About this site
Sensmat is an independent reference site on preventive conservation. This page explains where the figures come from, what we do not do, and how the site earns money.
What we are and are not
Sensmat is an editorial website, not an institution and not a service provider. We do not look after a collection, we carry out no treatments, we sell no instruments and we issue no assessments.
We are also not a continuation of any earlier user of this domain. The name stands on its own. Anyone who needs a dependable answer about a specific object should bring in a conservator - no website replaces examining the object itself.
Where the figures come from
Values for climate, light and air quality come from published standards and recommendations and from the preventive conservation literature. Instrument specifications come from manufacturer data sheets.
We run no laboratory measurements of our own. Where a manufacturer figure is quoted, it is presented as a manufacturer figure and not as a verified result. Where specialists disagree - for instance on acceptable fluctuation bands for relative humidity - the disagreement is in the text instead of a single tidy number.
How an entry is written
Every entry starts from a question that actually comes up in practice. First we gather what standards and the literature say, then we check whether the available instruments or materials can deliver it at all.
Recommendations are written as selection criteria, not as a ranking without a basis. There are no star ratings and no test seals, because we test nothing. The date above each entry shows when its content was last revised.
Funding
The site is funded through advertising and through affiliate links. If you buy through such a link we receive a commission. The price does not change for you.
Commissions do not decide what gets recommended. Selection criteria are stated in the text and can be read before any link is clicked. Products with no affiliate programme are named just the same when they meet the criteria.
Corrections
Mistakes happen, particularly with standard values that change. If you spot an outdated or wrong figure, write to us through the contact form and name the page it concerns.
Corrected entries get a new update date. Where a change is substantial, we note in the text what was changed.