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How we review products
The rules every page on this site follows, in the order we apply them.
Updated October 26, 2026
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Editorial standards
1. Published figures only. Ratings, loads, alloys, outputs, warranties and prices come from the maker's own product page, spec sheet or manual. We link the page and print the date we read it.
2. No invented testing. We do not claim to have installed, measured or lab-tested a product unless we did. This site has not run a lab test.
3. "Not published" is an answer. When a maker does not state a figure, the table says so. We never fill a gap with an estimate.
4. Rival claims need a source. Every statement about a brand links to that brand's own page or to a dated published report.
5. Owner words are quoted, dated and attributed. Reviews on this site come from public review platforms with the date. We do not write reviews in an owner's voice.
6. Opinions are marked. A ranking seal such as "Best overall value" is our editorial pick, not a certification.
How we rank
A ranked list on this site weighs the published figures that matter most for that product: for a louvered pergola, the wind rating, the snow load, the alloy and the warranty against the price; for an outdoor ceiling fan, the UL wet or damp rating, the airflow and the warranty against the price. Each page states its own weights in a "How we ranked" section.
Prices
Prices are read from each maker's own store on the date shown on the page. They change. A "from" price is the lowest listed size or model on that date.
Updates
Each page carries the date of its last update under the headline. When a maker changes a figure, we update the page and keep the old figure in the sources list with its date.
