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No reason not to earn this credit
It shouldn’t cost you anything to earn this credit—it will just take a little work (the same is true for the related credit, IEQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings). Your first priority should be to specify only adhesives and sealants that comply with the credit’s VOC limits, and enforce those specifications on the jobsite. Research low-VOC adhesives and sealants before construction begins and provide lists of acceptable materials to contractors to help ensure that the right products are used. Proactive communication on the jobsite
Making sure that VOC limits are observed demands proactive...
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20 Comments
Indoor Carpet Adhesives
Just curious I am working on IEQ 4.1 and IEQ 4.3. Both give you the option to add indoor carpet adhesives. Do I put them under both categories or just 4.3?
Right now I have duplicate information.
Colleen, carpet adhesives should be entered under both credits, if you are attempting both of them.
EMICODE - EC1 / EC1Plus
Does anyone have experience with products tested and licensed under the German EMICODE VOC rating system?
EC1 specifieds a maximum of 1000 micrograms/m3 (1 gram/liter) emission after three days. As far as I can determine, the test methodologies are somewhat different.
Michael - EMICODE is a product emission test method/standard. Due to this it does not directly tie to the criteria that the LEED rating system has traditionally looked at - content minimization.
So you are correct, they are different.
EMICODE licensed products must have less than 0.5% solvents. But solvents are defined differently than VOCs1. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon compounds that participate in atmospheric photochemical reactions (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides and carbonates, and ammonium carbonate). The compounds vaporize (become a gas) at normal room temperatures. 2. A molecule containing one or more carbon atoms that tends to evaporate (volatilize) into the air at typical ambient conditions. Some legal definitions of VOCs are restricted to those that react with sunlight to generate smog. Some VOCs are carcinogens, suspected carcinogens, or known irritants at typical levels.. In most cases EMICODE EC1 products will fulfil the 50 mg/kg limit for e.g. Indoor Carpet adhesives, but there is no 100% guarantee that they always will do so.
LEED for schools requires California CDPH Section 01350 VOC emissions compliance – it has been shown that this is always the case with EMICODE EC1 or EC1 PLUS licensed products. And draft LEED 2012 foresees compliance with AgBB VOC emissions as alternative pathway outside NA – this will be more than fulfilled by EMICODE EC1 PLUS licensed products - but we are not yet in 2012.
Reinhard - Thanks for your help. I read your "it has been shown" before asking the question - it seems like EMICODE is "almost good enough."
Since the testing methodologies appear to differ, it seems the only way to demonstrate LEED compliance is to send the contractor back to look for products which have been tested in the "right" way.
Correct, but ... EMICODE in most cases is rather "better, but just different" ... another alternative (or supplement) could be to register for use of Pilot Credit 21 and show compliance with AgBB specification by using EMICODE EC1 PLUS licensed products. This can give additional points for fulfilling the draft LEED 2012 criteria on low-emitting products, see www.eurofins.com/leed-2012, and http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=8196.
Window Film Adhesive
We are working on a CI project which is bounded on three sides by a glass atrium space. The side of the glass facing the atrium (and not within the project space) will have a film applied to it to give the tenant's the privacy they require. The film is part of the project scope and is within the building envelope, but is not within the project space. I am having a difficult time getting a VOC content for the film adhesive from the manufacturer. Is this even necessary?
Jessica, since the adhesive will be used within the project building, and within the project scope, I think it counts according to the credit language—even if it is not in the project space.
Ceramic Tile Adhesive
Can someone clarify what LEED considers a ceramic tile adhesive? Latex Portland cement mortar? Epoxy grout? In my expericne both are typically low-emitting products, so I am unclear what we should be including in the documentation. Thanks.
Ceramic tiles adhesives are listed with limit value 50 g/l. Cements and mortars, if used for similar purpose, I would handle with same limit value.
Thanks Reinhard. I understand the VOC limit, but what I am asking about is what in the tile assembly / installation is considered tile adhesive? is it that the latex mortar and epoxy grout need to comply? or it is some other component? thanks for your assistance.
All adhesives and sealants that are utilized inside the weather barrier must comply so I would ensure that anything that is utilized to adhere the tile to the surface be low voc. In our past experience this has included grout and mortar.
Thank you Josh, I could not have said it better.
No adhesives used on a project
I have a CI project isn't using ANY adhesives, I believe we meet the intent of the credit but it's not an option, anyone had that situation?
What I have seen with the IEQc4 credits is that you have to use the product to be eligible for the credit. This was most notoriously the case with older versions of IEQc4.3 where projects would use a little carpet just to qualify.
Low VOC
This would seem the obvious place to cover VOC levels for insulation materials, but the credit language doesn't specifically mention them. Does this mean these materials do not need to meet the VOC requirements in order for the project to achieve this credit?
Rona, that is correct — only products specifically mentioned here are covered, and that does not include insulation. If you were doing a Schools project you would have the opportunity to include insulation as part of Schools IEQc4.6: Low Emitting Materials—Ceiling and Wall Systems, but that credit is not part of the LEED-CI system.
Tristan -
Does indoor carpet adhesives cover the adhesives and sealants used to add bevel edging on a mat at an entrance? Also adhesive we use to make a mat where we adhere the top carpet fibers (which are CRIColor-rendering index, or CRI, is a scale of 0 to 100, used by manufacturers of fluorescent, metal halide, and other non-incandescent lighting equipment to describe the visual effect of the light on colored surfaces. Natural daylight is assigned a CRI of 100. certified) onto a sponge base to create an anti-fatigue mat. I have researched the adhesives we use and one has a VOC of less than 20 grams per liter (SCQAMD Method 316B) and the other is VOC free.
Just wondering if our mats could assist this credit under Commercial Interiors? I assume that it wouldn't apply under New Construction sincet the adhesives being used are for mats that won't be installed until AFTER construction, please clarify, thank you!
Yes, I would say that this credit would cover those adhesives.
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