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Building a Home?
Ten Questions to Ask Your Builder
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BEFORE BUILDING A HOME, ASK YOUR BUILDER THESE TEN QUESTIONS:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Initiative
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0E4
R-2000 HOME Program
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