The average home is now 30 years old. That means ongoing maintenance, repair and lots of remodeling is necessary. It's a great time for hardware stores which last year sold about $15 billion worth of nails, screws, paint, tools, assorted hardware and other building materials to homeowners and contractors nationwide. Which town was tops for hardware sales? Good old Chicago, smack dab in the middle, was No. 1. It had the highest hardware and building supply sales in the United States Chicagoans spent an astounding $3.8 billion on items to maintain, repair or improve their homes. Los Angeles was second with $3.5 billion. Next was (surprisingly) little ol? Washington D.C. with $2.6 billion. Atlanta was fourth and Philadelphia fifth. And that's the On The House tip for today.