LEEDuser overview
LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.
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Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Paints and coatings used on the interior of the building (i.e., inside of the weatherproofing system and applied onsite) must comply with the following criteria as applicable to the project scope1:
Frequently asked questions
How should graphic arts paint or coatings be categorized?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
The standards referenced for this credit have been updated since those listed in the LEED Reference Guide – does our project need to follow the latest SCAQMD Rules and Green Seal editions, or the ones listed in the reference guide?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
How should handheld aerosol spray paints be handled?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
What are the VOC limits for primers? They seem to be listed in both GS-11 and SCAQMD Rule 1113.The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
What does it cost?
On each BD+C v4 credit, LEEDuser offers the wisdom of a team of architects, engineers, cost estimators, and LEED experts with hundreds of LEED projects between then. They analyzed the sustainable design strategies associated with each LEED credit, but also to assign actual costs to those strategies.
Our tab contains overall cost guidance, notes on what “soft costs” to expect, and a strategy-by-strategy breakdown of what to consider and what it might cost, in percentage premiums, actual costs, or both.
This information is also available in a full PDF download in The Cost of LEED v4 report.
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Checklists
LEEDuser’s checklists walk you through the key action steps you need to earn a credit, including how to avoid common pitfalls and save money.
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Documentation toolkit
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
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Addenda
Replace the hyperlink "http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/paints_and_coatings.pd…; with "http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/paints_GS_11.pdf"
Replace the definition of "volatile organic compounds (VOC's)" with "a carbon compound that vaporizes (becomes a gas) at normal room temperatures. VOCs contribute to air pollution directly and through atmospheric photochemical reactions (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides and carbonates, and ammonium carbonate) to produce secondary air pollutants, principally ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate."
Replace Table 1 with the one in the supplementary document.
Primers have been adjusted from the GS-11 VOC limits to the SCAQMD Rule 1113 limit for consistency with the original balloted version of LEED 2009. General purpose primers for wall and ceiling paint are widely available at lower VOC concentrations than the specified limit. Content will vary for certain substrates and in high-performance applications.
In the fourth line of the paragraph, remove the text "...Tables 1 and 2 summarize Green Seal Standard GS-11"
Insert the term "Sealer" in alphabetical order with the accompanying text "Sealers are coatings applied to either block materials from penetrating into or leaching out of a substrate, to prevent subsequent coatings from being absorbed by the substrate, or to prevent harm to subsequent coatings by materials in the substrate."
In the second line of the third bullet item, replace "must1" with "must" so the text becomes "...interior elements must not exceed the..."
Insert the word \'sealers\' after the word \'primers\' so it reads \'...primers, sealers, and shellacs....\'
Remove Table 2. Standard VOC Limits
In the second column of the second row, remove the text "27 parts per billion" and insert "120"
Replace the sentence and table below the resource with the text "The GC-03 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits."
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The GS-11 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
On the top row of the table in the second column, remove "Limit VOCs (g/L)" and replace with "Limit VOCs (g/L) minus water"
Insert the word \'sealers\' after the word \'primers\' so it reads \'...primers, sealers, and shellacs....\'
For "Nonflat Coatings" in row nineteen, remove the value "150" from the "Current Limit" column and insert in the "1/1/03" column
In the second line of the third bullet item, replace "must1" with "must" so the text becomes "...interior elements must not exceed the..."
Replace table
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The SCAQMD Rule 1113 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The GS-11 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
Replace text with the following:NC & SchoolsThis credit is not eligible for exemplary performance under the Innovation and Design section.CSProjects that require and enforce tenants to meet the requirements in IEQ Credit 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4) throughout the tenant space are eligible for exemplary performance under the Innovation in Design section.
Replace table as indicated in the supplemental document.
Can the VOC limits of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings be used to meet the credit requirements for paints and coatings used on the interior of the building as an alternative to the VOC limits in Green Seal GS-11 1993, Green Seal GC 03 2nd Edition 1997, and SCAQMD Rule 1113 2004?
Yes, paints and coatings that comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings meet the requirements of this credit.
Architectural paints and coatings list VOC limits of 50 g/L for flats, and 150 g/L for non-flats - however, these limits specify application at walls and ceilings. Layout lines and markings applied to resilient athletic flooring often include graphics and lettering; the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 defines Graphic Arts Coatings as "coatings formulated for hand-application by artists using brush or roller techniques to indoor and outdoor signs (excluding structural components) and murals, including lettering enamels, poster colors, copy blockers, and bulleting enamels." Graphic Arts Coatings carries a VOC limit of 500g/L. As indicated above, paints applied to resilient athletic floors do not meet the VOC limits for paint as specified in the credit requirements, however, they are compliant with VOC limits of Graphic Arts Coatings as specified by SCAQMD Rule 1113. Please clarify if roller or brush-applied paint for layout lines and markings would be classified as Graphic Arts Coatings, under SCAQMD rule 1113. If not, please advise how to otherwise achieve the credit requirements. Additionally, graphics applied to textured resilient athletic flooring require air-brushing layout lines and markings; the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 defines Aerosol Coating Products as "pressurized coating product containing pigments or resins that dispenses product ingredients by means of a propellant, and is packaged in a disposable can for hand-held application, or for use in specialized equipment for ground marking and traffic marking applications." VOC limits for Aerosol Coating Products are excluded from Green Seal Standard GS-11, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District rule 1113. The USGBC also ruled on 02/10/2009 that Aerosol Coating Products are excluded from EQc4.2. As paint for floor graphics is loaded into a compressor, and applied using air as the propellant, please clarify if this would be deemed an Aerosol Coating Product, and therefore excluded from this credit. If not, please advise how to otherwise achieve the credit requirements.
