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What’s simple isn’t necessarily easy
The simplest way to meet this credit is to make sure that all your flooring and floor coverings meet the standard designated in the credit requirements. That’s not necessarily easy, because not that many hard-surface flooring products are FloorScore-certified or the equivalent.It’s easier to achieve this credit if all your regularly occupied spacesRegularly occupied spaces are areas where one or more individuals normally spend time (more than one hour per person per day on average) seated or standing as they work, study, or...
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Pursue four of six low-emitting materials credits
Schools have six low-emitting materials credits, but can earn a maximum of four points from them, so choose four to pursue:
- IEQc4.1: Low-Emitting Materials—Adhesives and Sealants
- IEQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings
- IEQc4.3: Low-Emitting Materials—Flooring Systems
- IEQc4.4: Low-Emitting Materials—Composite Wood and Agrifiber Products
- IEQc4.5: Low-Emitting Materials—Furniture and Furnishings
- IEQc4.6: Low-Emitting Materials—Ceiling and Wall Systems
Choose the credits that are the easiest for your project to achieve. Typically IEQc4.1 and IEQc4.2 are the easiest....
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22 Comments
Schools - Combine Option 1 wtih Option 2?
I am wondering if anyone has been successful in verifying compliance of flooring systems under Option 1 and Option 2 on the same project. This would mean some flooring products have met FloorScore requirements while other flooring products have me the CA 01350 requirements. I was looking at Forbo products and noticed they are not FloorScore certified but meet the CHPS requirements. Thanks in advance. I have a call into Forbo too.
John - you should be able to obtain the credit by providing proof that the products used are low-emitting per CA 01350 criteria/testing. So yes, if Forbo has that proven, then they would help you qualify for that point. The reasoning behind this is that the Floorscore chemical emission criteria (page 7, 9, and 26 of http://scscertified.com/docs/SCS-EC10.2-2007.pdf) is simply CA 01350 criteria for minimization of individual chemicals (http://www.cal-iaq.org/vocs/standard-method-for-voc-emissions-testing-an...). GREENGUARD Children & Schools certified flooring would also help show verification as the criteria for the certification is not only the minimization of the 35 individual chemicals specified in CA 01350, but 330 additional individual chemicals and a Total Volatile Organic Compound limit on all other VOCs emitting from the product (page 4 of http://greenguard.org/Libraries/GG_Documents/GGPS_002_GREENGUARDChildren...). For transparency purposes, I am the technical information and public affairs manager for GREENGUARD Environmental Institute.
Josh,
Thanks for the quick and succinct reply. It all makes sense and I think from this point forward I'll be chasing the CA 01350 standard to make my life easier.
Hi John,
I agree. You should be able to comply with multiple routes, whatever is most applicable to the products you are hoping to specify.
Percentage of finished floor complying for the credit
MY QUESTION IS.. WHAT IF I JUST HAVE 25 % OF THE FINISHED FLOOR AREA USING LOW EMITTING OR CERTIFIED PRODUCTS, AM I STILL EARNING THE CREDIT?
IM AM NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE FINISHED FLOOR THAT MUST BE COVERED TO EARN THE CREDIT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!
Hello Dario,
In order to earn this credit, ALL flooring elements installed in the building interior must meet the LEED requirements.
PIEACP compliance path
If we are using the PIEACP compliance path for this credit, the NC 2.2 Credit 4.3 refers only to carpet systems. Does this mean that other flooring systems, such as terrazzo for example, would be excluded from the analysis? I assume we would put any floor sealants or coatings under our alternate compliance path for credit 4.1 but the terrazzo itself would not be included in the VOC analysis. Wood floor systems would be similarly assessed. Is this correct?
Hi Peter,
Just so I'm clear: is your project registered under LEED-NC v2.2 or LEED 2009?
If the project is registered under LEED-NC v2.2 than you would only need to consider carpet. If the credit is registered under LEED-NC v3, than all flooring systems would need to be considered.
I think that that this memo summarizes it fairly well: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=4311
Hope that helps!
Good luck,
Lauren
What Constitutes a Flooring System?
This may seem like a simple question, but do recessed foot grilles or walk-off matts count as a flooring system?
Hi Grace,
I believe for the purposes of this LEED credit, recessed foot grilles and walk-off mats not count as flooring systems. Looking through the credit requirements and definitions, it is clearly stated that this credit pertains to components of flooring systems that emit 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. (i.e carpets, vinyl, etc). Hope this helps!
