LEED v2.2
New Construction
Indoor Environmental Quality

Low-Emitting Materials—Paints & Coatings

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

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Credit language

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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Cost estimates for this credit

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Documentation toolkit

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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

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LEEDuser overview

Frank advice from LEED experts

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.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Credit language

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
See all forum discussions about this credit »

Checklists

Step by step to LEED certification

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.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now

Documentation toolkit

The motherlode of cheat sheets

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.

For full access, sign up now for LEEDuser Premium

Already a premium member? Log in now