Owning a certified Earth Advantage home doesn't mean giving up on comfort or quality. It means adding value to your home, reducing your energy bills and living in year 'round comfort. And you can rest easy knowing you're conserving energy and resources, improving your indoor air quality and being environmentally responsible.

Earth Advantage Facts

Test your knowledge about a typical home's construction, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, the environment and more with this quick rundown of Earth Advantage facts:

Fact: Indoor air levels of many pollutants may be two to five times, and occasionally more than 100 times higher than outdoor levels.

Why: The air quality in some new homes could make you want to hold your breath. Paint fumes may linger long after the walls have dried, certain carpets and pads emit toxins. Formaldehyde may lurk in cabinets and flooring underlayment. And without proper ventilation, the same advances that seal the weather out can seal all of this in. An Earth Advantage home can improve indoor air quality through the use of natural and low toxic materials and improved ventilation systems.

Fact: A typical 1,700 square-foot wood-frame house requires the equivalent of one acre of forest timber.2

Why: Behind the scenes, do you know what materials are used to build your house? If you own an Earth Advantage home, you do. Earth Advantage homes are built with materials that help preserve our precious resources, including old growth forests. But it's not about sacrifice - many of these products are cutting edge and can actually improve structural quality, including composite floor joists and engineered lumber.

Fact: The average American house consumes nearly $1,500 per year in utility costs. But usage can be reduced by implementing energy efficient products and construction practices.3

Why: By building energy efficiency into your home, you will be just one step ahead in reducing utility usage. With innovative heating, insulation and landscaping solutions, Earth Advantage homes help increase energy efficiency by at least 15 percent over conventional home construction.* And that can save you a lot of energy over time.