Yard & Grid is an independent buying guide for American homeowners who want to keep the lights on, the house dry, and the garden growing. We explain backup power, home preparedness, and backyard growing with the specifications, the math, and the trade-offs laid out in plain view, so you can check our work before you spend money.
Who we write for
Our readers are homeowners comparing specifications before a purchase that matters: a power station for outages, a dehumidifier for a damp basement, a greenhouse kit for a short season. Most of them already know roughly what they want. What they need is a clear answer for their own house, their own appliances, and their own climate.
That is why our guides start with the answer and then show how we got there. If a page says a battery will run a refrigerator for about 12 hours, the calculation sits right next to it, with every assumption named.
What we cover
- Power: portable power stations, inverter generators, solar charging, and whole-home battery options, with runtime and sizing math. See the Power section.
- Prepare: outage and storm planning, freeze protection, leak detection, sump pumps, and humidity control. See the Prepare section.
- Garden: greenhouse kits, raised beds, drip irrigation, and planting schedules by USDA hardiness zone.
How we work
We research and compare products; we do not run our own product trials, and we do not claim to have handled the products we write about. Our guides are built from manufacturer spec sheets and manuals, guidance from public agencies such as the CPSC, FEMA, NOAA, USDA, DOE, and NFPA, independent measurements that have been published by others, and patterns in public feedback from buyers.
From those sources we do the arithmetic a careful buyer would do: runtime, battery sizing, solar output, soil volume, watering rates. We show each formula so you can rerun it with your own numbers. When a figure is not published or not reliable, we say so instead of guessing.
The full method, including how the Yard & Grid Score on our product cards is calculated, is on our How We Choose Products page. The rules our writers follow are in our Editorial Policy.
Our authors
Articles on Yard & Grid carry one of three editorial bylines, each tied to one section of the site. These are pen names used by our editorial team, so each topic area keeps a consistent voice and a consistent set of standards. They are not presented as outside credentialed experts, and we do not attach degrees, years of experience, or awards to them.
Glen Haskins, Power
Glen Haskins covers home backup power for Yard & Grid, including portable power stations, inverter generators, solar charging, and whole-home battery options. He works from manufacturer spec sheets, user manuals, and published independent measurements, then turns them into runtime and sizing math readers can check themselves. His guides start with the load you actually need to carry and work back to the equipment. When a job involves a home’s electrical panel, he explains the concept and points readers to a licensed electrician.
Diane Carver, Prepare
Diane Carver covers home preparedness and maintenance for Yard & Grid, from outage and storm planning to freeze protection, leak detection, and humidity control. She builds her guides from manufacturer documentation, guidance from agencies such as FEMA, NOAA, and the CPSC, and patterns in public owner feedback. Her focus is the order of operations: what to do first, what to buy before the season turns, and what can wait. She writes for homeowners who want a clear plan they can follow under stress.
Ruth Ellison, Garden
Ruth Ellison covers backyard growing for Yard & Grid, including greenhouse kits, raised beds, drip irrigation, and planting schedules by USDA hardiness zone. She draws on manufacturer specifications, university extension publications, and public feedback from home gardeners, then works out the soil volumes, watering rates, and timing a given yard needs. Her guides are written for homeowners who would rather plan a bed once and get it right than rebuild it next spring.
How Yard & Grid is funded
Yard & Grid earns money through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Yard & Grid earns from qualifying purchases. We also participate in affiliate programs run by manufacturers and retailers through networks such as Impact and Awin. When you buy through one of our links, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Commissions do not decide which products we cover or how we rank them, and no company can pay for a place in our guides. Details are on our Affiliate Disclosure page.
A note on safety
We explain concepts and compare equipment. We do not give instructions for electrical wiring, and our content does not replace the manufacturer’s instructions or your local codes. Fuel-powered generators produce carbon monoxide, so they must run outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the home, far from windows, doors, and vents, with the exhaust pointed away, and with working CO alarms on every level and outside sleeping areas. Please read our Safety Notice before acting on any power or preparedness guide.
Get in touch
Questions, corrections, and suggestions go to [email protected]. More options are on our Contact page.