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FAQs about IEQc4.3 :

If I have no flooring products in the scope of my project, can I earn this credit?

How do I handle a polished concrete floor?

Should mineral-based finish flooring products (without any integral organic-based coatings and sealants) and unfinished/untreated solid wood flooring be documented on the IEQc4.3 LEED Online form, even though they are exempt from certification requirement

On a renovation, should flooring that is previously installed be subject to the credit requirements?

One flooring adhesive we are using falls under both IEQc4.1 and IEQc4.3, and is over the VOC limit. We are using the VOC budget method to meet IEQc4.1 requirements, but are we automatically disqualifed from IEQc4.3?

The credit requirements are allowed to exempt unfinished wood flooring from the credit requirements, but wood flooring is almost always finished. This is confusing!

I have an international project and my flooring products aren’t tested using any of the above standards. How can I tell if they still comply?

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NC-2009 IEQc4.3:Low-Emitting Materials—Flooring Systems

Credit IEQ 4.1, 4.2, 4.3: Wood Floor Sanding Sealer

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Brianne Smith
Architect
RB+B Architects
LEEDuser Basic Member
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We have submitted our preliminary construction submittal, and included the sanding sealer for the wood gym floor under IEQ 4.1 (VOC 350 g/L). Our comment back indicates this is a coating, and should be submitted under IEQ 4.2. However, we were also denied credit IEQ 4.3: "The Poloplaz Low VOC Sealer and Magnum Low VOC Finish have been reported as other sealants in EQc4.1: Low-Emitting Materials - Adhesives and Sealants, although the provided manufacturer documentation indicates that this product is a floor coating. Therefore, the VOC content exceeds the allowable limit. All floor finishes must meet the requirements of SCAQMD Rule 1113." I'm confused - do we need to report under 4.2 or 4.3? Thank you for your help!

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Wed, 12/14/2016 - 22:21

Hi Brianne, I would agree with the reviewer that they should not be listed in IEQc4.1 because they technically don't meet SCAQMD 1168 definition of a sealant, which is "any material with adhesive properties that is formulated primarily to fill, seal, or waterproof gaps or joints between two surfaces. Sealants include sealant primers and caulks." I would also agree that it should go under IEQc4.2, but not as a Floor Coating. Even though this is going on the floor, floor coatings are listed as "opaque coatings that are formulated for or applied to flooring, but not limited to, flooring garages, decks, and porches. Floor coatings also include clear coatings formulated or applied to concrete flooring." I would think that you could list them under "clear wood sanding sealer" and "varnish" for IEQc4.2. I'm not exactly sure what you would list them under in the IEQc4.3 form, considering these designations are not listed within the form. It's hard to believe that LEED would require projects to comply with the 100g/L for a Floor Coating considering the most low VOC commercial products for sealing Gymnasium floors aren't even close to 100g/L. If anyone else has any suggestions or think my methodology is incorrect, please let me know. I am working on a project that has the same problems, although the products specified on ours have not been used yet and I have a chance to change if substitute is available. Thanks,
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Martina Parrish
AIT
High Plains Architects
LEEDuser Basic Member
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Fri, 03/17/2017 - 16:31

I have a question that goes along with the original post, and John-David's response. We have sealed concrete floors, and the contractor inadvertently use a concrete sealer on the floor that, using the VOC budget calculation method, makes us unable to attempt IEQc4.2. I am a little unclear if this means we will not be able to pursue IEQc4.3? The product does not meet the SCAQMD limits for VOC's. But the way I am interpreting IEQc4.3 is for flooring products, and we wouldn't double count the concrete sealer. However, John-David's response has me questioning this logic. Any insight is appreicated!
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P. Hardy
LEEDuser Basic Member
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Thu, 11/30/2017 - 19:01

Hello, We have a similar concern with our school gym flooring product. Based on the data I have on the product, it appears it should be categorized as a floor coating with a limit of 100g/L, but is 327g/L. It is a clear product, that is moisture cured urethane and can also be used on concrete. For this reason, I feel it cannot be defined as a wood coating per SCAQMD 1113 definition for wood coating: for wood substrates only. Would you agree? I am wondering if anyone has submitted a project recently with a gym floor coating and what was the outcome? Also, if we were to look into the VOC budget approach, can anyone confirm if this can be applied to IEQc4.3?  
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Debra a. Lombard
Construction Administrator/ LEED AP
Bywater Woodworks, Inc.
LEEDuser Basic Member
42 thumbs up

Thu, 11/30/2017 - 19:47

I think I see what could be causing some of the confusion. the LEED NC v2009 EQc4.3 form (v. 5) has table required tables. One is for flooring adhesives & "sealants." the other is for actual floor products (ie. wood boards.) The 1st table for adhesive/sealant doesn't have any "drop down" categories to list a "coating" but one could list it as "other sealant." Therefore, there is slight languistics confusion in that table if one has a floor "coating." The LEED NC v2009 reference guide however says: "...wood...sealer, stain and finish must meet scaqmd rule 1113 in effect 1/1/04) which relates to Ref guide Table 1 in EQc4.2 (& not credit EQc4.1.) Keep in mind that all pre-finished wood (gym) flooring all must be FloorScore or Greenguard Gold certified but unfinished wood gym flooring would just need to be NAUF (if composite wood and going for EQc4.4) and the coating/sealer meet SCAQMD rule 1113 per 4.2.  So seems like floor "coating" needs to be listed in both EQc4.2 and EQc4.3 for NC v2009. Debra
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Melanie Blacklock
Senior Project Administrator
Clark Contractors, LLC
LEEDuser Basic Member
3 thumbs up

Tue, 05/22/2018 - 16:29

Thanks for this thread!  I had the exact sames questions about the same Poloplaz product!  Was also looking at 4.1 instead of 4.2.  

Sat, 06/22/2019 - 06:42

Hi All, With reference to the above thread, has anyone got awarded the credit IEQc4.2 - Paints & Coatings - by considering the wooden floor coatings allowable limit based on "Clear Wood Finishes" instead of "Floor Coatings"? Please clarify.
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Debra a. Lombard
Construction Administrator/ LEED AP
Bywater Woodworks, Inc.
LEEDuser Basic Member
42 thumbs up

Mon, 06/24/2019 - 14:09

Yes they're different. SCAQMD Rule has definitions in the rule. "Floor Coatings" defined does not include clear wood floor coatings. That product would fall under the type clear wood coating it is "ie. shellac or other." Debra

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