Conflicting Directions

Hi Brianne!  I think I remember working with you on a previous project.  Hope you're doing well.  I would gather the documentation that you have from the second campus review where they said to put the Uzin NC 886 in the paints category, as well as any documentation you have describing the the function of the product, and in your clarificiton narrative, compare that with the definitions of paints/coatings/adhesives/sealants from the SCAQMD rules.  You may even be able to get a letter from the manufacturer's technical team to clarify the category that the product should be placed in.  In the meantime, I would also suggest reaching out to USGBC customer service to inform them of the conflicting review comments so that they can make an effort to be more consistent in the future.  Good luck!

I agree with Elizabeth's approach.  One item to add....if GBCI does not allow you to include these products in the Paints and Coatings category perhaps ask for a one-time exception. They may grant this if it is the 40th or 50th or 60th point.  Good Luck!

I agree with you as well.  Joint compound is a coating.  This goes with my opinion that the people in charge of reviewing these documents don't have enough actual construction knowledge.

If you press the Feedback button in LEED online and describe the issue you will get an email allowing you to set up a call with GBCI

A thought: joint compund is meant to seal the gap between gyp board panels and when used in that capacity, I would call it a sealant. But UZIN is a different animal and might be called a coating. 

Following Elizabeth's suggestion, I've been documenting the following to defend a future submittal. v4 Reference Guide, Pg. 681: "SCAQMD created a widely cited regulatory system for sealants and adhesives packaged and designed for commercial applications. This credit includes requirements for all product categories found in the referenced standards. Product categories that are not listed do not need to be tracked.".  v4.1 addenda adds "If the product is classified as a roof coating under the stated regulation (such as SCAQMD), it must meet the appropriate VOC limit for roof coatings." My Interpretation #1: Since there are no definitions in the Reference Guide for substances within the LEED Categories,and v4 and v4.1 guidance points us back to the referenced standards or stated regulations, perhaps we should look to the standards/regulations for definitions of these Categories. CARB SCM (2007) PAINT: [included in 4.11 COATING]. CARB SCM (2007) 4.11. COATING: A material applied onto or impregnated into a substrate for protective, decorative, or functional purposes. Such materials include, but are not limited to, paints, varnishes, sealers, and stains. Rule 1113: PAINT is not defined. Rule 1113.b.11: COATING is a material which is applied to a surface in order to beautify, protect, or provide a barrier to such surface. Rule 1168.c.5: ADHESIVE is any substance that is used to bond one surface to another surface by attachment. Rule 1168.c.91: SEALANT is any material with adhesive properties that is designed to fill, seal, waterproof, or weatherproof gaps or joints between two surfaces. Sealants include caulks. My Interpretation #2: Joint compound when used to fill and seal joints, seems to fit 1168's definition of Sealant. Joint compound when used to apply to a surface, such as for skim coating, seems to fit both CARB's and 1113's definitions of Coating. Rule 1168.j.7: The provisions of subdivision (g) shall not apply to thermoplastic hot melt adhesives or to Regulated Products offered for sale as a dry mix, containing no polymer, which are ready for use or only mixed with water prior to use, and include, but are not limited to, grouts, cements, and mortars. My Interpretation #3: Considering this 1168.j.7 exception while reviewing a Murco ready mix joint compound, the ready mix nature was not a concern.  However, the SDS showed a "vinyl" additive, which is a copolymer, negating this exception.  As the Murco compound did not have a Greenguard Gold cert. or any other CDPH testing we could find, we rejected it.  Thankfully, there are many other Greenguard Gold joint compounds. From Britannica.com: "Mortar, in technology, is a material used in building construction to bond brick, stone, tile, or concrete blocks into a structure...mortar hardens into a stonelike mass and, properly applied, distributes the load of the structure uniformly over the bonding surfaces and provides a weathertight joint." My Interpretation #4: From this definition, mortar could be an Adhesive (bond), a Sealant (weathertight joint), or both.  Combining either categorization with the 1168.j.7 exception while reviewing Quikrete Glass Block Mortar, both the "just add water" preparation and the absence of polymers in the SDS caused us to fit this mortar under this exception.  Quikrete did not have Greengaurd Gold or other CDPH testing for this mortar, but because of this exception, we would feel justified in excluding this mortar from the submittal of products in the Adhesives and Sealants Category.