Building a Home?

Ten Questions to Ask Your Builder

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BEFORE BUILDING A HOME, ASK YOUR BUILDER THESE TEN QUESTIONS:

1. Since all builders must meet the requirements of the building code, what makes your homes different from other builders?

   R-2000 homes go beyond the requirements of the building code. They are more energy-efficient, offer better indoor air quality, and environmentally responsible products are used in their construction. And each house is inspected by an independent, third-party expert to make sure it meets those requirements before it can be certified.

2. How do your building techniques reflect the latest developments in housing technology?

   Only licensed R-2000 builders are part of a network of trained, innovative professionals who voluntarily build homes to the R-2000 Technical Standard - an evolving standard that reflects more than 20 years of research and development by the Government of Canada and the home-building industry. R-2000 builders are committed to being industry leaders and take training to keep abreast of the latest developments in home building technology.

3. What steps do you take to improve the energy efficiency of the homes you build?

   Licensed R-2000 builders use high levels of insulation, incorporate passive solar energy into their designs, install high-performance heating and ventilation systems and use thorough air sealing to improve the energy efficiency of R-2000 homes and to ensure excellent indoor air quality. Every R-2000 home has to meet an energy performance target.

4. Can you predict what my energy costs will be?

   Your home's energy costs will depend on the living patterns of its occupants. However, R-2000 professionals can use the energy target of your R-2000 home to predict your annual energy costs based on standard operating conditions. Typically, R-2000 homes cost about one third less to operate than conventional new homes.

5. What makes your homes more environmentally friendly than others?

   When building an R-2000 home, R-2000 builders must choose from an approved list of materials that help protect the environment. R-2000 homes produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, waste less material during construction, use less water and produce less sewage.

6. Because my family's health is important to me, what assurance can you give me about air quality in your homes?

   R-2000 builders must choose from an approved list of "healthy" building materials and finishes that contribute to better indoor air quality. Preliminary results from a Health Canada survey on homeowner health show that 56 percent of R-2000 homeowners found that their overall health improved after moving into an R-2000 home, and 94 percent found a significant improvement in indoor air quality.

7. What steps do you take to ensure that your homes have a continuous flow of fresh air without being drafty?

   All certified R-2000 homes have a heat recovery ventilator that delivers a continuous supply of fresh air to each room in the home and exhausts stale, humid air and household pollutants to the outdoors. A continuous air barrier creates a virtually airtight environment to minimize drafts and increase comfort.

8. Are your homes endorsed by the Government of Canada and by utility companies?

   All R-2000 homes are certified by the Government of Canada to meet the R-2000 Technical Standard in home building. Utilities, home-builders' associations, financial institutions and product manufacturers across Canada are proud sponsors of the R-2000 Initiative.

9. Do independent licensed professionals inspect the quality of your homes?

   All certified R-2000 homes are evaluated, inspected and tested for airtightness by independent professionals who have been trained and licensed by the Government of Canada.

10. Do you build certified R-2000 homes?

    Only licensed R-2000 builders who have been trained and licensed by the Government of Canada can build certified R-2000 homes. If it's not certified, it's not an R-2000 home!

Not getting the answers you want? Ask a licensed R-2000 builder.

For more information about R-2000 homes, contact the
R-2000  Program at Natural Resources Canada's
Office of Energy Efficiency by e-mail at r.2000@nrcan.gc.ca
or call 1-800-387-2000 toll-free.
You can also visit the R-2000 Web site at http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/r2000
or write to:

R-2000 HOME Program