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About & methodology

This site exists because "how many do I need?" is the most expensive question in a home project — answered wrong, it costs a second trip at best and a short material order mid-job at worst. Our answer: calculators that show their work.

How each guide is checked

Every calculator is built from the formula first, the interface second. Before a tool is published, its worked example is computed by hand and matched against the tool's output; coverage rates (thinset per bag, compound per bucket, concrete per footing) are taken from manufacturer charts and standard trade practice, and each page names its sources at the bottom. Pages carry a real published date, and corrections sent through the contact page are checked against the published data before anything changes.

What this site is — and is not

It is a planning tool. Counts are estimates for ordering materials: your yard's actual board lengths, your soil, your local code and your layout pattern all move the final number. It is not engineering advice, and stairs, decks and fences must meet your local building code — when a page quotes a code figure it names the source so you can verify it locally.

How the site grows

Tools are added in researched waves: a calculator is only built where its search demand is measured and no dedicated, quality tool already serves it. Each new wave ships with the same depth — formula, worked example, diagram and sources — never a thin page.