced version of the original, designed for architects and engineers, which allows you to solve for right triangles. You can calculate the third variable by punching in the two numbers you already have.
Device: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices
Cost: inchCalc $1.99; inchCalc+ $4.99
This app allows you to locate Home Depot stores near you, scan barcodes on items in the store for quick access to user reviews, and it lets you check inventory on 350,000+ items. Also, this app can identify the size of any nut or bolt you ‘show’ it so that you’re sure to get the right size when you go to the store. The app also has a drywall calculator which will tell you how many wall panels, screws, and roles of tape you’ll need-and it does the same thing for insulation, flooring, and paint. And, for the DIY-er, the app gives you access to tons of videos on DIY projects from painting to installing plumbing-pretty useful, huh?
Device: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, and Windows Phone
Cost: Free!
Iris is a cloud-based system from Lowes that allows users to control/run their house remotely. With the “Safe & Secure Kit” you get a hub to connect to your home’s broadband router, a motion sensor, and a few window sensors. With the “Comfort & Control Kit” you get the hub, a “smart” thermostat, and smart plugs that allows you to control certain devices (like lamps, tvs, etc.) from your smartphone. With the device and app, the basic service is free, but for $9.99/month, you can have more complex settings.
Device: iPhone, iPad, and Android devices
Cost: controller app is free (!); the cost for the device itself is around $179
This app has an encyclopedic database (25,000+ entries and 15,000+ photos for North America, UK, and Austrailia) of plants and vegetables. The app allows you to search for plants that will survive and thrive in a given environment, so if you have a barren or rough patch of ground that doesn’t seem to support any plant life, you can look for plants that will fare well in that area.
Device: iPhone, iPad, and Android devices
Cost: $4.99
5. Houzz Interior Design Ideas
The Houzz app allows you to browse and search through 500,000+ images taken from 65,000+ home designers to give you ideas for decorating your home. Searching is made easy by the option to narrow your search down by room, style, and location. You can “save” the pictures you like for reference later, and the app recommends nearby stores, designers, and architects for you to consider.
Device: iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices
Cost: Free!
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