Who we are
This policy explains how Smart DecoratorAdvice (smartdecoratoradvice.com) handles information about the people who visit it. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean the people who run the site.
The short version
- You can read every guide and use every calculator without an account and without giving us any personal information.
- Calculators work in your browser. The numbers you type into them are not sent to us or saved by us.
- If you contact us, we use your name, email address and message only to deal with your message, and we delete it after 180 days.
- We do not sell personal information.
Information we collect
When you visit the site
Like almost every website, our server receives technical information with each request, such as your IP address, browser type and the page requested. Our hosting provider may keep this in server logs for security and troubleshooting. See “Services we use” below.
When you use a calculator
Calculations run in your browser. If you switch a calculator between US and metric units, your browser remembers that choice on your device. Nothing you enter into a calculator is sent to us.
When you contact us
The contact form asks for your name, email address, a subject and your message. When you send it, we save it in the site’s database with the date and time, and email it to ourselves so we can reply.
To stop the form being misused, we keep a scrambled (hashed) form of your IP address for one hour to limit how many messages can be sent from the same connection. It is not stored with your message. The form sets no cookies and does not use a third-party spam-checking service.
How we use information
- To answer your message. We use your contact details only to read and reply to your message. If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area, our legal basis is our legitimate interest in answering enquiries, or taking steps you asked for.
- To keep the site secure and working. Technical request data helps us and our hosting provider prevent abuse and fix problems. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in running a secure website.
We do not use your information to make automated decisions about you.
How long we keep it
- Contact form messages saved on the site are deleted automatically after 180 days.
- Copies in our email inbox are deleted when we no longer need them to deal with your message.
- The scrambled IP address used to limit repeated messages is kept for one hour.
- Server logs are kept by our hosting provider for the period set by their own policy.
Cookies and browser storage
- WordPress sign-in cookies are set only for people who log in to manage the site. Visitors who do not log in do not receive them.
- Comment cookies. If you leave a comment and tick the box to save your details, WordPress stores your name, email and website in cookies so you do not have to type them again. These last for one year.
- Calculator unit choice. When you switch a calculator between US and metric units, your browser stores that choice (in local storage, under the name
sdaToolsUnits) so other calculators open in the same units. It contains nothing about you and never leaves your device.
You can delete cookies and stored site data in your browser settings at any time. The calculators still work if you do.
Services we use
These are the services that may process information when you use the site:
- Web hosting. Our hosting provider stores the site and handles every request to it. Like most web servers, theirs may keep logs of requests, including IP addresses, for security and troubleshooting.
- Page caching (LiteSpeed Cache). Copies of pages are stored on our server so they load faster. This does not build a profile of visitors.
- Comments. When you comment, we store the name, email and website you enter, your comment, and your IP address and browser details to help detect spam. A scrambled code made from your email address (a hash) may be sent to the Gravatar service to show your profile picture.
- Embedded content. Some articles may include content from other websites, such as videos. Embedded content behaves as if you had visited the other website, which may collect data about you under its own policy.
The site's fonts are served from our own server, so viewing a page does not contact a font service.
Who we share information with
We do not sell or rent personal information. We share it only with the service providers listed above, who handle it to run the site for us, or when the law requires us to. Some of these providers may process information in other countries.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, or to object to how we use it. To make a request, please use our contact page and tell us the email address you used. We may need to confirm the request came from you, for example by replying to that address.
If you are in the UK or the European Economic Area and are unhappy with how we have handled your information, you can also complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
This site is written for adults planning home projects. It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Security
The site is served over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection. Saved contact messages can be viewed only by site administrators. No website or email system is completely secure, so please do not send sensitive information, such as payment details or passwords, through the contact form.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when the site or the services it uses change. The date at the top of the page shows when it was last updated.
Contact
If you have a question about this policy, please contact us.