Last updated: November 2026. This policy describes what information this website collects, why, and what happens to it. It applies to this site only.
Information collected automatically
Like most websites, this site keeps server logs. Those logs record standard technical information: the page requested, the date and time, the referring page, the browser and operating system type, and an approximate location derived from the IP address. Logs are used to keep the site running, diagnose errors, and understand which pages are actually useful. They are not used to identify individual readers.
Cookies
Cookies are small text files a site stores in your browser. This site uses them for basic site function and, where advertising is displayed, for advertising purposes. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings at any time; the site’s articles will still read normally.
Google AdSense and advertising cookies
This site displays advertising served by Google AdSense. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a reader’s prior visits to this site or to other sites on the internet. Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to readers based on their visits to this and other sites.
You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting https://www.google.com/settings/ads. You can also opt out of some third-party vendors’ use of cookies for personalized advertising through the industry opt-out pages those vendors provide. Opting out does not remove ads; it makes them less relevant to you.
Affiliate links
Some pages contain affiliate links to retailers such as Amazon and parts suppliers. If you click one and buy, this site may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Affiliate partners may set their own cookies to attribute a purchase. What those retailers collect is governed by their own privacy policies, not this one. Full details are on the disclosure page.
Email you send to this site
If you send an email, the message and your email address are used only to read it and reply. Your address is not added to a mailing list without your request, not rented, and not sold. Messages may be kept so follow-up questions make sense, but you can ask to have one deleted.
Analytics
If analytics are in use, they are configured to report in aggregate — page views, referral sources, general geographic region, device type. The purpose is to see which guides need updating, not to build a profile of any individual reader. Aggregate reports contain no names or contact information.
No sale of personal information, no lead forms
This site does not sell, rent, trade, or share personal information with data brokers, contractors, marketing lists, or lead-generation services. There are no lead forms on this site and no phone-capture widgets. You will not be handed off to a contractor for a fee as a result of reading anything here.
Children’s privacy
This site is written for homeowners and adults handling their own home repairs. It is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has sent personal information to this site, use the contact page and it will be removed.
Data security and retention
Reasonable steps are taken to keep the site and any correspondence secure, but no website or email system can guarantee absolute security. Log data is retained only as long as it is useful for operations and troubleshooting.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as the site changes — for example, if advertising partners or analytics tools change. The updated date at the top of the page reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after a change means the revised policy applies.
Contact
Questions about this policy can be sent through the contact page.