The project team is seeking clarification on the applicable standards for paint used for layout lines and markings on athletic flooring. For any roller or brush-applied paint, the proposed reference standard, Graphic Arts Coating for SCAQMD rule 1113 appears to be the appropriate standard for this application. Similarly, when the paint is applied using a compressor and propellant, it would meet the definition of an aerosol coating product, per the same rule. Applicable Internationally.
This project is a healthcare facility consisting of 3 renovated floors, floors 9, 10 and 13. As part of patient care and to meet patient safety requirements on the 13th psychiatric floor, 21 square feet of Tabrasa Ultra Dry Erase Coating has been applied to each of 27 patient rooms. This dry erase coating does not clearly fall within any of the architectural coating categories defined in LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings under South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113. The product does comply under LEED for Schools 2009 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings requirements as defined by the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers. The project team is requesting that this product be acceptable under the LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 IEQ 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings.
The project team is asking how to classify dry-erase coatings which are not specifically addressed in South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113. The product regulatory category and credit reporting classification should be determined and declared by the manufacturer. If the regulatory category and classification cannot be determined or the product is a specialty product not otherwise listed in the Table of Standards or defined in the associated Definitions per section (b) , it would fall under the default VOC limit of 250 g/L as per section (c)(1) of South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113 (dated July 09 2004). Alternatively, if the classification cannot be determined or the product is a specialty product, the product\'s compliance with the LEED for Schools 2009 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings requirements for the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers is an acceptable alternative to the SCAQMD Rule 1113 VOC content requirements for healthcare projects. CDPH testing is also acceptable for office projects provided the office testing scenario is used. Applicable Internationally.***Updated 01/01/2013 to modify applicability for LEED-NC v2.2 from not applicable to applicable.
LEEDuser overview
LEED is changing all the time, and every project is unique. Even seasoned professionals can miss a critical detail and lose a credit or even a prerequisite at the last minute. Our expert advice guides our LEEDuser Premium members and saves you valuable time.
Already a premium member? Log in now
Credit language
© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.
Paints and coatings used on the interior of the building (i.e., inside of the weatherproofing system and applied onsite) must comply with the following criteria as applicable to the project scope1:
Documentation toolkit
LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit is loaded with calculators to help assess credit compliance, tracking spreadsheets for materials, sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions, and examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects for you to check your work against. To get your plaque, start with the right toolkit.
Already a premium member? Log in now
Frequently asked questions
How should graphic arts paint or coatings be categorized?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
The standards referenced for this credit have been updated since those listed in the LEED Reference Guide – does our project need to follow the latest SCAQMD Rules and Green Seal editions, or the ones listed in the reference guide?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
How should handheld aerosol spray paints be handled?The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
What are the VOC limits for primers? They seem to be listed in both GS-11 and SCAQMD Rule 1113.The answer to this question is available to LEEDuser premium members. Start a free trial » (If you're already a premium member, log in here.) |
Addenda
Replace the hyperlink "http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/paints_and_coatings.pd…; with "http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/paints_GS_11.pdf"
Replace the definition of "volatile organic compounds (VOC's)" with "a carbon compound that vaporizes (becomes a gas) at normal room temperatures. VOCs contribute to air pollution directly and through atmospheric photochemical reactions (excluding carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, carbonic acid, metallic carbides and carbonates, and ammonium carbonate) to produce secondary air pollutants, principally ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate."
Replace Table 1 with the one in the supplementary document.
Primers have been adjusted from the GS-11 VOC limits to the SCAQMD Rule 1113 limit for consistency with the original balloted version of LEED 2009. General purpose primers for wall and ceiling paint are widely available at lower VOC concentrations than the specified limit. Content will vary for certain substrates and in high-performance applications.
In the fourth line of the paragraph, remove the text "...Tables 1 and 2 summarize Green Seal Standard GS-11"
Insert the term "Sealer" in alphabetical order with the accompanying text "Sealers are coatings applied to either block materials from penetrating into or leaching out of a substrate, to prevent subsequent coatings from being absorbed by the substrate, or to prevent harm to subsequent coatings by materials in the substrate."
In the second line of the third bullet item, replace "must1" with "must" so the text becomes "...interior elements must not exceed the..."
Insert the word \'sealers\' after the word \'primers\' so it reads \'...primers, sealers, and shellacs....\'
Remove Table 2. Standard VOC Limits
In the second column of the second row, remove the text "27 parts per billion" and insert "120"
Replace the sentence and table below the resource with the text "The GC-03 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits."
