Terms of Use

Last updated: June 14, 2026

These Terms of Use ("Terms") are a legal agreement between you and Matthew McCausland, a sole proprietor operating the Hearth website and mobile app ("Hearth," "we," "us," or "our"). By creating an account or using Hearth (the "Service"), you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1.

Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to use Hearth. By using the Service, you confirm that you meet this age requirement and that the information you give us is accurate.
2.

What Hearth is

Hearth is a home-maintenance assistant. It helps you record your home's systems, identifies equipment from photos and descriptions using AI, builds a maintenance schedule, sends reminders, and provides general guidance and product links for routine tasks such as replacing a furnace filter.

Hearth is an informational and organizational tool. It is not a substitute for professional inspection, repair, or advice. See Section 7.

3.

Your account

  • You are responsible for keeping your login credentials secure and for all activity under your account.
  • You must provide a valid email address and keep it current so you can receive reminders and account messages.
  • Notify us promptly at support@lightthehearth.com if you believe your account has been accessed without your permission.
4.

Sharing a home

Hearth lets you invite another person to a home you've created. If you do so, that person will be able to view and edit the home's systems and maintenance information. You are responsible for choosing who you invite and for what they can see. Do not invite anyone you would not want to have access to that information.
5.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Use the Service for any unlawful purpose or in violation of these Terms.
  • Attempt to access accounts, homes, or data that are not yours.
  • Interfere with, disrupt, probe, or attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service or its infrastructure.
  • Upload content that is illegal, infringing, or that you do not have the right to share.
  • Use automated means to scrape or overload the Service, or misuse the AI features (for example, to generate content unrelated to home maintenance).
  • Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code, except where permitted by law.

We may suspend or terminate access for violations.

6.

AI features

Hearth uses artificial intelligence (provided by Anthropic) to identify systems from photos and descriptions and to generate maintenance instructions.

  • AI output can be incomplete, inaccurate, or wrong. Identifications, filter sizes, and instructions are best-effort suggestions, not guaranteed facts.
  • Always verify critical details yourself — for example, confirm a filter size against the part you remove before ordering a replacement, and confirm model numbers against the actual label on your equipment.
  • AI-generated instructions are general guidance and may not match your specific equipment, local building codes, or manufacturer requirements.
7.

Safety — please read this carefully

Home maintenance can be dangerous. Hearth's reminders and instructions do not make any task safe, and following them is at your own risk.

  • Tasks involving gas, electrical, water, combustion, refrigerant, or structural systems (including furnaces, water heaters, and air conditioners) can cause serious injury, property damage, fire, carbon monoxide exposure, or death if done incorrectly.
  • Hearth does not inspect your home, cannot assess the actual condition or safety of your equipment, and does not know your local codes.
  • You are solely responsible for deciding whether you can safely perform any task. When in doubt, or for anything beyond basic routine maintenance, hire a licensed and qualified professional.
  • Always follow your equipment manufacturer's instructions and applicable laws and codes. Where they conflict with Hearth's guidance, the manufacturer's instructions and the law control.
  • If you smell gas, suspect a carbon monoxide leak, or face any emergency, stop and contact the appropriate emergency or utility service immediately. Do not rely on Hearth.
8.

Product links and affiliate relationship

Hearth participates in the Amazon Associates program and may earn a commission when you click a product link and make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Product links are suggestions for your convenience. We do not sell products ourselves, we do not handle your purchases or payments, and we are not responsible for the products, prices, availability, or the terms of any third-party retailer. Any purchase is a transaction between you and that retailer.
9.

Your content

You retain ownership of the information and photos you submit ("Your Content"). You grant us a limited, non-exclusive license to store, process, and use Your Content solely to operate and improve the Service for you — including sending it to our AI provider to identify your systems, as described in our Privacy Policy. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to submit Your Content.
10.

Our intellectual property

The Service itself — including its software, design, text, and branding (the "Hearth" name and logo) — is owned by us and protected by intellectual property laws. These Terms do not grant you any right to use our branding or copy the Service except as needed to use it normally.
11.

Third-party services

The Service relies on and links to third-party services (including Supabase, Anthropic, Resend, Amplitude, Vercel, Amazon, and the Apple and Google app/notification platforms). We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third parties, and your use of them may be governed by their own terms.
12.

Service availability and changes

We provide the Service on a best-effort basis. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, and we may change features without notice. We are not liable to you for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Service.
13.

Disclaimer of warranties

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or that any information, identification, reminder, or instruction it provides is accurate, complete, or suitable for your specific situation. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some of these exclusions may not apply to you.
14.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event will Matthew McCausland be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, property damage, personal injury, or lost profits, arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the Service — including any reliance on AI output, reminders, instructions, or product links — even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability for all claims relating to the Service will not exceed CAD $50.

Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence where such limitation is prohibited. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of these limits may not apply to you.

15.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Matthew McCausland from any claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, your violation of these Terms, your violation of any law, or any task you perform on your home.
16.

Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time from within the app, which erases your personal data (see the Privacy Policy). We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or if we discontinue the Service. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 9–15) will survive.
17.

Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. You agree that the courts located in Ontario, Canada will have jurisdiction over any dispute, except where applicable consumer-protection law in your jurisdiction gives you the right to bring proceedings in your local courts.
18.

Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you. Your continued use of the Service after the changes take effect means you accept the revised Terms.
19.

Contact

Matthew McCauslandsupport@lightthehearth.com32 Faith St. #5Cambridge, ON N1T0E8