Editorial standards

How the guides are sourced, how claims are checked, how corrections work, and the limits of what an independent educational publication can offer.

Updated 10 October 2026

The sun's arc over a roofA schematic of the sun's path as an arc over a small house roof on the horizon.
How the guide is sourced and kept honest.

Daylight at Home is an independent educational publication, so its value depends on how carefully it handles information. This page explains the working rules behind every guide, so you can judge them and tell us when we fall short.

How pages are sourced

Claims are drawn from primary and neutral bodies. These include the US Department of Energy and its Energy Saver pages, ENERGY STAR, the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), national laboratories, building science organisations, model code bodies, consumer protection agencies and university extension services. Manufacturers are not used as sources, because their pages exist to sell products.

Each guide lists its sources at the foot of the page, and links use the publisher's name so you can see where a statement comes from. Where a source is from another country, the page says so.

How claims are checked

A figure, date, code reference or quotation is included only after the cited page has been opened and read, not taken from a summary of it. If a number cannot be confirmed in a reliable source, it is left out and the point is described in general terms instead. Where sources differ, or where the answer depends on climate or local rules, the page says that it depends.

Prices, costs and savings figures are not published unless a named authoritative source gives the exact figure, and then it is attributed on the page.

No prices, endorsements or advertising

The site recommends no product, brand or firm, and names none. It carries no advertising and takes no payment from anyone in return for coverage. That independence is the reason the guides can describe trade-offs plainly.

Credentials

No one involved holds out professional credentials on this site. Pages do not claim hands-on installation experience, trade qualifications, a licence or insurance. They summarise what reputable sources say and explain it clearly.

Updates

Each page shows an updated date. Pages are revisited when a source they cite changes, for example when an agency revises a guide or a standard is updated. No fixed review schedule is promised, because a schedule that cannot be kept helps no one. The updated date tells you when the page last changed.

Corrections

If you spot an error, an out-of-date statement or a better source, send a note by email through the contact page. Corrections are made on the page and the updated date changes to reflect it. A significant change to the substance of a page is noted in the text instead of being made silently.

What the site does not do

The guides give general education only. They do not offer personal advice, do not diagnose leaks or other problems in a particular home, and do not endorse any firm or product. Roofing, ladders, structure and electrical wiring carry real risk, so local building codes, manufacturer instructions and a qualified professional have the final word. Most readers begin with skylights explained, which shows these standards applied.