1 Exhibit 17.5 WILLIAM BLAIR & COMPANY LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY April 12, 2000 Mr. Stephen G. Schafer Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss One Woodward Avenue Suite 2400 Detroit, MI 48226 Dear Mr. Schafer: Due to a variety of projects which I have recently undertaken at William Blair & Company, I would like to resign from the Board of Directors of D.I.Y. Home Warehouse, Inc. effective immediately. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, /s/Mark A. Timmerman Mark A. Timmerman /bk 222 WEST ADAMS STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606 312.236.1600