Editorial policy
This page explains how a guide gets from an idea to the site. Nothing is published without passing every step.
1. Choosing topics
We look for questions homeowners actually ask, using search suggestions and the searches that already bring people to the site. We only take on a topic if we can answer it from reliable sources and if it isn't already covered by another guide on the site.
2. Research and sources
We prefer primary and expert sources: U.S. government agencies (such as the EPA and the Department of Energy), university extension services and building-science research, model building codes, and manufacturers' installation and safety documentation. Other publishers are used only for context, such as typical price ranges, and we say where a figure comes from. Every guide lists its sources at the end, and claims link to them in the text.
3. Writing, with AI assistance
Drafts are written with the help of AI tools working from the research notes. We use AI to make well-sourced guides faster to produce, not to publish more pages. Drafts are not allowed to invent personal experiences, testimonials, test results or statistics.
4. Automated checks
Before a person sees a draft, it has to pass automated checks that:
- verify each factual claim against its cited source and flag anything unsupported,
- confirm the cited sources are reachable,
- compare the draft with every other guide in Home Guides to prevent duplicate or overlapping pages,
- compare the draft with its sources to catch copied passages,
- reject thin drafts that don't fully answer the question.
5. Human review
Shlomo Nachmani reads every draft in full before publication, checks the flagged claims against their sources and either approves it, asks for changes or rejects it. He is not a contractor, so guides rest on their cited sources rather than on his own trade experience. Guides about structural problems and mold carry a safety note that tells readers when to bring in a qualified professional.
6. Corrections and updates
If you find an error, please contact us. We review every report, correct confirmed errors and update the date on the guide. We also revisit guides when the underlying sources change.
Independence
Home Guides plans to carry advertising. Advertisers have no say over what we cover or recommend, and we do not accept payment for placement or reviews.