Resilient flooring, rubber flooring, and prefinished wood flooring all must be FloorScore or Greenguard Gold certified. Carpeting and carpet cushion need to be CRI Green Label Plus or Green Label certified (respectively).
In order to meet the credit requirements, any adhesives or finishes applied to flooring materials also need to meet the applicable requirements of IEQc4.1 and IEQc4.2. Wood, concrete, and other flooring installed raw need not be certified as long as any coatings and finished applied to them meet the requirements of IEQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints and Coatings.
Both designers and contractors have to understand the rules
While this is a construction-phase credit—and the contractor will need to ensure that VOC-compliant adhesives, sealants and coatings have been applied to flooring systems—it can be dealt with primarily during the design phase by choosing specific manufacturers and flooring products for the contractor to use. Allocating adequate time for product research, and identifying compliant flooring products before construction begins, helps to ensure that the right products are used.
This is an all-or-nothing credit, but as long as each flooring product meets one of the applicable criteria under either Option 1 or 2, the requirements will be covered.
Make sure the contractor and subcontractors know what information to look for. Don’t allow them to use products that merely claim to be low-VOC. Find the manufacturer’s data stating that carpets are Green Label Plus, carpet padding is Green Label, and hard-surface flooring is FloorScore or has been tested by an accredited lab and complies with the California Department of Health Services protocol.
Carpet samples like these are tested in closed chambers for emissions levels. Samples are fit into trays covering their edges, to avoid skewing results.
Carpet samples like these are tested in closed chambers for emissions levels. Samples are fit into trays covering their edges, to avoid skewing results. Photo – Berkeley Analytical Associates
Only 20% of product cut sheets selected at random need to be uploaded to LEED Online to document this credit although it is best to keep all product cut sheets on file in case the credit is audited.
