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Wouldn’t it be nice to have a home improvement expert by your side when you’re planning and shopping for your next DIY project? Well, you may be in luck. Both Lowe’s and The Home Depot are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to try to fulfill that dream. They’ve created AI assistant tools designed to help guide customers through home improvement projects.
“Home improvement can be complex for even the most experienced DIYer. Our vision with Mylow—the first AI-powered home improvement virtual advisor—is to empower customers to overcome challenges and realize their home improvement aspirations,” says Chandhu Nair, Lowe’s senior vice president of technology. Coming in both desktop and mobile versions, Mylow is available to MyLowe’s Rewards loyalty members.
Anyone can access The Home Depot’s Magic Apron AI tool. “Home Depot customers have always relied on the expertise of our orange-aproned associates in the aisles of our stores to answer questions and help them solve problems,” says Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of customer experience and president, online. “Magic Apron is designed to bring that same expertise to the digital world.”
How did I test the new AI project planning tools?
As a remodeler, I felt these AI tools would immediately fall into the category of “sounds too good to be true,” so I was skeptically curious whether the AI home improvement assistants generated clear and accurate information. I also wanted to know if it was really just a product sales tool disguised as help. So my husband, Mark Clement, and I used our 25 years of home improvement experience to test both tools, asking them four popular how-to questions to check for accuracy, completeness, and safety issues:
- What do I need to stain a wood deck?
- What do I need to paint an exterior door?
- What do I need to replace a bathroom faucet?
- What do I need to install crown molding?
Here’s what we discovered.
Are the AI home improvement assistants easy to use?
After learning that the Mylow AI tool is available to MyLowe’s Rewards loyalty members, we found the link easily. It’s in the menu bar, and goes to a page with prompts for seasonal project questions and a space to “Ask Mylow” a question that’s less than 150 characters. Entering a question is easy.
The Magic Apron was a little harder to suss out. It’s not on the menu bar or home page. On both mobile and desktop product pages, there’s a section in each product page that’s called “Ask about this product.” It says it’s AI-generated with an orange hexagon that I saw on the announcement for Magic Apron, so we thought that was the Magic Apron. However, there’s another orange hexagon that appears on the bottom right-corner of the desktop web page. When I opened that second one, it’s clearly labeled Magic Apron. Still, I typed the same question in both spots and received two different answers. Only the bottom right-corner desktop Magic Apron provided links to suggested products.
Do the AI home improvement assistants provide accurate answers?
This is a tough question to answer. As any experienced DIYer can tell you, every project is unique. It’s tough to provide the exact answer to a homeowner’s specific situation in a how-to article or in an AI response. There’s always something unique happening. Setting that aside, we compared the directions provided by each AI assistant with the steps we’d cover in a home improvement how-to article for BobVila.com or our website MyFixitUpLife.com.
We found that neither AI assistant was thorough. However, Mylow provided clearer and less problematic directions and it seemed less like AI. For example, we asked “What do I need to stain a wood deck?” Magic Apron’s step 1 included “Rinse thoroughly with a garden hose or pressure washer.” This could be problematic for anyone who has never used a pressure washer, as there wasn’t any advice on using a pressure washer and a novice could wreck their wood deck if they use a pressure washer incorrectly.
The Mylow answer only suggested using a hose, which eliminates the potential skill problem. Still, a pressure washer would be the better choice for those who know how to use it.
When we asked about painting an exterior door, Mylow guided us to remove the door or prop it open. Magic Apron did not instruct us to prop it open with a wedge if we were painting it in place. While we found that the steps provided aren’t wrong, they just aren’t complete. Using the four questions we asked as the basis for comparison, the Mylow was more helpful than Magic Apron.
“Whether you’re asking, ‘How do I fix a leaky faucet?’ or ‘What do I need to build a deck?,’ Mylow gives clear, conversational answers and links straight to the right products so customers can move from question to action with confidence,” says Nair. And we found that to be true.
Are the recommended products appropriate?
The product recommendations for each question in the Mylow tool were accurate to each project. It is clear that a human has helped guide the product suggestions that are included in each answer. However, we would have included more products for each answer. When we asked about staining a wood deck, we were given a sander suggestion that’s corded—appropriate for sanding a deck—but not sanding pads. Paint rollers were suggested, but not a paint roller frame or tray. While these are obvious to an experienced DIYer or professional, a new DIYer might not know they need them.
The Magic Apron product recommendations are often problematic. For staining a wood deck, the instructions included “Secure loose board with deck screws.” The link for deck screws included hidden fasteners, which are impossible to use after decking is installed. The cleaner for the deck linked to a page of laundry detergent. The paint roller link included J rollers. The stiff bristle brush link included wire brushes that can wreck wood and stain a cedar deck.
When we asked Magic Apron about the bathroom faucet, we were instructed to “Use a bucket to catch any dripping water.” The link included mop buckets that janitors use, which are way too large for a sink project. The plumber’s tape link included galvanized pipe hanger straps. The wrench link included a 16-inch spud wrench that iron workers use to align bolt holes in steel erection for skyscrapers. I could go on…
So I asked a rep at The Home Depot about the search results, and I was told that they are planning to refine the results to best serve their customers and build technology to meet their needs.
Is there an indication of how long a project takes?
No. Neither AI assistant indicated how many hours a project might take or how much time we wouldn’t be able to use our sink, door, or deck. For a new DIYer, not knowing how long it actually takes to stain a deck or paint a front door could be problematic, as they might think they can start to stain the deck the day before a party or may end up being without a door overnight if it isn’t dry by the end of the day because they started at 4 p.m.
Many new DIYers unfortunately see makeover shows, from which they might expect that a home project is easier than it is quicker to complete. While you might see a few carpenters or an electrician in the background on a home makeover show, you usually see only the on-camera designer or carpenter, who typically do little of the work. And you don’t usually see everyone who is working on the project (like us), as well as numerous production assistants and other pros who speed up the work.
I hope that both AI tools include a time estimate feature in their next update.
Would I recommend these AI tools to a DIYer?
Yes, with caution, I would recommend using these AI tools as a starting point for planning a project. However, I wouldn’t use them without doing other research into the project. While the overall instructions follow the basic steps of a DIY project, they provide only the basics of what to do without explaining why. And there’s no link to other how-to instructions or tips on how to use tools like a sander or pressure washer. Not providing these follow-up details leaves a new DIYer with missing information.
