Standards
Editorial standards for this site
These pages are written for people making quick decisions about wet houses. Here is how facts are chosen, checked, cited and corrected.
Sourcing
Which sources the pages rely on
Health and safety statements, such as mold timelines, flood cleanup precautions, carbon monoxide warnings and lead or asbestos cautions, come from federal agencies: the EPA, the CDC, FEMA's flood insurance program and the National Weather Service. Descriptions of professional drying and remediation refer to the ANSI/IICRC S500 and S520 standards. History and geography for Wichita, Topeka, Kansas City, Kansas, Overland Park, Lawrence and Shawnee come from public reference articles, which are linked at the foot of each page. A bracketed number in the text ties a statement to its entry in that list.
Explanations of how a drying job usually runs describe typical practice in the trade. Contractors differ, and where they do, the page points that out and suggests what to ask.
Boundaries
Topics and claims the site keeps out
- Kept inSafety steps a homeowner can take, honest signs that a professional is needed, and a source for each fact.
- Kept inA plain statement of the referral arrangement wherever it matters.
- Kept outAny phone number, street address, license, certification, review, rating or arrival time that has not been verified.
- Kept outQuotes or estimates for work, and legal, tax or financial advice.
- Kept outInstructions that put readers at risk, such as working near energized wiring in standing water.
Upkeep
Checking links and fixing mistakes
Each page is looked at again whenever one of its sources changes, and in any case once a year. An automated check tests every cited link; a link that stops working is swapped for an archived copy or a current page making the same point. Spotted something wrong? Say so on the call and it will be looked into and fixed. Photos on the site are illustrations created for it and do not depict any particular company's jobs or anyone's actual home.
Separation
Keeping referrals and advice apart
The operator can be compensated when calls are put through, as the about page explains. Page content is written without regard to that: no service is pushed over another, and readers are encouraged throughout to ask hard questions and get the scope in writing before anyone starts.