International products may comply through the German AgBB/DIBt testing method, which is followed by GUT, EMICODE, and Blue Angel. If using the AgBB/DIBt test results, select the 3, 7, or 14 day time point. You should also check that the test parameters match the California Department of Health Services protocol—if not, USGBC will allow you to multiply the test results by a factor of 0.7 to determine compliance.

Yes, it is odd. All the same, unfinished flooring is exempt, while finished flooring must meet relevant requirements.

While products that are inherently non-emitting sources of VOCs (stone, ceramic, powder-coated metals, plated or anodized metal, glass, concrete, clay brick, and unfinished or untreated solid wood) are considered fully compliant without any VOC emissions testing, a tile or similar product that is coated after being manufactured must meet the credit requirements for flooring product certification.

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

While low-emitting throw rugs are a good idea, they would not be considered permanently installed and so would not be subject to credit requirements.

Technically speaking, the IEQc4.3 credit language would not allow you to earn the credit in this situation. The budget method is not referenced in IEQc4.3. However, there has not been an official ruling on this from USGBC, and a case could be made through a narrative or a LEED Interpretation for earning the credit.

No. The credit requirements only refer to flooring installed within the project scope.

According to LEED Interpretation #10267, the project team should mark the form to indicate an Alternative Compliance Path, and include a narrative with a statement that the project is applying the April 14, 2010 addenda, as well as the manufacturer and specific product description of the product claiming the exemption. Manufacturer documentation for each product claiming an exemption is not required.

The concrete is not considered under the credit requirements because it is not a flooring product. Any coatings used to finish the concrete would be applicable under IEQc4.1 and IEQc4.2.

This situation is not definitively addressed by USGBC. However, because the credit requires the use of flooring products that meet specific requirements, it makes sense to assume that flooring must be used.

There is no definitive information from USGBC on this one way or another. It is recommended that project teams do their best to find low-emitting options for IEQc5, and that IEQc4.3 compliance is recommended.