How We Research

Last updated: August 2026

Here’s the process behind a typical guide, so you can judge how much to trust it.

Our process

• Start with the real question. We write to the specific thing people are stuck on, not a generic overview.
• Gather from primary sources. Manufacturer directions, product specs, and established standards come before third-party blogs.
• Cross-check and reconcile. We compare multiple primary sources, reconcile where they differ, and note when guidance varies by product or surface. When a company’s own documents conflict, we show the conflict or follow the newer, more specific document and say why.
• Show our work. We cite the sources a claim rests on and explain the reasoning, including the math behind our calculators and the source behind every result in our checkers.
• Keep it current. We revisit guides when products, methods, or sources change.

What we don’t do

• We don’t copy or rewrite other people’s articles as our own.
• We don’t fabricate test results, quotes, statistics, or reviews.
• We don’t claim first-hand testing we haven’t done.
• We don’t guarantee outcomes — surfaces, products, and conditions vary, so we tell you where results depend on your specific situation.