I've got a contractor who is just wild about Inverted Marking Paint - orange spray paint that can spray upside down. This stuff is in no way LEED compliant. Typically they will use it to mark demolition - say digging a ditch outside, or to mark a wall for demolition or a concrete sawcut. They've sprayed the ends of PVC pipes with it (don't ask me why), and used it various other places.
Now, obviously this isn't a building finish, and will be covered or gone with the demolition debris when the building is done. But this is also part of a pattern of this contractor grabbing whatever can of goop that is handy, instead of getting adhesives and coatings approved before letting them on site. Once we have an interior, I'm trying to get them to strictly use approved coatings.
I've busted their chops telling them they can't be using this stuff once there is an interior (currently we are pouring footings). I've been looking for an alternative, but so far haven't found anything that complies with SCAQMD and might be useful for this kind of marking. Can anyone recommend an alternative? Or a way to shoehorn this into SCAQMD compliance?
Lawrence Lile
Chief EngineerLile Engineering, LLC
76 thumbs up
September 27, 2016 - 5:40 pm
In a related question, a similar product they use is an inverted spray clear coating. The Contractor will snap a chalk line on concrete, then spray with a clear coating. If for some reason we could argue that this was a "Waterproof Concrete Masonry Sealer" which is allowed 400 g/L VOCs, then it would comply with SCAQMD. Is there any possibility this would fly? There is no other SCAQMD category that it seems to fit in.
John-David Hutchison, LEED AP BD+C, PMP
Sustainability ManagerBGIS
LEEDuser Expert
166 thumbs up
October 13, 2016 - 8:40 am
1st question: As the paint in question seems to be outside of the air/vapour barrier, I would not be concerned, nor is it required to be reported for review. If it were used inside the building, it would need to comply with "aerosol coatings" or utilize the VOC budget calculation. (see comments in descriptions at top of page, Birds eye view)
Lawrence Lile
Chief EngineerLile Engineering, LLC
76 thumbs up
October 13, 2016 - 4:53 pm
So handheld cans of spray paint are exempt! This is something I never understood before. It sounds like I can ignore this type of paint completely per LEED interpretation 2486.
Debra a. Lombard
Construction Administrator/ LEED APBywater Woodworks, Inc.
46 thumbs up
March 1, 2017 - 12:05 pm
That CIR says: "Note, that while not a new requirement, please consider that the Environmental Protection Agency does have a new standard in place for aerosol coatings, EPA 40 CFR Parts 51 and 59: National Volatile Organic Compound Emission Standards for Aerosol Coatings (effective December 13, 2007).