About Home Facts Atlas

Home Facts Atlas is a reference for people who own a home in the United States. It answers common questions in four subjects: pests, heating and cooling, windows, and water damage and mold.

What the answers are built on

Each answer names the public sources behind it: federal agencies such as the EPA, the Department of Energy, and the Census Bureau; model building codes; university extension services; and standards bodies. The sources are listed at the bottom of every answer, and each answer shows the date it was last checked against them. How answers are checked describes the process, and Sources we rely on lists the publishers the answers cite.

The same house can need different advice depending on when it was built, the climate it stands in, and the fuel it burns. The home page starts from that: nearly half of the country’s homes were built before 1980, according to the Census Bureau.

What this site is not

Home Facts Atlas does not repair, install, inspect, or treat anything, and it does not employ contractors. It is not a licensed contractor in any state. Answers are general information, not legal, medical, or engineering advice.

Each subject has a “Get help” page with a phone number that connects callers with independent service providers, or with companies that book appointments for them, in the caller’s area. The site is paid for calls that meet the call network’s conditions, such as a minimum call length. How this site is paid for explains the arrangement.

Bylines

Pages are published under the site’s name, Home Facts Atlas, rather than individual bylines. The site does not publish reviews or testimonials, and it does not rank or recommend individual companies.