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Editorial policy
What we publish, where the numbers come from, and how we fix mistakes.
Updated October 15, 2026.
Who writes the guides
Guides and calculators are produced by the same independent publisher described on the About page. Drafts are researched and written with the help of AI tools. Nothing is published on the strength of the draft alone: every figure has to match a source we opened, worked examples are recalculated, and the calculator they point to is tested against them.
Sources we use
- Manufacturer data sheets, labels and installation instructions (coverage, carton sizes, recoat times, waste allowances).
- Government and standards bodies (NIST unit conversions, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Retailer or trade guidance only when it states a method, and it is named as such.
Each guide lists its sources at the end and each calculator lists them under “Sources & assumptions”. A claim we cannot source is cut rather than softened.
What we do not do
- We do not claim to have tested products or describe personal projects that did not happen.
- We do not invent statistics, prices, reviews or urgency, and titles say what the page answers.
- We do not accept payment from manufacturers or retailers for coverage, and affiliate commissions never decide what a calculator or guide recommends.
- We do not use AI-generated photos. Guide photos are real, credited images from Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash or Pexels.
Updates and corrections
Each guide shows when it was published and last updated, and each calculator shows when its formula and defaults were last reviewed. When a reader reports an error or a manufacturer changes a figure, we check it, fix the page and the calculator together, and update the date. Report a problem at [email protected] with the page and the numbers you used.