Home sweet home

As homeowners begin to take care of those leaky roofs and unfinished kitchen remodeling projects put off during the recession, the home improvement sector is off and running. It's already been a good year--up 5 percent from 2009. The value of homeowner improvements is on track to top $117.6 billion in 2010 and $133.7 billion in 2011, according to IBISWorld.

Retrofitting existing homes to meet energy-efficient standards should be a boon to business, too. What's more, the aging population's desire to "age in place" is fueling an uptick in universal design. More boomers are bypassing assisted living facilities--for their parents and themselves--and renovating their homes to be tastefully functional and accessible. So let the hammering begin. --K.O.