Doors w/ FSC veneer and recycled (wood) core

Hi Michael - Sorry for the slow reply - your post slipped past me while I was attending The Living Futures Conference in Vancouver. I would interpret the July 19, 2010 USGBC Addenda Post (Addenda spreadsheet PDF page 29, line-item indentified referring to Page '397' of the LEED BD+C 2009 Reference Guide, First Edition) as NOT allowing the Veneer Only on a Non-FSC certified door assembly to contribute to the FSC Credit. I would also interpret the credit as requiring you to list the value of the Veneer (assuming it is new wood) as part of the 'tallied' wood on the project. The addenda states: "List all new wood products (not reclaimed, salvaged, or recycled) on the project and identify which components are FSC certified. The cost of all new wood products, both FSC certified and not, must be tallied." The addenda goes onto say: "The entire product must be FSC-certified, Pure, Mixed (NN)%, or Mixed Credit to contribute towards the credit threshold for MR Credit 7. For example, a product that includes multiple wood components, like a door, the entire product must be FSC certified. The door cannot be labeled, or claim, that only the door core is FSC certified." Here is a link to the compiled addenda PDF - you may want to review the addenda to see if you concur with my interpretation: http://www.usgbc.org/ShowFile.aspx?DocumentID=6392 Although the Veneer may not be claimable under LEED, it's still FSC, which is a good thing... | dp

The LEED requirement for FSC claims on doors is that the Forest Stewardship Council's requirements are met in the construction of the door. FSC only allows a manufacturer to use FSC chain-of-custody certified wood and FSC controlled wood for the wood components in an assembly. If a specification calls out for a mahogany veneer for the doors and the manufacturer can not source FSC certiifed or FSC controlled mahogany the door cannot be claimed as an FSC certified product even though the core may be FSC certified particleboard door core. In my conversations with FSC-US and the MRc7 TAG team the intent is to be in alignment with the FSC requirements. In the past LEED claims were made on individual components used in an assembled product even though the door itself could not be claimed as FSC. The purpose of the requirement is to make sure the door is FSC certified by using FSC chain-or-cstody and FSC controlled wood materials in the assembly. Additionally controlled wood products are required for the recycled wood-based materials used in assemblies. LEED only recognizes the new wood for the calculations for the FSC content whereas FSC requires that the only inputs allowed for FSC certified assemblies be FSC certified, FSC controlled and neutral materials (non-wood) components.