We are looking over LEED data for flat veneered wood ceiling panels, and we're unsure if it needs to meet both 4.4 and 4.6, or if meeing IEQc4.4 is enough to ensure that it's compliant with 4.6. Are these both checking the same thing? The product that we're looking at is compliant with 4.4, and we're not sure if we can stop the search there. Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks
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Josh Jacobs
Technical Information & Public Affairs ManagerUL Environment
515 thumbs up
April 4, 2011 - 8:36 am
The short answer is no - meeting IEQc 4.4 does not show qualification for IEQc 4.6.
The reasoning is a little more complicated. IEQc 4.4 looks at the amount of formaldehyde being emitted from composite wood and tries to minimize it. IEQ c 4.6 looks at the amount of 35 individual chemicals (including formaldehyde) being emitted from ceiling and wall systems and tries to minimize those 35 individual chemicals. Additionally, the testing required by the two credits is different.
So again, I would say that qualifying for IEQ c4.4 might help the overall intent of having a low amount of volatile organic compounds in the indoor environment, but it will not show compliance with IEQ c4.6.
Lauren Fakhoury
Research Assistant85 thumbs up
April 2, 2012 - 9:34 am
I have a similar question - are decorative wood ceiling panels that go BELOW the ACT required for EQc4.6 compliance? I am also having trouble finding compliant wood panels.
Josh Jacobs
Technical Information & Public Affairs ManagerUL Environment
515 thumbs up
April 2, 2012 - 9:59 am
Lauren,
While insulation, drywall, acoustic ceiling tiles and wall coverings are the main products called out and looked at for being low-emitting in this credit, I could see a leed reviewer requiring decorative wood panels pass this criteria to get the credit. You may want to look at the individual programs that certify to the CA 01350 criteria for compliant products - www.greenguard.org and www.scscertified.com are the most prominent in North America currently. If they don't have any, you can always ask the manufacturer if they have proven compliance to the CA 01350 test on their own without 3rd party certification, but simply through a test lab report.