The Fountain app connects you with home improvement experts right when you need them

The Internet has revolutionized home improvement in a lot of ways. On the most basic level, increased availability of information has made it easier to do things yourself, and tackle projects that would otherwise require a professional. You can learn just about anything on YouTube, WikiHow has an article for everything under the sun, and theres a forum for practically any other question you might have. The only problem is that, while the Web is great for finding facts and documents, it often falls short for more nuanced questions like, why is my faucet leaking? or does this air filter look clogged?

Fountain an brand new app that recently launched in Beta form aims to solve this problem. Rather than forcing you to scour through forum threads and crowdsourced answer sites, or set up an appointment with a local service professional, the app allows you to video chat with a credible home improvement expert precisely when you need to.

The first thing youll see when you fire up the app is a simple question: What are you stuck on? Answer this question however you like, and Fountains artificial intelligence engine will analyze your responseand then provide you with a curated list of experts who can provide some insight.

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From there, youre free to initiate a one-on-one HD video chat with the expert of your choosing but its more than just a simple Skype call or Google Hangout. The app also allows you to snap photos, annotate themto point out specific problems, and even share links and other relevant information to paint a clearer picture of what youre trying to accomplish. Its basically a faster, more immediate way to get a professional in your house. Instead of calling up somebody you found in the yellow pages and waiting for them to show up at your house, you can connect almost instantly over the web and bring them into your home virtually with the help of a mobile device.

Currently, the app itself is a free download (once youre invited), but each question you ask costs five bucks. But its not exactly a flat fee either your five dollars buys you a certain amount of talk time with an expert, and the time limit varies depending on what youre inquiring about. Youll getabout 15 minutes for Gardening and Plumbing advice, 12 minutes for Appliance repair, and 10 minutes for Interior Design. If you need more time, it goes in $5 increments.

That might sound a bit steep for a mobile app, but when you consider the fact that an in-person service calls can often cost quadruple that amount per hour (if not more), five bucks starts to sound pretty reasonable especially if the service is immediate and on-demand. Find out more or sign up for the Beta program here.

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The Fountain app connects you with home improvement experts right when you need them