Home Repairs

If you have hired tradespeople lately, you know that costs for labor and materials are going through the roof. Fortunately, you have an alternative: You can do the work yourself. "Who, me?" you ask. Yes, you. Many repairs can be done by novices. See it as a puzzle, and it can be fun. Remember, you can always call in help if your repairs are not successful. According to Black & Decker, 50% of appliance repair calls are prompted because an appliance is not plugged in.

It's the type of house that first-time buyers such as Jerome Vivona and Michelle O'Steen tend to choose: It's older than they are and needs new paint throughout, along with renovations of the bathroom and kitchen. Money is tight, though, so the engaged couple decided to do much of the work themselves. But before they picked up a hammer or a paintbrush, they went straight to their personal computer, which they say has become their most useful tool for home repairs.

The young father was asking about radioactive radon gas, and William E. Belanger's voice was calm, comforting--and terrifying. "Do you have children?" the federal Environmental Protection Agency radiation expert asked his caller, pulling out his calculator. "Well, they're running a risk, let's see . . . ahhh, they're running a lifetime risk of lung cancer in one year. So that's about doubling the normal risk. . . . Yes, that's right, doubling their risk of lung cancer. In the first year, right.

The mud and floodwaters that ravaged the East Coast when Superstorm Sandy roared ashore three months ago have been supplanted by a sea of red tape, leaving thousands of residents and businesses in limbo as they await insurance funds or help from the federal government. Some have used savings or loans to get back into their homes or reopen businesses. Others remain in temporary housing or hotels, or face the winter in frigid, unfinished housing, resulting in a staggered state of recovery that bodes ill for a region trying to make itself whole again.

Homeowners with low or moderate incomes may be eligible for state programs offering grants or low-interest loans for earthquake retrofitting, officials said Monday. The California Department of Insurance is administering two programs to help homeowners pay for bolting foundations, securing water heaters, bracing walls and performing other preventive retrofit work.

The City Council is seeking special state funding to provide low-interest loans to help low- and moderate-income families make improvements to their homes. "It would give an opportunity to furnish more loans for people in the city," said May Hui, acting director of developmental services. The city is applying for more than $287,000 in funds from the state's Housing Rehabilitation program. If approved, the money would be available for improvements such as room additions and new roofs.

Supporters of state Senate Bill 339, the New Homeowner Protection Act, gathered Tuesday morning at an earthquake-damaged condominium complex to illustrate the need for tighter rules on contractors to prevent damage caused by work not done to code--as backers say happened in their case. The bill, introduced by Sen. Byron D. Sher (D-San Mateo), would require that work be performed by licensed contractors and architects be made available to check on the work in progress.

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission is postponing consideration of a $2-billion development proposal for Porter Ranch until June 8, city officials said Friday. The commission was to hear the matter and possibly make a recommendation to the City Council on Thursday. But the body must wait for a legal opinion from the city attorney's office on whether two commissioners have a conflict of interest because of investments they have made in land near the project, commission President William G. Luddy said.

Bob Wolf had his Sierra Madre house on the market for eight months, enduring a recession that drove prices down and buyers away. Then the Sierra Madre earthquake struck. As the ground shook, it was a nightmare come true for the owner of the two-story, wood-frame dwelling that is described as a "beautiful country home" in the realtor's handout, said Wolf, a former personnel executive. "I thought, 'Now the house is falling down. What do we do?' " Wolf said Saturday.

Television mega-producer Aaron Spelling and his wife, Candy, who live in arguably the largest home in Los Angeles County, have a problem. Their roof leaks. In fact, they contend in a lawsuit that the entire roof--or "roofing system" as it is called in court papers--needs to be replaced, despite the fact that their contractor told them it "would last a lifetime."