Just thinking about the work involved in planning, lining up reputable contractors and determining whether I can do any of the work myself has given me a pain that rivals my worst New Year's Day headache.

In an effort to find some relief, I turned to the Internet, and in little more time than it took to draw up my wish list of spring projects, I found a Web site that will help homeowners everywhere make informed choices when they get serious about home renovations.

The site is www.GoPro.ca, part of Canada's GoPro Network of Web sites for the construction, renovation, decorating and maintenance industries. For those new to the Internet, it's best described as a "portal'' site because it acts as a gateway into dozens of related sites that contain all kinds of valuable information for folks with home renovations on the radar screen.

When you land on the GoPro site, you have immediate access to about 50 additional sites that can help you with everything from painting, papering and window and door installation, to flooring, bathrooms and upholstery. Be forewarned, however, that some, including hometheatre.ca and renovations.ca, are under development, so you won't find much information; not yet, at least.

Still, GoPro sites that are up and running are chock-full of useful advice, links and directories that will help you find contractors, building materials, tools, advice and equipment. Knowing that new windows are in the cards for our house, my first stop was www.windowsanddoors.ca, a site that bills itself as Canada's leading portal for the windows and doors industry. Under Find A Business on the home page, you can link to manufacturers, installers and retailers of storm windows, vinyl windows, wood windows, doors and retractable screens. On their Web sites, you can educate yourself about individual companies and bring yourself up to speed on their products. Don't know the difference between a slide and a single-hung window? You will after visiting some of these sites.

The beauty of the GoPro site, as with most portals, is that if you don't find what you want, links to other sites are sure to have what you need. These include associations and government sites that use the Web to serve up all kinds of pertinent information.

On www.windowsanddoors.ca, for instance, click on the Associations heading on the home page, and you can connect to the Canadian Window and Door Manufacturers Association at www.cwdma.ca as well as sites sponsored by other windows-related organizations. At the CWDMA site, you can order a video entitled "Sill to Sash'' that covers everything from window terminology and modes of heat loss to how to buy energy-efficient windows. Consumers can also order two publications, a Guide to Hanging of Doors and Windows and Window Installation Made Easier, which are available in English and French.

While you're on the CWDMA Home Page, click on the heading Web Resources for Window Buyers, and more resources dealing with window design, energy efficiency and installation will appear. Your choices include the Office of Energy Efficiency; CSA International: certified products list and the Siding and Window Dealers Association of Canada.

If flooring is a top priority in your home, go back to the GoPro.ca home page and click on floors.ca. You'll have access to information provided by a number of manufacturers of vinyl, cork, concrete, rubber and hardwood floors, including Lauzon Distinctive Hardwood Flooring in Papineauville, Que. On the Lauzon site, you'll find installation tips, complete with photographs, as well as a list of tools you'll need to install hardwood flooring. A photo gallery shows examples of various types of wood flooring styles, and by clicking on the Retailers heading, you'll find the names of retailers who carry Lauzon products in the Ottawa area.

If you'd rather deal with an association, click on the Associations heading and go to the U.S.-based National Wood Flooring Association (www.woodfloors.org) where you will learn all about the benefits of wood flooring, care of wood flooring, and repairing scratches and stains. Related flooring sites linked to GoPro's floors.ca are carpet.ca, marble.ca and tiles.ca. At kitchens.ca, you'll have access to makers of appliances, countertops, sinks, faucets and cabinets, where you can view product samples and kitchen layouts. If you want tips on how to handle a kitchen renovation, go to Associations and click on the National Kitchen and Bathroom Association in the U.S., ( www.nkba.org) which will provide you with a free workbook to help with planning and answer dozens of frequently asked questions dealing with topics such as budgeting for a kitchen renovation, hot kitchen colors and ventilating a range top on a kitchen island.

Freelance writer Randy Ray helps homeowners navigate the Web regularly in Sunday Homes.

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