Affiliate Disclosure

Independently researched. Last reviewed August 18, 2026 · No manufacturer paid for placement.

In plain terms: if you buy something through a link on this site, we may earn a commission, and you pay exactly the same price you would have paid going direct.

The Full Version

This site participates in affiliate advertising programs. When you click certain links here and complete a purchase, the retailer pays this site a percentage of the sale. The commission comes out of the retailer’s margin, not out of your pocket — your price is unaffected, and using our link never costs you more than not using it.

This disclosure is made in accordance with the United States Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255).

Which Links Are Affiliate Links

Any outbound link to a retailer or manufacturer should be assumed to be an affiliate link. They are marked in the page source with rel="sponsored nofollow", and they open in a new tab. Links to other pages on this site, to building codes, to standards bodies and to reference material are not affiliate links and never earn anything.

What a Commission Does Not Buy

It does not buy a ranking. Products are ranked on published specifications. The method is written down in full on the editorial policy page so you can check it against the rankings themselves.
It does not buy a positive write-up. Every pick on this site carries a “what to watch” section, including the ones we recommend most.
It does not buy inclusion. Products without a published specification sheet are not listed regardless of what they pay.
It does not buy silence. Where a cheaper or non-affiliate option is genuinely the better buy — a manual crank unit, a fixed pergola, a solid patio cover — we say so.

Why This Model

Research pages cost time to produce and maintain. The alternatives are a paywall, a display-advertising takeover, or sponsored content that does not disclose itself. Affiliate commissions let the research stay free and stay honest, provided the conflict is named and managed rather than hidden. That is what this page is for.

Questions

If anything here is unclear, or you want to know whether a specific link earns a commission, ask. The answer will be straight.