Editorial Policy

At The Garage Log, our mission is simple and serious: help homeowners care for their garages with confidence. Doors, openers, storage, floors, ventilation, safety—every bolt matters. We bring clear, accurate, and unbiased guidance shaped by real shop-floor experience and hands-on testing. The web changes fast. Tools evolve. Standards tighten. Through it all, trust is our most valuable tool. This policy explains the ethics and processes that govern every guide, review, and how-to we publish at https://thegaragelog.com.

1. Independence and Integrity

Editorial Firewall

Our editorial team operates independently from advertising, partnerships, and affiliate relationships. No brand, retailer, installer, or manufacturer sees, reviews, or approves our content before publication. Period. We decide what to cover, how we test, and what we recommend—based on merit, safety, and performance in real garages.

Gift & Sample Policy

We never accept cash gifts. When we receive review units or temporary access to products and software (e.g., smart openers, floor coatings, storage systems, meters), they are loaned for testing and returned when possible. Consumables (like adhesives or coatings) may be fully used for objective evaluation and then responsibly disposed of. Receipt of any item does not guarantee coverage, does not guarantee a positive review, and does not influence our test results or conclusions.

Affiliate Transparency

Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you choose to purchase through those links, we may earn a commission—at no extra cost to you. We disclose this clearly at the top of applicable articles and maintain a site‑wide disclosure. Recommendations come first; monetization comes second. We never favor products because of higher commission rates. If an affiliate option conflicts with our recommendation, we will still recommend the better product and explain why.

2. Fact-Checking and Accuracy

Garage work involves safety, codes, and precision. We verify claims with a multi‑step process to keep you safe and informed:

  • Primary Sourcing: We prioritize manufacturer manuals and technical data sheets (TDS), building codes (e.g., International Residential Code as adopted locally), safety standards (UL 325 for door operators, ASTM/ANSI where applicable), and authoritative bodies like DASMA and CPSC. When possible, we conduct direct interviews with licensed installers, code officials, and product engineers.
  • Hands-On Validation: We test products and procedures in real garages—measuring force settings, checking balance, validating cycle counts, verifying coverage rates, and stress‑testing storage loads within safe limits. When a controlled test isn’t feasible, we document why and outline the boundaries of our findings.
  • Verification: All statistics, dimensions, torque ratings, R‑values, IP ratings, listings, and material specs are cross‑referenced against official documentation or manufacturer support channels. We time maintenance tasks, track costs, and record test environments to provide replicable, meaningful results.
  • Safety First: We explicitly call out hazards—spring tension, pinch points, electrical work, carbon monoxide risks, chemical ventilation—and note when a task should be performed only by a qualified professional.
  • Correction Policy: We do not stealth edit. If we discover a substantive error, we correct it promptly and add a dated “Correction Log” at the end of the article describing what changed and why. See something we missed? Tell us at https://thegaragelog.com/contact-us/.

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy

Garages demand human nuance. Feel, torque, alignment—these live in real hands.

  1. Drafting & Writing: All final articles are written by human authors and edited by human editors at The Garage Log. We do not publish articles that are wholly generated by AI.
  2. Assistance: We may use AI tools for outlining, transcriptions, grammar checks, or data structuring. These tools never override editorial judgment, testing outcomes, safety guidance, or our standards.
  3. Disclosure: If any element of a visual, data set, or diagram was generated or materially altered by AI, we will clearly label it in the caption or notes.

4. Conflict of Interest

All contributors sign a conflict‑of‑interest statement. If a writer, editor, or tester has any financial stake in a product, brand, retailer, installer, or service mentioned—or a close personal relationship that could influence judgment—they recuse themselves from that assignment. We do not allow paid editorial placements or undisclosed sponsorships in reviews or how‑to guides.

Our E‑E‑A‑T Commitment

Experience: Our editors and contributors have real, hands‑on backgrounds—garage door service, storage design, coatings application, electrical integration for smart openers, and safety inspections. We turn wrenches, calibrate force, prep slabs, and live with the results in real homes.

Expertise: We align guidance with recognized standards and best practices (e.g., UL 325, applicable DASMA Technical Data Sheets, ASTM standards where relevant, and manufacturer procedures). When tasks exceed safe DIY limits, we say so and explain why.

Authoritativeness: We cite sources, document test methods, and disclose limitations. Our recommendations are earned through repeatable procedures and transparent reasoning—never hype.

Trustworthiness: Clear disclosures. Clear corrections. Clear safety notes. You can contact the editorial team anytime at https://thegaragelog.com/contact-us/. Your garage, your rules—our job is to help you make smart, safe decisions.