Concrete Flooring

Hi,

I actually would count it as subflooring and don't report the concrete, as it also is inherently non-emitting. Or do you need the consideration of concrete to outweigh other non-compliant materials?

Don't report the concrete as it is a structure. You only need to report floor finishes such as carpet tiles, laminate etc. in the flooring category. Subflooring would count towards the wood category if it's composite wood, and a concrete sealer would count towards the paints and coatings.

What about the floor sealer?  I know it would be listed in the Paints and Coatings category, but wouldn't it also be listed in the Flooring category since it is part of the flooring systems?  Especially since the Flooring category compliance level is calculated differently than the Paints and Coatings category?  Same question applies for all the flooring adhesives - why would they not be part of the Flooring category too?

Are there any resources on LEEDuser specifically geared towards beginners, offering a roadmap for navigating the different LEED certification paths (LEED for Building Design and Construction, LEED for Interior Design and Construction, etc.) and understanding which path might be most relevant to a specific project?

Hi Joey,

Questions about which rating system to use are often discussed on this LEED Rating System Selection forum.

As far as other basic intro resources, your best source is probably the LEED intro pages on USGBC's website. Good luck!

When dealing with concrete flooring that is essentially the slab that has been sealed, it is important to distinguish between the structure and the finish:

1. Concrete Slab as Structure: The concrete slab itself is part of the structural system and typically does not need to be reported as a finish floor material.

2. Concrete Sealer: Since you are already reporting the concrete sealer under paints and coatings, it is covered.

3. Exposed Concrete Slab: For areas where the slab is exposed and serves as the finished floor, you should report this under the finish flooring category. You can determine a cost for these portions based on the area that is exposed.

In summary, the concrete slab itself is not reported as a finish floor material, but any exposed sections that serve as the finished floor should be reported. The sealer is correctly reported under paints and coatings.

Karl, your comment is helpful but raises q's for me. For exposed concrete, typically it is sealed, so the sealer is reported in coatings but the sf area of exposed sealed concrete in flooring as well? And if there are areas of exposed unsealed concrete (such as stairwells perhaps) you would report those in flooring? And list it as non-compliant flooring if the concrete contains additives?