VOC limit for acrylic based industrial enamel paints

Sengathir—For its paint VOC limits, LEEDv3 cites Green Seals Standards GS-11 from 1993 and GC-03 from 1997. For opaque paints used on walls and ceilings, the VOC limits are 50g/L for flats and 150 for non-flats. For anti-corrosive & anti-rust paints, the VOC limit is 250g/L. For other types of coatings, LEEDv3 cites South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) Rule 1113 from 2004 (http://www.usgbc.org/resources/south-coast-air-quality-management-district-scaqmd-rule-1113-architectural-coatings-rules-), but even then, the VOC limit for Industrial Maintenance (IM) Coatings is only 250g/L. Your vendor appears mistaken.

Sengathir: Unless it is an extremely specialized coating, it would likely be an Industrial Maintenance coating at 250 g/L as Jon states. The referenced version of Rule 1113 is out of date, but it was balloted and remains the baseline for conformance. Full text is at http://www.usgbc.org/sites/default/files/SCAQMD%20Rule%201113%207-9-04.pdf One of the primary credit interpretations incorporates an updated set of coating categories and limits that is consistent with systems such as the IgCC, ASHRAE 189.1 and LEEDv4. The Credit Library on the USGBC website includes interpretations and referenced standards. Here is the text of the specific interpretation: ID#10295 made on 10/01/2013 Prerequisite/Credit: EQc4.2 - Low-emitting materials - paints and coatings Rating System: LEED BD+C: New Construction, LEED ID+C: Commercial Interiors, LEED BD+C: Core and Shell, LEED BD+C: Retail, LEED ID+C: Retail Inquiry Can the VOC limits of the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings be used to meet the credit requirements for paints and coatings used on the interior of the building as an alternative to the VOC limits in Green Seal GS-11 1993, Green Seal GC 03 2nd Edition 1997, and SCAQMD Rule 1113 2004? Ruling Yes, paints and coatings that comply with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) 2007, Suggested Control Measure (SCM) for Architectural Coatings meet the requirements of this credit

Thanks Dwayne. I haven’t used CARB-SCM-2007 on a project yet, so I often forget about it. Still, the CARB VOC limits and category definitions are similar: . Flat Coatings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50g/L . Nonflat Coatings. . . . . . . . . . . . . 100g/L . Nonflat – High Gloss Coatings. . . 150g/L . Rust Preventative Coatings . . . . . 250g/L . Industrial Maintenance Coatings . 250g/L None of the SCAQMD or CARB VOC limits above 438g/L are for coating categories that seem to resemble the product that Sengathir describes. The vendor may be citing a standard that is not recognized under LEED-2009. Incidentally, your SCAQMD-1113 link connects to a version identical to the one that I posted.