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LEED v2.2
New Construction
Indoor Environmental Quality

Low-Emitting Materials—Paints & Coatings

LEED CREDIT

NC-v2.2 EQc4.2: Low-Emitting Materials—Paints & Coatings 1 point

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Credit language

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Requirements

Paints and coatings used on the interior of the building (defined as inside of the weatherproofing system and applied on-site) shall comply with the following criteria:

  • Architectural paints, coatings and primers applied to interior walls and ceilings: Do not exceed the VOC content limits established in Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, First Edition, May 20, 1993. Primers must meet the VOC limit for non-flat paint.
    • Flats: 50 g/L
    • Non-Flats: 150 g/L
  • Anti-corrosive and anti-rust paints applied to interior ferrous metal substrates: Do not exceed the VOC content limit of 250 g/L established in Green Seal Standard GS-03, Anti-Corrosive Paints, Second Edition, January 7, 1997.
  • Clear wood finishes, floor coatings, stains, and shellacs applied to interior elements: Do not exceed the VOC content limits established in South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, Architectural Coatings, rules in effect on January 1, 2004. The following list of SCAQMD VOC limits are examples. Refer to the standards for complete details.
    • Clear wood finishes: varnish 350 g/L; lacquer 550 g/L
    • Floor coatings: 100 g/L
    • Sealers: waterproofing sealers 250 g/L; sanding sealers 275 g/L; all other sealers 200 g/L
    • Shellacs: Clear 730 g/L; pigmented 550 g/L
    • Stains: 250 g/L
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USGBC logo

© Copyright U.S. Green Building Council, Inc. All rights reserved.

Requirements

Paints and coatings used on the interior of the building (defined as inside of the weatherproofing system and applied on-site) shall comply with the following criteria:

  • Architectural paints, coatings and primers applied to interior walls and ceilings: Do not exceed the VOC content limits established in Green Seal Standard GS-11, Paints, First Edition, May 20, 1993. Primers must meet the VOC limit for non-flat paint.
    • Flats: 50 g/L
    • Non-Flats: 150 g/L
  • Anti-corrosive and anti-rust paints applied to interior ferrous metal substrates: Do not exceed the VOC content limit of 250 g/L established in Green Seal Standard GS-03, Anti-Corrosive Paints, Second Edition, January 7, 1997.
  • Clear wood finishes, floor coatings, stains, and shellacs applied to interior elements: Do not exceed the VOC content limits established in South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113, Architectural Coatings, rules in effect on January 1, 2004. The following list of SCAQMD VOC limits are examples. Refer to the standards for complete details.
    • Clear wood finishes: varnish 350 g/L; lacquer 550 g/L
    • Floor coatings: 100 g/L
    • Sealers: waterproofing sealers 250 g/L; sanding sealers 275 g/L; all other sealers 200 g/L
    • Shellacs: Clear 730 g/L; pigmented 550 g/L
    • Stains: 250 g/L

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Got the gist of EQc4.2 but not sure how to actually achieve it? LEEDuser gives step-by-step help. Premium members get:

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In the end, LEED is all about documentation. LEEDuser’s Documentation Toolkit, for premium members only, saves you time and helps you avoid mistakes with:

  • Calculators to help assess credit compliance.
  • Tracking spreadsheets for materials purchases.
  • Spreadsheets and forms to give to subs and other team members.
  • Guidance documents on arcane LEED issues.
  • Sample templates to help guide your narratives and LEED Online submissions.
  • Examples of actual submissions from certified LEED projects.
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