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Glossary

Energy audit or evaluation

Provides a baseline of your home’s energy efficiency to help you plan improvements and to qualify for any government upgrade grants. A licensed energy evaluator will come to your home and do a series of tests to determine its efficiency.

Glossary

EnerGuide Rating System (ERS)

Federal government system for rating energy consumption and efficiency of homes. It’s similar to the EnerGuide labelling system used to rate energy efficiency of appliances and vehicles. ERS home ratings are done by trained energy advisers licensed by the federal government.

Glossary

Blower door test

Measures how leaky your house is. It’s done using a special instrumented door containing a large blower or fan. The blower door exhausts air from your home and measures the rate at which outdoor air leaks into your home through cracks, holes and openings in the exterior.

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Glossary

Backfill

Material used for filling a trench or the excavation around a foundation wall.

Glossary

Air source heat pump

A device that uses a refrigerant system to heat a building in the winter by absorbing heat from the exterior air. In the summer it does the reverse, drawing heat from the building to cool it. The ability of air source heat pumps to provide necessary heat declines as the outside temperature drops, so a back-up heat source is often required.

Glossary

Airtightness

The ability of a home's building envelope to resist air leakage and therefore an indication of energy efficiency.

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Glossary

Air change rate

A measure of how often the total volume of air within a space — usually an entire building — is replaced by fresh air and therefore an indication of energy efficiency. Typically measured as air changes per hour (ACH). A standard new home has an ACH of 3 to 4; a highly energy-efficient home could be as low as 1 to 1.5.

Glossary

Air barrier

Sometimes called housewrap, these impermeable materials go on the exterior of a building under wood, vinyl siding or other finishing materials to prevent air and water infiltration. Commonly used products include Tyvek.

Glossary

Eavestrough

A trough or channel that runs around the perimeter of a roof, collecting water so it can be directed down a drainpipe and away from the house, which the water could otherwise damage. Also known as a gutter.

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Glossary

Accessible design

A house, amenity or product that's designed for access or use by people with disabilities. Also known as barrier-free or universal design.

Glossary

House staging

Preparing a resale home so it shows to best advantage. Often done by a professional stager, the process typically includes decluttering, removal of personal photographs, and sometimes cosmetic repainting and minor repairs.

Glossary

Model home

A home built, usually by a production builder, to show potential buyers what they could expect if they bought a similar home. Generally decorated by a professional and often featuring upgraded finishes.

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Glossary

Insulated concrete form

ICF forms are most often hollow Styrofoam blocks that are snapped together to form the shape of the foundation walls. They are braced and then filled with concrete and steel reinforcing. The Styrofoam remains in place to provide a complete foundation insulation system.

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