Epoxy Flooring

Hi Lauren,

I usually think of EQc4.2 as being for walls and EQc4.3 as being for floors. For the floors credit, your adhesives and sealants have to also comply with EQc4.1 -- so in that sense epoxy floors (and most other floors) are addressed under two different credits. Also the newest LEED for Healthcare draft (draft 3) addresses this issue under EQc4.3:

"Mineral based finish flooring products such as tile, masonry, terrazzo, and cut stone without integral organic‐based coatings and sealants and unfinished/untreated solid wood flooring qualify for credit without any IAQ testing requirements. However, associated site‐applied adhesives, grouts, finishes and sealers must be compliant for a mineral-based or unfinished/untreated solid wood flooring system to qualify for credit."

This is pretty logical. While I would expect it to also hold true for other rating systems, I also don't remember seeing such a specific official comment on this previously.

Mara-Thanks for posting this info on mineral-based flooring. I'd heard something to this effect and it's good to hear it reiterated. Marian

I was really pleased to see this when I looked at the LEED Healthcare draft when it was released a few days ago. I should reiterate, though that while I would like to think that it should hold true elsewhere, it is not currently included in any other LEED system (that I am aware of).

Crazy that these ref guides were released without careful review, also (!)

You can say that again!

Hello again, all-Mind if I revisit this question? I was reviewing the issue of epoxy floors with a colleague in the office and we both believe the language regarding mineral based flooring does not apply to poured in place, fluid-applied epoxy flooring, only pre-fabricated, inert materials and products like terrazzo tiles. Do others agree? I would be tempted to classify fluid-applied epoxy as an adhesive or sealant (EQ 4.1). Do others agree and are there compliant products you know of? Thanks, Marian

Hi All,
In reviewing specs for LEED and green building criteria for many project types, we are faced with this question repeatedly. We have opted for submitting under EQc4.2 as Industrial Maintenance coating. Not an exact fit--but closest to SCAQMD's definition: "INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE COATINGS are coatings, including primers, sealers, undercoaters, intermediate coatings and topcoats, formulated for or applied to substrates, including floors, that are exposed to one or more of the following extreme environmental conditions..." It has not been questioned by a LEED Reviewer (yet)!
Best of luck,
Linda

The May 2011 Addenda for Schools also includes the provision for inert flooring materials.