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The GS-11 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
On the top row of the table in the second column, remove "Limit VOCs (g/L)" and replace with "Limit VOCs (g/L) minus water"
Insert the word \'sealers\' after the word \'primers\' so it reads \'...primers, sealers, and shellacs....\'
For "Nonflat Coatings" in row nineteen, remove the value "150" from the "Current Limit" column and insert in the "1/1/03" column
In the second line of the third bullet item, replace "must1" with "must" so the text becomes "...interior elements must not exceed the..."
Replace table
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The SCAQMD Rule 1113 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
At the end of the paragraph, insert the text "The GS-11 VOC limits applicable for this credit are summarized in Table 1. IEQc4.2 Applicable VOC Limits. "
Replace text with the following:NC & SchoolsThis credit is not eligible for exemplary performance under the Innovation and Design section.CSProjects that require and enforce tenants to meet the requirements in IEQ Credit 4 (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, and 4.4) throughout the tenant space are eligible for exemplary performance under the Innovation in Design section.
Replace table as indicated in the supplemental document.
Can the VOC limits of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings be used to meet the credit requirements for paints and coatings used on the interior of the building as an alternative to the VOC limits in Green Seal GS-11 1993, Green Seal GC 03 2nd Edition 1997, and SCAQMD Rule 1113 2004?
Yes, paints and coatings that comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings meet the requirements of this credit.
Architectural paints and coatings list VOC limits of 50 g/L for flats, and 150 g/L for non-flats - however, these limits specify application at walls and ceilings. Layout lines and markings applied to resilient athletic flooring often include graphics and lettering; the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 defines Graphic Arts Coatings as "coatings formulated for hand-application by artists using brush or roller techniques to indoor and outdoor signs (excluding structural components) and murals, including lettering enamels, poster colors, copy blockers, and bulleting enamels." Graphic Arts Coatings carries a VOC limit of 500g/L. As indicated above, paints applied to resilient athletic floors do not meet the VOC limits for paint as specified in the credit requirements, however, they are compliant with VOC limits of Graphic Arts Coatings as specified by SCAQMD Rule 1113. Please clarify if roller or brush-applied paint for layout lines and markings would be classified as Graphic Arts Coatings, under SCAQMD rule 1113. If not, please advise how to otherwise achieve the credit requirements. Additionally, graphics applied to textured resilient athletic flooring require air-brushing layout lines and markings; the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 defines Aerosol Coating Products as "pressurized coating product containing pigments or resins that dispenses product ingredients by means of a propellant, and is packaged in a disposable can for hand-held application, or for use in specialized equipment for ground marking and traffic marking applications." VOC limits for Aerosol Coating Products are excluded from Green Seal Standard GS-11, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District rule 1113. The USGBC also ruled on 02/10/2009 that Aerosol Coating Products are excluded from EQc4.2. As paint for floor graphics is loaded into a compressor, and applied using air as the propellant, please clarify if this would be deemed an Aerosol Coating Product, and therefore excluded from this credit. If not, please advise how to otherwise achieve the credit requirements.
The project team is seeking clarification on the applicable standards for paint used for layout lines and markings on athletic flooring. For any roller or brush-applied paint, the proposed reference standard, Graphic Arts Coating for SCAQMD rule 1113 appears to be the appropriate standard for this application. Similarly, when the paint is applied using a compressor and propellant, it would meet the definition of an aerosol coating product, per the same rule. Applicable Internationally.
This project is a healthcare facility consisting of 3 renovated floors, floors 9, 10 and 13. As part of patient care and to meet patient safety requirements on the 13th psychiatric floor, 21 square feet of Tabrasa Ultra Dry Erase Coating has been applied to each of 27 patient rooms. This dry erase coating does not clearly fall within any of the architectural coating categories defined in LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings under South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113. The product does comply under LEED for Schools 2009 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings requirements as defined by the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers. The project team is requesting that this product be acceptable under the LEED for Commercial Interiors Version 2.0 IEQ 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings.
The project team is asking how to classify dry-erase coatings which are not specifically addressed in South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113. The product regulatory category and credit reporting classification should be determined and declared by the manufacturer. If the regulatory category and classification cannot be determined or the product is a specialty product not otherwise listed in the Table of Standards or defined in the associated Definitions per section (b) , it would fall under the default VOC limit of 250 g/L as per section (c)(1) of South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1113 (dated July 09 2004). Alternatively, if the classification cannot be determined or the product is a specialty product, the product\'s compliance with the LEED for Schools 2009 IEQ Credit 4.2 Low Emitting Materials Paints and Coatings requirements for the California Department of Health Services Standard Practice for the Testing of Volatile Organic Emissions from Various Sources Using Small-Scale Environmental Chambers is an acceptable alternative to the SCAQMD Rule 1113 VOC content requirements for healthcare projects. CDPH testing is also acceptable for office projects provided the office testing scenario is used. Applicable Internationally.***Updated 01/01/2013 to modify applicability for LEED-NC v2.2 from not applicable to applicable.
BuildingGreen
Products and materials specialist