Last updated: October 13, 2026
This is our editorial policy: where our information comes from, how we check it, what we can and can’t claim, and how we fix mistakes. If a page on this site doesn’t live up to it, please tell us.
Sources come first
Every fact, figure and safety claim on HomeDampLab is linked to a source that we open and read while writing the page. We use sources in this order:
- US government agencies: the EPA, the CDC, the Department of Energy and the National Weather Service.
- State regulators and insurance departments, and the published terms of insurers.
- Manufacturers’ safety data sheets (SDS) and product labels.
- Peer-reviewed research, professional bodies and established trade publications.
If we can’t find a reliable source for a claim, we leave it out. Cost data from private companies or surveys is labeled as such, never presented as official.
What our own material is
We want every page to add something you won’t find in a generic summary. Our own contribution is:
- Chemistry checks: we read the public safety data sheets of products sold in the US and explain the active ingredient, typical concentration, pH, hazards and incompatibilities, always with the SDS linked.
- Worked calculations: dew point, dilutions, dehumidifier sizing and costs per square foot, with the formula and every assumption shown so you can redo the math.
- Free tools: calculators and checkers that run in your browser. Before publishing, we test each one against worked examples calculated by hand.
- Diagrams we draw ourselves to explain how moisture and mold behave.
What we don’t claim
We don’t run laboratory tests or carry out mold remediation in US homes, and we never write as if we had. When a topic goes beyond what we know first-hand, we present it as research based on the sources linked on the page. We don’t give medical advice or make health claims about mold; for that we point you to the EPA, the CDC and your doctor.
How a page is made
- We pick a question real people search for and check what a useful answer needs.
- We research it in official sources and safety data sheets and work out any calculations.
- We draft the page. We use AI writing tools to help research and draft; every figure is then checked against its linked source.
- Daniel Aznar reviews and approves the page before it is published.
- Each page ends with the month its information was last checked, and we revisit pages when sources change.
Images
Our images come from three places: licensed stock photos from Pexels, which don’t require credit; photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited with author and license under the image; and diagrams and charts we make ourselves. Stock photos only illustrate a scene or an object; we never present them as evidence or as the result of a test. In guides that help you identify mold or stains, we use real photos with their source, or diagrams.
Independence
HomeDampLab is funded by display advertising served by Google. Advertisers don’t choose or review our content. We don’t accept payment for coverage, sponsored posts or free products, and ads are never placed inside or above a tool’s result.
Corrections
When we get something wrong, we fix it. Significant errors are logged with the date on our Corrections page.