One major cause of poor indoor air quality is the increase of pollutants that are "off-gassing" chemicals into the indoor environment. These pollutants can come from many sources - anything from introduced materials, such as home furnishings and carpets, to structural and finishing materials, such as particleboard and paints. And the problem is everywhere in the homes and buildings in which we live, work and play.

R-2000 homes systematically control these pollutants. The solution is to either eliminate polluting materials in the construction process or effectively seal them in order to prevent hazardous chemicals' emissions in the home.

Reducing the sources of the pollutants and the ability of remaining pollutants to escape into the air are the starting points for healthy indoor air.

Ventilation - the elimination of stale humid air from the home and introduction of outdoor air - is also very important. Humid air can cause condensation that supports mould growth that in turn releases toxic spores into the air. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Health Canada advise controlling humidity in the home by maintaining a relative humidity of between 40 and 60 percent to limit condensation problems.

In an R-2000 home, stale humid air is removed and replaced by clean, fresh air with a mechanical ventilation system called a heat recovery ventilator, or HRV for short. The HRV captures and recycles much of the heat from the outgoing stale air and uses it to warm up incoming air, which also saves energy. By constantly circulating outdoor air, the HRV helps eliminate the cold spots that cause condensation that encourages mould growth.

An HRV is mandatory in every R-2000 home and is central to the integrated ventiliation system. It is like the lungs and bloodstream of the house delivering fresh air to, and exhausting stale humid air from, all rooms of the house. It is integrated to work safely and in balance with all the other fans in the house, such as those above the stove and in the clothes dryer, furnace room and bathrooms.

To be efficient, a home must be airtight. And if it's airtight, it must be properly ventilated. Because R-2000 home are airtight and use mechanical ventilation, they are well know for their excellent air quality. The R-2000 Standard is the basis for the Canadian Home Builders' Association's "EnviroHome". The R-2000 building and certification process guarantees healthy ventilation for every certified R-2000 home. It's another factor that contributes to the comfort of R-2000 homes.

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