Gymnasium Flooring and IEQ 4
Is there any exemption for a wood gymnasium flooring for the IEQ 4.2 and 4.3 credits in a school?
I am doubting the ability to get a floor finish product that will meet the testing and product requirements of the CDPH without creating more problems due to maintenance. Water-based systems exist but I am not sure they meet the requirements and are definately not recommended by the manufacturers.
While switching to another type of sports flooring is a good idea, it is not allowed in competition gymnasiums in this conference.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
We used to be able to make a VOC budget but because of the testing requirements I am assuming that is no longer allowed.
Jessica, I have not heard of an exemption in a case like this. I would recommend the VOC budget method, however—that is still valid for IEQc4.1 and IEQc4.2, although it's less clear to me how it would apply with IEQc4.3.
I have a similar issue with a gym wood flooring system that uses Johnsonite vented cove base, which is not FloorScore or third party tested. So far, it does not appear that anyone else manufactures this product.
Clearly EQ4.3 explicity includes wall base in the requirements and this is part of the flooringt system. I see no addenda, CIRs or LEED User threads that suggest any alternatives.
How are Schools projects dealing with this? Are they just not getting EQ4.3?
Michele,
Have you tried calling the manufacturer and asking them if they have tested the product? There are many schools with gym floors getting EQc4.3, so there must be some way of proving that this product passes the criteria. Sorry that I don't have any better guidance then that.
About finding a compliant floor finish and court lines - without naming the specific product I can say that there are products out there that meet the VOC requirements for Clear Wood Finishes at or below the 350 g/l and 550 g/l limits.
CHPS Enough to qualify?
If a product is listed on the CHPS Low Emitting Materials Table (LEM) does it demonstrate compliance with the CA Department of Health Standard?
For a product to get on the CHPS low emitting materials list it has to show compliance with CA 01350 through a certification program or an independent laboratory report. So I while I do not believe a screenshot or statement that it is on the CHPS list will be enough of compliance for LEED, the manufacturer should have other means to show compliance with the criteria.
PVC carpet (a contradition with low VOC?)
I have been in conversations with a carpet supplier that indicates that their carpet meets the 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. Green label plus, and will thus meet the requirements for IEQc4.3. Also, I have seen some documentation to back up this claim. However, the project team and I like to avoid the use of PVC as much as practicable. (I am sure that many people here are aware of the Living Building Challenge "Red List" - PVC is on this list). As such, it does not "feel" right to be using carpet with PVC in it. It is nice to make sure you are meet the broad based "intents" of LEED, even when your simply being paid to meet the credit specifcs. Has anyone else here been in a similar quandary, and how did you handle it? Maybe there is a loophole in this credit, or maybe I have an unreasonable bias against PVC. What is the experience of others here? Has anyone been "burned" by a carpet that they thought would keep them in compliance for this credit but did not work out?
Walter, this is a complex issue to say the least. In terms of LEED, it's very straightforward: carpet has to be 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. Green Label Plus certified, and carpet containing PVC can meet that threshold. Given that things are very clear-cut in this way, I haven't heard about people being burned by it. On the contrary, I have heard complaints about the performance of non-PVC carpet tile, since its performance attributes can be lacking in some respects (like laying down flat).
Going beyond LEED through efforts like the LBC red list is definitely possible with a lot of products out there, and I'd love to hear from people like yourself about how that's going.
Just one additional remark. Certification by 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. for Green Label Plus is not the main compliance path in EQ c4 in LEED for Schools 2009. No specific certification program is required, the product just must meet the testing and product requirements of CDPH Section 01350.
Engineered or laminated wood flooring
For LEED for Schools, could an engineered or laminated wood flooring product contribute to both Credit 4.3 Flooring systems (if FloorScore certified) and Credit 4.4 Composite WoodComposite wood consists of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded by a synthetic resin or binder. Examples include particleboard, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, oriented-strand board (OSB), wheatboard, and strawboard. products? That would, of course, be in addition to complying with 4.1 and 4.2. Would this also apply to the other LEED systems?
Thanks so much!
Yes. The way these credits are structured, I wouldn't use the word "contribute." I would say that if engineered wood flooring is used, and you're applying for IEQc4.3 and IEQc4.4, it has to meet the requirements of both. This is true for all LEED systems.
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