LETTER FROM MATT WEBER

FROM MATT WEBER

Normally at this time of year, I write an article about home maintenance in preparation for winter weather,

when families hunker down out of the cold. This year, everyone has already been hunkering down for a long time, and we’re all fed up with it.

Nevertheless, the social distance epidemic has claimed another scalp, and it’s a big one: The 2021 International Builder’s Show. Originally scheduled to be held in Orlando, Florida, this February, it has now “transitioned to a virtual event,” which I’m sure is well intentioned but could never replace the in-person product demonstrations, learning opportunities, and networking capabilities that the convention typically offers. The International Builder’s Show is known as the largest “light construction” (as in single-family homes) event in the world and it draws thousands of exhibitors and attendees from around the globe. For years, the show has been a sprawling multi-day affair, and it’s where we launched the first issue of Home Improvement and Repair. I fail to see how that experience can be repackaged into a website.

HIR magazine will participate, though, and we’ll hope for the best virtual event possible, because when you can’t reach out and touch someone, internet technology does offer many wonders. It provides a great way to communicate news instantly and interact with others remotely.

To that end, I’d like to encourage our readers to engage with us online. You can find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HIRpub or look us up on Instagram under “Home Improvement and Repair.” Plus, we post a great deal of content between magazine issues on our blog at www.HIRpub.com. There, you’ll find news on the latest tools and home-improvement products, how-to tips, step-by-step tutorials and more. We hold regular giveaways and pass along up-to-the-minute news as we get it, which can be helpful in these ever-changing modern times.

And if you’re a pro remodeler who would like to contribute to the magazine, we’d like to hear from you as well. To show off an interesting project or share your technical knowhow with our readers, please drop me a line at Matt@HIRpub.com.

PUBLISHER JEREMY HOLLINGSWORTH jeremy@HIRpub.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MATT WEBER matt@HIRpub.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR WESLEY GLASSCO wesley@HIRpub.com ADVISORY BOARD JEFF WINKLE CHIP LOVELADY JIM BUTTERS KATHY ZIPRIK MARK CLEMENT ROB ROBILLARD LARRY CLEMENT EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTERS CARTER SWIFT TOM MATTHEWS

COPY EDITOR DIANE WEBER AD DESIGN/COORDINATION SPECIALIZED MEDIA SERVICES, INC. ads@HIRpub.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER SHANNA QUIGLEY

ONLINE/SOCIAL MEDIA DEVELOPMENT GLORIA BERRIO

Home Improvement & Repair is published by Pine Mountain Media Group LLC, 130 Inverness Plaza, Suite 226, Birmingham, AL 35242. All rights reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission. The editorial content is intended to explain and simplify home-improvement tasks. Tools, products, materials, techniques, building codes and local regulations change. We assume no liability for omissions, errors or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures.

PINE MOUNTAIN